A Modest Beginning
20 Year Old Specialist Colt, greener than green.
Last night I was at a gathering at my friend Byron’s house. He had lured me down the opposite end of our tiny state with the promise of a firepit and good bourbon. Like most Rhode Islanders, I balk at driving more than twenty minutes anywhere, but my Long Suffering Wife pointed out that I should go. I have learned to listen and so I went.
One of my good friends from college was there. When we met at URI, he there on the GI Bill after spending four years in the Navy, doing scary, dangerous stuff on an aircraft carrier. I was fresh out of high-school. He was one of two close friends that I worked with at the Ram’s Den/America’s Cup Room. The other was just off active duty in the Army where he’d been a crew chief on UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters. A third, close friend, was off active duty as as a Combat Engineer in the Army. A job that had taken him to Iraq for Desert Shield/Storm.
Compared to them I was a green kid. Earnest and full of ideas and ideals. I was able to tag along and learned as much from them about the real world as I could. I’d like to think this made me a good enlisted soldier and a better officer when my time came. Three of the four us became “Mustangs”, prior enlisted, commissioned officers. The fourth never gave in to temptation and made an honest living as an NCO.
Last night, talking to the guy who’d been on aircraft carriers, and had staid in the Naval Reserve we talked careers. Mine wrapped up almost ten years ago, when I stopped loving it and retired as a Major. Private to Major is a pretty good run and I have no complaints and very few regrets.
I asked my friend how much longer he was going to do it. He said that he was getting looked at (possibly promoted to) Admiral. If he didn’t get it he was going to retire. E-1 to O-6 is a hell of a run and if the Navy doesn’t see fit to make him a flag officer he’s still achieved a hell of a lot. He has worked hard and deserves either the promotion or his hard won retirement.
He remarked that we had come a long way. He made a big deal about my deployments and how happy he was that I was a writer now. We are proud of each other’s achievements and it was nice to celebrate them. There might have been a lot of bourbon fueled bro hugging and possibly an “I love you man.” or two. All in all not a bad night.