Is it weird to sometimes look back on deployment and think that you would rather be there than back in the states?

CPL (Join to see) here is the realization, and I am not making light of it. Once upon a time, I was awesome. I used to be the warrior king, now I am suburban dad. It's tough to set aside what once was. Once you get a taste it's hard to let go.

Sebastian Junger talks about this in his book War and a little bit in the documentary Restreppo. You are not alone.

CPL (Join to see) It's NOT weird AT ALL. My dad had the same feelings at times from his service in Vietnam (a MUCH more difficult theater then anything we've ever endured, IMO). I asked him that when I came back from my 3rd tour. He told me he expected that question a few months after my first tour. It's an adjustment, pure and simple. You're a different person than the guy that deployed. You gotta rediscover how you fit into this new normal. It's a tough transition. Sadly, some (even some I've known) can't handle it. As cliché as this sounds, get you a good battle buddy to help you transition back. And if you don't have one, message me.

I look at it differently. When things got way crazy in CIV life work, school, you name it; there are times.... Being deployed in many aspects is simpler. Your job is well defined. You know where you eat, dump, and slump. You know the rules. Back in the day, there were fewer distractions. Only thing going was snail mail or none at all. Your world shrunk. Nobody whining that they can't go to Disneyland on the weekend. Now that I'm retired, my focus is on simple. That way I'm making this time the best in my life. I have a therapy tractor, therapy Gator, therapy kegerator, you get the drift. When you are doing what you want, things get simpler too.