Posted on Jan 18, 2016
11 things that happened when I became a Veteran
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My two-year anniversary of being a veteran just passed. As I reflect on this humbling transition from service member to civilian, I have noticed several things that happened. They just may be me or they may be universal truths that must be added to TAPs.
1. First you get fat. Unless you’re that guy or gal that was doing marathons for fun you are going to stop running. You will plan to stay just as fit or unfit as you were in the service. A gym membership will be bought and not used and new shoes will be fitted by a foot specialist because you think you finally have the time to run as a hobby. But then you remember you hate running. Then your Fitbit will remind you that you took like 20 steps and burned 10 calories in the last 24 hours. It doesn’t know you consumed 4,000 calories as you shopped for fitness apps.
2. You will notice all the Active Duty deals and privileges you didn’t care about when you were in. I want to go on base! I want to go to the USO for free candy and cup of noodles! I want my 10% discount at Hobby Lobby! I didn’t want to do any of this until I couldn’t.
3. You will play the veteran card at customer service reps and applying for school. It is almost like if I tell you I am a veteran and you don’t accept me or give me what I want, you are an anti-American communist terrorist. You almost wish it was like Starship Troopers where only vets can be true citizens. Then I imagine true citizenship comes with the ability to board planes first, discounts, and never standing in line for anything.
4. If you were in the Air Force you will constantly look in the sky when an aircraft flies over and announce what it is, especially when you are around people who don’t care.
5. Everyone in uniform will probably think you are a stalker since you stare intently on people’s uniforms looking for Stolen Valor or uniform discrepancies you can call out.
6. You say the VA and a curse word at least 20 times a day.
7. You constantly shout, “What about the Vets!?” even when it has nothing to do with the military.
8. You deck out in all your veteran gear and still awkwardly say how did you know?
9. You try and in my case fail to grow a beard and discover you are genetically predisposed to never grow a beard.
10. You don’t shave, get a haircut, and generally lax all hygienic routines until shame forces you to get a military haircut since the feeling of hair on your ears is weird.
11. You refer to your service as "when you were in" and "when you got out." Also you state "I did my time" or "I served my term." We ask other vets if "they served", "where were you stationed at", and "did you do time in sandbox." All of these phrases can easily be misinterpreted by civilians as serving prison time.
What are your observations of what happens when you are a veteran?
1. First you get fat. Unless you’re that guy or gal that was doing marathons for fun you are going to stop running. You will plan to stay just as fit or unfit as you were in the service. A gym membership will be bought and not used and new shoes will be fitted by a foot specialist because you think you finally have the time to run as a hobby. But then you remember you hate running. Then your Fitbit will remind you that you took like 20 steps and burned 10 calories in the last 24 hours. It doesn’t know you consumed 4,000 calories as you shopped for fitness apps.
2. You will notice all the Active Duty deals and privileges you didn’t care about when you were in. I want to go on base! I want to go to the USO for free candy and cup of noodles! I want my 10% discount at Hobby Lobby! I didn’t want to do any of this until I couldn’t.
3. You will play the veteran card at customer service reps and applying for school. It is almost like if I tell you I am a veteran and you don’t accept me or give me what I want, you are an anti-American communist terrorist. You almost wish it was like Starship Troopers where only vets can be true citizens. Then I imagine true citizenship comes with the ability to board planes first, discounts, and never standing in line for anything.
4. If you were in the Air Force you will constantly look in the sky when an aircraft flies over and announce what it is, especially when you are around people who don’t care.
5. Everyone in uniform will probably think you are a stalker since you stare intently on people’s uniforms looking for Stolen Valor or uniform discrepancies you can call out.
6. You say the VA and a curse word at least 20 times a day.
7. You constantly shout, “What about the Vets!?” even when it has nothing to do with the military.
8. You deck out in all your veteran gear and still awkwardly say how did you know?
9. You try and in my case fail to grow a beard and discover you are genetically predisposed to never grow a beard.
10. You don’t shave, get a haircut, and generally lax all hygienic routines until shame forces you to get a military haircut since the feeling of hair on your ears is weird.
11. You refer to your service as "when you were in" and "when you got out." Also you state "I did my time" or "I served my term." We ask other vets if "they served", "where were you stationed at", and "did you do time in sandbox." All of these phrases can easily be misinterpreted by civilians as serving prison time.
What are your observations of what happens when you are a veteran?
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Took me about a year and a half to keep a beard and allow my hair to grow. I would keep the short hair, but hair cuts are $20+ around here. Cant be dropping almost a ninety bucks a month for a hair cut.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
The barber shop I to haircuts in that shop any Military Veteran has a discount. The final price is comparable to that of a Military Exchange. Its close although about 8 miles away is a Exchange Barber shop at US Army Natick labs, Natick, MA and 25 miles to Hanscom AFB, MA another.
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