flickr: Hammer missing Sickle

My hammer. For one week, we did everything. We counted, we woke up early. We moved, opened, counted, re-counted, closed and put hundreds of boxes and thousands upon thousands of peices of gear. No matter how hard we work, we get no glory for our pain. This is the life of the Privates though Lance Corporals of the Marine Corps.

Blood, sweat, and tears. It is our blood, our sweat, and our tears. What do you have to offer? Workers of the World, Unite!

I am nearing the end of my duty as an active duty Marine. I have been in three years and 3 months. I have 8 more months to go and I will effectively be out of the United States Marine Corps, a prestige club of men and women. Elites amoung humans. Although I have seen Marines do great things, I have seen them commit some of the worse things. Acts of violence with total disregard for anyone, even themselves. But let me shut that door behind me, for I don’t hate the Marine Corps, in fact, I love it. I would be lying if I said the Marine Corps was a bad choice for me in life. It has done what it needed to be done to myself as a young male in today’s world, and for that, I am thankful.

Almost every Marine is asked to reenlist into another contract for the Marine Corps. I was asked and I was given a pretty nice deal. One I couldn’t almost turn down. Basicly, since they knew I am going to be married and wanted to live here in Okinawa, they try to play that idea and promise me a 3 year tour here. Although, a steady paycheck for three years sounds nice, it still comes with the tag of bullshit and ups and downs that a Marine’s life carries. I can’t do that to Hiromi. I can’t do that to myself. She has dealt with it long enough and I just wouldn’t want her to put up with it any longer.

I’m not going to lie. I thought about it long and hard, but just thinking about the fact that right now, I can’t go and see her freely, that thought drives me insane. Being punished for other people’s mistakes? I disagree. This just isn’t worth it. Besides, I planned this out so that I wouldn’t have to reenlist, so why am I worried right? So once again, after much troubled thinking due to the fact that I let their Jedi-Mind Tricks get to me for a minute, I am counting down the days because I’ve been a low-class worker without choice for too long.