The administrative process to separate from the Marine Corps is tougher then its entering counter-part. While all you do is a few initials and signatures to enter, leaving proves prolonged with classes and mountains of paper work. Everything is a packet in the government from getting married to owning your own car. I wonder how many trees fell to the wrath of someone trying to get their address changed in the government’s system.

When “getting out” or as we Jarheads like to say, EASing, the military knows that a person that has been institutionalized can’t just be let loose into the poor sheltered civilian culture. With this in mind they created special classes for military members who are about to embark into normalism. Of course this isn’t a real word, unless you’re in the military, then it means the lifestyles were you aren’t in the military. Despite the stereotype of how Marines are taught classes, these are taught by civilian so there isn’t any yelling or name calling or flying soda bottles.

Financial aid, resume writing, communication skills, people skills, veteran information and stress management are just a few of the classes in the package. The teachers actually care enough to take time and answer questions that may seem a bit under the level of grown men and women but they understand what we’ve been through. It’d be nice to know that these people were volunteers, coming to our aid in taking a huge step in our lives, but like many or all good things in the military, they were contracted from civilian enterprises. Either way, I extend my thanks to the workers of the TAMP (Transition Assistance Management Program) on Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Japan; Dec 2006. Thanks!

As to my friends and family,wait, family? I don’t even think they read this. Ok, well to my friends out there, may you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years! I hope the New Year brings new opportunities and wealth, financially, emotionally, and spiritual!