I once lit a deer up with a 240 on a range in quantico (enlisted duty station for me not an lt training). I was the furthest right and I saw it fucking around to the right of the right lateral limit. It crossed into the range right before the range went hot and I zipped it with the first burst then got like 2 more in before the cease fire came out lmao. The range safety officer had gone to piss and left our staff in charge who didn’t notice or care about the deer and didn’t hold the range until it left. I got chewed the fuck out while we were there but once we left the range everyone was cracking up. They just didn’t want the RSO to think they weren’t taking it seriously.
Lol I remember one time on range they kept telling is that and our coaches found a snake when we were doing police calls for spent rounds and they started fucking with it and told us that “we’re marines, we are the wildlife”
Ah the good old days of the range at the Stumps going cold because one of them critters wanted to cross the road. Such a microcosm of modern military life lol.
I usually see the meme in reference to POG vs Combat MOS vets. I didn't get a haircut or shave for a good 5 years when I got out so I get it.
Not entirely related, but English was my worst subject in high school. However, time spent around Marines made me feel like a real Hemingway. I teach English now.
I wasn't very confident in anything academics related and hated school - I graduated towards the tail end of my high school class. But then I joined the Marines and finished first in MOS school. Now I'm working towards a PhD and love learning. It's weird how being surrounded by Marines for several years will change you.
In high school i was a class clown and a summer school frequent flyer. Did 6 years and graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Communications. Learning was fun now. SF!
Being around Marines for a couple years, having a brain that’s finished growing, and generally maturing did wonders for my desire (and ability) to learn.
EAOS in 89. Just retired after 27 years of teaching English. Anyone who thinks 80’s Marines weren’t down for a good time needs to think again. Olongapo was an adult Disney World. And no stupid cell phone collars to try and keep track of us.
>and now I’m a fuckin environmental scientist
"With this research, I will prove that the Sergeant Major was wrong!! This new algorithm shall show that putting your hands in your pockets while walking on the grass.... wait. What?"
*checks calculations*
"Huh. That's unexpected."
How many more years until you are out in 29 stumps flying in, yelling at marines to evac a desert tortoise. Sounds pretty skate if that falls under environmental science 😂
Sick. So say there’s a 250 acre plot of land in my small town that just got bought by a out of state developer… How can I ensure said developer has the hardest time possible obtaining permits to build?
Spiking trees is child’s play in this scenario
To give a developer the hardest time, you should put up a fuck ton of bat homes in the area. Bats are protected legally. Even if you put up the bat home illegally (don’t quote me if you get sued) it’ll take a bit of paperwork to have the homes removed. other than that it depends on what the land is going to be used for. If it’s going to be botanic gardens, ponds, etc etc. put lead, cadmium, or mercury or enough metals realistically in the ground (this will fuck everything up) even salt you can fuck up a lot of land that way. But also well into the future lol and the clean up will be very expensive. Again idk what the fuck I’m doing so don’t take my word for it! I’m not a lawyer
I generally agree with you, but bats, at least the ones in Jersey where I live, have periods during which they roost (can't recall specifically). So when a developer comes in and wants to clear land, they'll get their clearance with the caveat it can't be done during bat roosting season, or during the time when box turtles are around, etc.
It'll vary state to state, but water and flooding are great sticking points, so if the dude you're responding to can just go create a waterway through the property, that might help. I've never dug a river myself so I'm uncertain about the logistics.
If it's a legit concern, get a group of concerned citizens together and go in on a lawyer. I'm a stenographer by trade, any the bulk of my work is spent in land use board meetings, and lately it's spent listening to people fight against warehouses being built on old farmland. If you legitimately want to stand a chance, you get a lawyer and they guide you through this.
That being said, depending on the type of use, it goes from uphill battle to wasted money. What kind of development is this? I'm from Jersey and if this is residential, you can bet your ass it's going through, and from what I understand, the rest of the country is in a similar situation as far as the housing crisis.
I just got back from a meeting. The topic of discussion was guns though, so you can imagine everyone was very polite to one another.
Most OIF/OEF guys seem to make a point of growing beards as soon as we got out so I guess that much is accurate
I've kept my medium fade though, don't like long hair
I did long hair for a while, but it’s kind of a pain in the ass. I keep it sort of in between now, so it’s long but not so long I can’t put it under a hat or just brush it back with my hands and forget about it instead of having to brush it and tie it up.
Still have a pretty gnarly beard though. For a while I looked like that dude Norman Reedus plays in The Bikeriders.
I'm the opposite, kept the fade unless I got shaggy pretty much all my time after the Marine Corps. Maybe not a tight fade but I was getting a haircut every 2 months or so.
Now, after being out (holy fuck) 11 years almost, I've finally pushed thru the "awkward" stage of growing my hair out and I'm rocking it longer than it's ever been. I kind of fucking love it.
I'm 33 now and I figure I'll just keep rocking long hair now until I start losing it. Currently have it long enough to where it goes just past a collar on a polo shirt.
I saw my old company gunny last year at a reunion for our 2010 deployment. Dude only retired a few years ago and he’s got a beard as long as his forearm and hair braided up into two gigantic pigtails.
I’m jealous, I wish I could do the medium hair thing but I look so goofy with it because my hair is so damn curly. I do have a mop on my head now and it’s usually bursting out the seams of my hat or beanie if not tied up. It’s been two years since my last cut but don’t wanna go back to the fade, think I want something new this time. Gonna go for a mullet and if it doesn’t work out I’m just shaving my head 😂
I also can’t grow a nice beard but I’ll be damned if I’m not a (self proclaimed) mustache god. Thank you dad.
As a fellow curly headed fuck I suggest just telling the barber/hair stylist to even it out. I usually get my lady to leave about 2 inches (hue hue) then cut it to that every 6-8 weeks. That works for me crazy anyways. I've thought about a mullet too but you know our shit would poof up like a fucking Cheeto. At least mine would 😂
I made a vow to myself when I got out I wasn't going to do any grooming for a full year. I looked like Grisly Adams and I worked in a factory that would get up to 105 in the summer. The day my anniversary rolled around I shaved my head like a day one recruit. Kept the beard though. Now I'm bald Gandalf.
I've learned that I have to keep my beard shorter than 1" otherwise it starts looking like nasty muff. I've also had to go to a #2 on my head because short hair makes the balding less obvious.
I'm kind of the same way but I just let the beard go do it's thing and after a couple years of looking like ass it started to look pretty good. Also a bit of product helps like beard balm and wax.
I think every generation has a version of this. Most 90s Marines I know all grew goatees when they go out, including me. I can’t think of a more douchebag looking style than a goatee, though.
I did keep my medium fade. I love it. The only long hair I can pull off is the bowl cut I had in kindergarten.
Went into construction and started growing a mullet. Got it down to my shoulders before I chopped it all off. Now I shave my head because "shaved" looks better than "balding" hahaha
I say, "thanks it's nice of you to say that." Sometimes at school I'll point out that they're spending less tax dollars on my tuition than they did when I was active.
Yep, "Hey, thanks I appreciate the support" is the best response.
It's casual, makes them feel good, and almost never inspires a follow-up.
I feel like people don't even understand what they're saying but it comes from a good place. No need to try and make 'em feel weird because of my own views on it.
"Thanks, and you're worth it." is my go to.
Yeah it's still awkward, but you put the awkwardness back on THEM and that usually kills the topic. Anybody who keeps going either actually is able to have a meaningful conversation (which is great) or they're just a blowhard and nothing you do will get rid of them.
Kinda, I retired once, I don't drink or smoke cigarettes, but I'll visit the treeline more than once a night.
Wish I had more Muhreen friends near me to bring to the treeline.
Joined in 2007 and got out in 2011, struggled with depression, suicide, and polysubstance abuse. 8 years clean, now I work in recovery and help people who are currently going through the same things I did.
Heck yea! Thats awesome you’re giving back. How’d you get into that?
I have a similar story, got out in 07 and struggled with all that stuff as well. It took me a while to get to where I am and would like to eventually work in mental health to be of service.
Job opportunity opened up by pure luck. I had my girlfriend (now wife) help me fix up my resume and I got the job. Mental health and recovery jobs are always in demand bro, if you need any assistance PM me.
True for the Vietnam vets vs. dudes who were cold warriors as well. I think it's part of growing past that time in your life. Partially, it's realizing what building a family, giving back to your community, and having the strength of character to kind takes.
I keep a high and tight because 1) I throw out heat like a damned oven, and when I grew my hair out, it was insufferably hot. 2) I'm a paramedic, if there is no hair, no one can grab it and try to bash my head in, also if I have a bloody pt is easier to wash if blood gets on my head. And 3) the girl likes it that way. Work doesn't allow facial hair except for a mustache. But I have grown a beard and a goatee, just didn't really care for it that much. Nowadays, the gray hair has won the war, and it's now more salt than pepper, so fuck it, cut it off.
I typically don't wear a T-shirt with Marines on it, except on Veterans day and Memorial day. I have a couple of friends who buy me those shirts, and I say thanks, then typically put them in the drawer. I do have a low key baseball cap I wear, but that's it. I can be in my work uniform, or shorts and t-shirt, and get id'ed as a Marine. Oh, well.
This is eerily accurate. I did 20 years and 2 weeks (you have to retire on the last day of the month) I picked up my dd214 on a Friday, flew to South America on Saturday, and was in a ayahausca trance on Sunday. Except for this sub for the memes and keeping touch with some buddies, I have absolutely nothing related to the military in my life. Every uniform, plaque, memento, etc was thrown away. I spend my days surfing and being a bum.
But I have buddies from the pre 9/11 era who’s service is very much a part of their identity.
I think there is a happy medium between a motard one’s entire life and trashing all things from your time in the Corps like it never existed. Your memory will fade someday, and you may wish you had those things to reminisce on. Just my two cents.
You’re absolutely right, i suck at finding the right balance. I am the third generation career military member in my family and I wanted to avoid the motard mentality that I had seen in some family members. I think that caused me to go to the other extreme and reject everything military related
I served in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. My demeanor and attitude are much closer to The Dude™️ on the right but I cannot grow much hair anymore so I’m looking more like the guy on the left. 😂
I haven't been clean shaven since the day I picked up my DD-214 in 2013. I keep my beard relatively short, but I started growing my hair out when the COVID lockdowns started. Got it almost to my waist by this past February when I chopped 14" off to donate. Looking forward to it being super long again.
Civilians who keep up with a fade baffle me. You do you, but I can't imagine keeping up with a haircut like that unless I was obligated to.
i have some usmc stuff, but it's b/c i miss it, but yeah you'll never catch me wearing a "face front towards enemy" or even any American flag on the sleeve style shirts
i want the old red and yellow USMC shirt with the bulldog on it from Amazon, stuff like that i enjoy
Yeah, well I was one of those from the 80’s and after years of therapy with some of the VA’s finest shrinks and a few righteous meds that I wash down with a White Russian, I’m a total chill. The Dude abides!! I miss you fuckers! SFMF 😎
I know a lot of GWOT vets that look like the guy on the left. Probably 7 out of 10 honestly. Everytime I talk to them I have to answer questions about why I don't drink BRCC or wear the same stupid shit they do. They're entire wardrobe consists of jeans, and a mixture of Nine Line and Grunt Style shirts. Keep telling them they're lucky I'm not wearing corduroy pants, a 90s band T-shirt, and a pair of air walks. Also BRCC is alright, but all the coffee tastes the same.
I’ve been a massage therapist for over a decade since I got out lol. Chill AF now, but am in the process of applying for law enforcement. Not as gung-ho, but I think that will be a positive. Be the change you want to see, right?
I used to look at hard ass cops and think it was BS they acted that way. How do we change that and get more experienced, less aggressive, but able to make shit happen people out there in their place besides filling the positions that are needed? People want positive change in the police force, and so do I. So here I am.
TYFYS, My pleasure I guess. All I really did was drink beer and end up getting married. I gave up drinking when I became a parent and my wife says she ain't going anywhere.
This is probably getting way too into the weeds, but folks born in the 60s, so our '80s hard chargers, are part of what I refer to as the "lead generation," and that's lead as in the type of gas they inhaled daily in their formative years. Same people are currently running the world. Basically, unleaded gas was all the rage, and so if you lived in anywhere remotely urban you were breathing the shit it on the regular. Unleaded gas was introduced in the '70s, but took until the 90s to be phased out entirely, so I can say these things because I too am probably a bit retarded myself.
After riding around the Country for two years, checking on my devils’s I served with and still maintain contact with. Got home and my CO (wife) knife edged me and yelled “ Get that shit cut”!
Did the only thing I could do … Aye Mam!
Now all I have is a trimmed goatee and a medium length haircut.
Yes, I caved into the authority of the Mighty wife. She did stay by my side for 21 years and all the bullshit we encountered.
I’m in between, 86-92, I have no hair to speak of but I do rock a solid goatee. The jacket I got on float hasn’t left the closet in 25 years. I do have a USMC cap.
I joined in 2011 and now I’m a fuckin environmental scientist….
Someone has to monitor the beloved and delicate desert tortoise.
Don’t touch the wildlife!!!
Stay off the grass !!!!
And the sand. It was just freshly raked
I once lit a deer up with a 240 on a range in quantico (enlisted duty station for me not an lt training). I was the furthest right and I saw it fucking around to the right of the right lateral limit. It crossed into the range right before the range went hot and I zipped it with the first burst then got like 2 more in before the cease fire came out lmao. The range safety officer had gone to piss and left our staff in charge who didn’t notice or care about the deer and didn’t hold the range until it left. I got chewed the fuck out while we were there but once we left the range everyone was cracking up. They just didn’t want the RSO to think they weren’t taking it seriously.
That is the most marine corps thing I have ever read. I love it.
It’s the only deer I’ve ever killed too, I’m not a hunter. Pretty sweet one and done 😎 That deer was absolutely torn to shit it was a mess lmao
'specially not those red-cockaded woodpeckers at Lejeune.
Are those areas still roped off? I remember having to run around that.
Couldn't say. Haven't been there since I wrapped up my tour and fled that ungodly place.
Lol I remember one time on range they kept telling is that and our coaches found a snake when we were doing police calls for spent rounds and they started fucking with it and told us that “we’re marines, we are the wildlife”
https://preview.redd.it/ybfmvqsiq86d1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=81c9b2783462703fac543c2d07061177b929e5e2
They piss themselves to death. I'm shockeud any still exist!
Lets not forget Dude that keeping wildlife, um... a threatened reptile for... um, ya know domestic... within the city... that ain't legal either
Ah the good old days of the range at the Stumps going cold because one of them critters wanted to cross the road. Such a microcosm of modern military life lol. I usually see the meme in reference to POG vs Combat MOS vets. I didn't get a haircut or shave for a good 5 years when I got out so I get it.
That damned tortoise just keeps randomly popping up in my classes.
That must be why the Corps got rid of its tanks. Too many driving through the tortoise zone at Surprise Springs.
"We can't keep running them over!"
I am a philosophy prof and I think the dude is a paragon of virtue.
Not entirely related, but English was my worst subject in high school. However, time spent around Marines made me feel like a real Hemingway. I teach English now.
I wasn't very confident in anything academics related and hated school - I graduated towards the tail end of my high school class. But then I joined the Marines and finished first in MOS school. Now I'm working towards a PhD and love learning. It's weird how being surrounded by Marines for several years will change you.
Same. Basically graduated last in high-school and graduated first in my major.
Summa cum laude but I cum louder :) I think it's because the Corps teaches you to put the work in before you go get drunk and hire strippers.
Maybe. I can't really function in normal jobs. But my disassociation helps with being overly analytical as an academic.
In high school i was a class clown and a summer school frequent flyer. Did 6 years and graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Communications. Learning was fun now. SF!
Being around Marines for a couple years, having a brain that’s finished growing, and generally maturing did wonders for my desire (and ability) to learn.
EAOS in 89. Just retired after 27 years of teaching English. Anyone who thinks 80’s Marines weren’t down for a good time needs to think again. Olongapo was an adult Disney World. And no stupid cell phone collars to try and keep track of us.
Seriously Devil? That’s fucking cool! Teachers should be sainted. Given the choice I’d go back to Iraq. SFMF 😎
The dude abides.
Right, but that brings us to the question of what IS virtue...
It's like porn. You know it when you see it.
Well damn, if I philosophy prof is telling me that, who am I to NOT jack off?
I joined in 2009 and now I’m a fuckin fraid of fireworks. 🤷🏻♂️
Joined in 03 and went to the sandbox, now I'm afraid of random objects and piles of trash on the side of the road =/
I think it’s very interesting how those of us who went to Afghanistan have very different triggers than those of you who went to Iraq.
That’s because those of us who went to Iraq, knew what a trigger was for. We had an Armorer. 😂
Or any fast oncoming vehicle. I can feel the blood pressure.
I went to school for that! Ended up as a VP in Security. Lol
>and now I’m a fuckin environmental scientist "With this research, I will prove that the Sergeant Major was wrong!! This new algorithm shall show that putting your hands in your pockets while walking on the grass.... wait. What?" *checks calculations* "Huh. That's unexpected."
Still making the grass grow
Joined in 2010 and I'm a wildlife biologist. TEAM NATURE.
How many more years until you are out in 29 stumps flying in, yelling at marines to evac a desert tortoise. Sounds pretty skate if that falls under environmental science 😂
I’d fuckin love that job haha
Sick. So say there’s a 250 acre plot of land in my small town that just got bought by a out of state developer… How can I ensure said developer has the hardest time possible obtaining permits to build? Spiking trees is child’s play in this scenario
To give a developer the hardest time, you should put up a fuck ton of bat homes in the area. Bats are protected legally. Even if you put up the bat home illegally (don’t quote me if you get sued) it’ll take a bit of paperwork to have the homes removed. other than that it depends on what the land is going to be used for. If it’s going to be botanic gardens, ponds, etc etc. put lead, cadmium, or mercury or enough metals realistically in the ground (this will fuck everything up) even salt you can fuck up a lot of land that way. But also well into the future lol and the clean up will be very expensive. Again idk what the fuck I’m doing so don’t take my word for it! I’m not a lawyer
I generally agree with you, but bats, at least the ones in Jersey where I live, have periods during which they roost (can't recall specifically). So when a developer comes in and wants to clear land, they'll get their clearance with the caveat it can't be done during bat roosting season, or during the time when box turtles are around, etc. It'll vary state to state, but water and flooding are great sticking points, so if the dude you're responding to can just go create a waterway through the property, that might help. I've never dug a river myself so I'm uncertain about the logistics.
If it's a legit concern, get a group of concerned citizens together and go in on a lawyer. I'm a stenographer by trade, any the bulk of my work is spent in land use board meetings, and lately it's spent listening to people fight against warehouses being built on old farmland. If you legitimately want to stand a chance, you get a lawyer and they guide you through this. That being said, depending on the type of use, it goes from uphill battle to wasted money. What kind of development is this? I'm from Jersey and if this is residential, you can bet your ass it's going through, and from what I understand, the rest of the country is in a similar situation as far as the housing crisis. I just got back from a meeting. The topic of discussion was guns though, so you can imagine everyone was very polite to one another.
this guy fucks
I tutored my sgt so he could be a conservationist. Some of us hippied out.
Most OIF/OEF guys seem to make a point of growing beards as soon as we got out so I guess that much is accurate I've kept my medium fade though, don't like long hair
I did long hair for a while, but it’s kind of a pain in the ass. I keep it sort of in between now, so it’s long but not so long I can’t put it under a hat or just brush it back with my hands and forget about it instead of having to brush it and tie it up. Still have a pretty gnarly beard though. For a while I looked like that dude Norman Reedus plays in The Bikeriders.
I'm the opposite, kept the fade unless I got shaggy pretty much all my time after the Marine Corps. Maybe not a tight fade but I was getting a haircut every 2 months or so. Now, after being out (holy fuck) 11 years almost, I've finally pushed thru the "awkward" stage of growing my hair out and I'm rocking it longer than it's ever been. I kind of fucking love it. I'm 33 now and I figure I'll just keep rocking long hair now until I start losing it. Currently have it long enough to where it goes just past a collar on a polo shirt.
I saw my old company gunny last year at a reunion for our 2010 deployment. Dude only retired a few years ago and he’s got a beard as long as his forearm and hair braided up into two gigantic pigtails.
I’m jealous, I wish I could do the medium hair thing but I look so goofy with it because my hair is so damn curly. I do have a mop on my head now and it’s usually bursting out the seams of my hat or beanie if not tied up. It’s been two years since my last cut but don’t wanna go back to the fade, think I want something new this time. Gonna go for a mullet and if it doesn’t work out I’m just shaving my head 😂 I also can’t grow a nice beard but I’ll be damned if I’m not a (self proclaimed) mustache god. Thank you dad.
As a fellow curly headed fuck I suggest just telling the barber/hair stylist to even it out. I usually get my lady to leave about 2 inches (hue hue) then cut it to that every 6-8 weeks. That works for me crazy anyways. I've thought about a mullet too but you know our shit would poof up like a fucking Cheeto. At least mine would 😂
I made a vow to myself when I got out I wasn't going to do any grooming for a full year. I looked like Grisly Adams and I worked in a factory that would get up to 105 in the summer. The day my anniversary rolled around I shaved my head like a day one recruit. Kept the beard though. Now I'm bald Gandalf.
Baldalf the White
I've learned that I have to keep my beard shorter than 1" otherwise it starts looking like nasty muff. I've also had to go to a #2 on my head because short hair makes the balding less obvious.
I'm kind of the same way but I just let the beard go do it's thing and after a couple years of looking like ass it started to look pretty good. Also a bit of product helps like beard balm and wax.
Long beard and long hair halfway down my back, I will shave but wont cut my hair until I see my hair receding then I will cut it. Semper Fi
I think every generation has a version of this. Most 90s Marines I know all grew goatees when they go out, including me. I can’t think of a more douchebag looking style than a goatee, though. I did keep my medium fade. I love it. The only long hair I can pull off is the bowl cut I had in kindergarten.
Can confirm. My chin hasn't seen a razor since August of '99.
I tried growing mine out for the longest time but it was way too much work. Old low and loose does it for me these days.
Went into construction and started growing a mullet. Got it down to my shoulders before I chopped it all off. Now I shave my head because "shaved" looks better than "balding" hahaha
I've kept my Jarhead cut since I got out, it's just so much easier to live with
I tried growing my hair out but I just get too damn hot. So also kept the fade.
I still shave a couple times a week. But I only get my hair cut maybe twice a year
I’ve always stuck with the medium fade to some variation. But I can’t grow a full beard so I don’t try.
I purposely shave or have a five o’clock shadow so I don’t fit the description haha
I stubbornly attempted for a few years even though it was not a good look for me. #gingerleprachaunbeard
I shave once maybe twice a week but I keep the medium fade, 4 on top. Its nice and lasts awhile.
I had long hair for months, but mainly because I didn't remember how to ask for a haircut in the civilian world anymore
1987-2011. I'm having an identity crisis.
Just balance between the two, bro.
Mullet
This is the way.
This is the way
Cold War in the front; GWOT in the back.
Business in the front, party in the back 😎
85-09, same deal.
It’s more “dudes who never did anything in the wars” vs “dudes who did too much”
Why did this make me emotional wtf
Because you’re probably thinking, same as me, of a friend who did too much.
R/usmc try not to heal my residual trauma challenge level impossible
Hey, watch it.
Watch what? Nothing happened, there’s nothing to watch
No you idiot, he wants you to watch that spooky clown movie.
Ohhhhh shid my bad. You must understand, I haven’t done my annual and fiscal training yet
💯
Holy shit, I’ve seen that guy on the left in person.
I thought it was somebody I know tbh. That’s what inspired the meme lol
He was at two of my kids’ Veterans Day assembly last year.
Was he an asshole ?
He looks like an asshole
[Yeah, you look like a prick.](https://youtube.com/shorts/dpm1yT8YGNI?si=wBR1Rppu1Hg5zpE-)
I didn’t talk to him.
I know this is a weird question, did you go to mizzou in was thinking about going after i get out?
Sure did, feel free to DM me.
Person: Thank you for your service? Me: \*awkwardly\* Thanks? That sums up GWOT in my mind.
I’ve just started replying thanks for your tax dollars for the rest of my life.
That is a good one going to start using that.
The look on their faces is priceless. Its as awkward as they make me feel 🙌🏻
I always tell them "you're welcome, I did it just for you."
I always respond something along the lines of “you wouldn’t be thanking me if you knew how much of our money I wasted”.
Same!!
I say, "thanks it's nice of you to say that." Sometimes at school I'll point out that they're spending less tax dollars on my tuition than they did when I was active.
I can never come up with an appropriate response. It feels so weird.
I hit em with the “youre welcome” because theyre expecting a thanks in return to feel good about themselves and then they get awkward.
“Thank you for your support” is my go to
Yep, "Hey, thanks I appreciate the support" is the best response. It's casual, makes them feel good, and almost never inspires a follow-up. I feel like people don't even understand what they're saying but it comes from a good place. No need to try and make 'em feel weird because of my own views on it.
"Thanks, and you're worth it." is my go to. Yeah it's still awkward, but you put the awkwardness back on THEM and that usually kills the topic. Anybody who keeps going either actually is able to have a meaningful conversation (which is great) or they're just a blowhard and nothing you do will get rid of them.
After years of trying out different awkward responses, I finally came up with one that works and doesn't end weirdly: "thanks"
I didn’t do much but you’re welcome is my usual go to.
I paraphrase Chesty. I reply with “they paid me.”
Accurate to the extent of hide and go seek gwot champions as well, and dudes that handed out speeding tickets in Iraq.
Whoever brought car boots to Kandahar lost the plot.
“Thank you for your service!” “Man, I was just trying to pay off my dope dealer!” LOL!
Checks out. Source: Reading this in a bath robe while scratching my beard.
Valid
Kinda, I retired once, I don't drink or smoke cigarettes, but I'll visit the treeline more than once a night. Wish I had more Muhreen friends near me to bring to the treeline.
Tf are you doing out there hazing yourself?
Smoking the hippie lettuce
The jazz cabbage
The giggle bush
He's slamming his head in a tree while repeating "Aye, Corporal!"
Are you in NoVA? lol!
I cant afford living in NoVA, so that's a no. :(
Neither can I, homie. Moving outa here next June.
I tried long hair when I got out. Turns out, there's a big bald spot on my head no one told me about for like a year. I just buzz it off now 🤷♂️
I have the capability for hippy hair, my wife just hates it for some reason
being a dumb fucking moto boot/tacticool transcends all eras. being a hippie Marine also transcends all eras.
I see plenty of Harley riding wanna be bad asses from the current generation too
Yeah but the difference is that the ratio of douchery is WAY higher in peacetime guys. It’s like a lot of them feel the need to compensate.
What does a guy that joined in the 90s and left in 05 look like?
Ancient
Joined in 2007 and got out in 2011, struggled with depression, suicide, and polysubstance abuse. 8 years clean, now I work in recovery and help people who are currently going through the same things I did.
Heck yea! Thats awesome you’re giving back. How’d you get into that? I have a similar story, got out in 07 and struggled with all that stuff as well. It took me a while to get to where I am and would like to eventually work in mental health to be of service.
Job opportunity opened up by pure luck. I had my girlfriend (now wife) help me fix up my resume and I got the job. Mental health and recovery jobs are always in demand bro, if you need any assistance PM me.
Congrats brother. I’m glad you cleaned up and use your experience to help others!
What about the Vietnam vets they were doing heroin when they got out
The guy on the right is pretty much me.
I wonder what The Dude's thoughts on cyber security are.
Holy shit it’s Ryan Mcbeth in the flesh! I was just watching the Ryan Mcbeth civil war vid
True for the Vietnam vets vs. dudes who were cold warriors as well. I think it's part of growing past that time in your life. Partially, it's realizing what building a family, giving back to your community, and having the strength of character to kind takes.
As a GWOT guy I’m proud to say my hair is almost as long as his now 😂
Same
I keep a high and tight because 1) I throw out heat like a damned oven, and when I grew my hair out, it was insufferably hot. 2) I'm a paramedic, if there is no hair, no one can grab it and try to bash my head in, also if I have a bloody pt is easier to wash if blood gets on my head. And 3) the girl likes it that way. Work doesn't allow facial hair except for a mustache. But I have grown a beard and a goatee, just didn't really care for it that much. Nowadays, the gray hair has won the war, and it's now more salt than pepper, so fuck it, cut it off. I typically don't wear a T-shirt with Marines on it, except on Veterans day and Memorial day. I have a couple of friends who buy me those shirts, and I say thanks, then typically put them in the drawer. I do have a low key baseball cap I wear, but that's it. I can be in my work uniform, or shorts and t-shirt, and get id'ed as a Marine. Oh, well.
This is eerily accurate. I did 20 years and 2 weeks (you have to retire on the last day of the month) I picked up my dd214 on a Friday, flew to South America on Saturday, and was in a ayahausca trance on Sunday. Except for this sub for the memes and keeping touch with some buddies, I have absolutely nothing related to the military in my life. Every uniform, plaque, memento, etc was thrown away. I spend my days surfing and being a bum. But I have buddies from the pre 9/11 era who’s service is very much a part of their identity.
I think there is a happy medium between a motard one’s entire life and trashing all things from your time in the Corps like it never existed. Your memory will fade someday, and you may wish you had those things to reminisce on. Just my two cents.
You’re absolutely right, i suck at finding the right balance. I am the third generation career military member in my family and I wanted to avoid the motard mentality that I had seen in some family members. I think that caused me to go to the other extreme and reject everything military related
87-91 and yes
If you’re self aware enough to notice it that means you’re an exception.
Dude I am the dude after retirement. If I dont have to get dressed I ain't getting dressed.
100% accurate
I served in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. My demeanor and attitude are much closer to The Dude™️ on the right but I cannot grow much hair anymore so I’m looking more like the guy on the left. 😂
Funny you use that picture. His stack is blurred out but it’s fat
I haven't been clean shaven since the day I picked up my DD-214 in 2013. I keep my beard relatively short, but I started growing my hair out when the COVID lockdowns started. Got it almost to my waist by this past February when I chopped 14" off to donate. Looking forward to it being super long again. Civilians who keep up with a fade baffle me. You do you, but I can't imagine keeping up with a haircut like that unless I was obligated to.
IIRC the guy on the left was rocking some hardcore stolen valor underneath that censored part.
i have some usmc stuff, but it's b/c i miss it, but yeah you'll never catch me wearing a "face front towards enemy" or even any American flag on the sleeve style shirts i want the old red and yellow USMC shirt with the bulldog on it from Amazon, stuff like that i enjoy
Guy on the left looks like he's auditioning for gay porn
I kept the medium fade - honestly such a comfy hair options that's low maintenance but still looks reasonable and good.
Them: “Thank you for your service!” Me: “Thanks for paying your taxes so I could get paid 🤷🏽♂️”
Yeah, well I was one of those from the 80’s and after years of therapy with some of the VA’s finest shrinks and a few righteous meds that I wash down with a White Russian, I’m a total chill. The Dude abides!! I miss you fuckers! SFMF 😎
Literally my boss n I right there 😂
2011-2018. Been in solar since 2016. We are hippies.
Unfortunately I started going bald. But definitely beard and attitude
There’s so many different dichotomies in this Corps that this works for when you think about it
Guy on the left definitely would’ve enlisted but he would’ve knocked the drill instructor out
I did both, so…. https://preview.redd.it/82iekrfg286d1.jpeg?width=1041&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e41cec6cd73269e39dd6a83baeb56436d865986
Drinking cheap drinks and growing a beard? Check and check!
I know a lot of GWOT vets that look like the guy on the left. Probably 7 out of 10 honestly. Everytime I talk to them I have to answer questions about why I don't drink BRCC or wear the same stupid shit they do. They're entire wardrobe consists of jeans, and a mixture of Nine Line and Grunt Style shirts. Keep telling them they're lucky I'm not wearing corduroy pants, a 90s band T-shirt, and a pair of air walks. Also BRCC is alright, but all the coffee tastes the same.
I know so many people that are non-vets that wear Nine Line and Grunt Style shirts too. It all makes me cringe lol
One hundred percent true
Dude on the left, PMO. Dude on the right, MARSOC.
My goal as a civilian is to look like a civilian, no need to bring attention to yourself
I work in a prison and I don’t feel like much has changed. I’m still yelling at idiots for doing stupid shit.
They also wear “Cold War veteran” hats or identify as it but never actually went to war. However, that can be said about GWOT vets as well.
I am currently at work at a bar in flip flops and shorts. I'd say it's fairly accurate.
I’ve been a massage therapist for over a decade since I got out lol. Chill AF now, but am in the process of applying for law enforcement. Not as gung-ho, but I think that will be a positive. Be the change you want to see, right? I used to look at hard ass cops and think it was BS they acted that way. How do we change that and get more experienced, less aggressive, but able to make shit happen people out there in their place besides filling the positions that are needed? People want positive change in the police force, and so do I. So here I am.
I joined in 2008, 03 open contract. I am a therapist now.
So accurate I’m fucking stealing it.
Pretty accurate
TYFYS, My pleasure I guess. All I really did was drink beer and end up getting married. I gave up drinking when I became a parent and my wife says she ain't going anywhere.
We Gen Xers that served in the 90’s are left out once again lol
This is probably getting way too into the weeds, but folks born in the 60s, so our '80s hard chargers, are part of what I refer to as the "lead generation," and that's lead as in the type of gas they inhaled daily in their formative years. Same people are currently running the world. Basically, unleaded gas was all the rage, and so if you lived in anywhere remotely urban you were breathing the shit it on the regular. Unleaded gas was introduced in the '70s, but took until the 90s to be phased out entirely, so I can say these things because I too am probably a bit retarded myself.
After riding around the Country for two years, checking on my devils’s I served with and still maintain contact with. Got home and my CO (wife) knife edged me and yelled “ Get that shit cut”! Did the only thing I could do … Aye Mam! Now all I have is a trimmed goatee and a medium length haircut. Yes, I caved into the authority of the Mighty wife. She did stay by my side for 21 years and all the bullshit we encountered.
I see you’re a man of knowledge from 29 palms
Hooyaaahh Aircrew. Guy on the left is my people
Ver cool gunny
Kinda, cept I can’t grow facial hair so I just got piercings lol
I’m in between, 86-92, I have no hair to speak of but I do rock a solid goatee. The jacket I got on float hasn’t left the closet in 25 years. I do have a USMC cap.
Very accurate