Since retirement my days are fulfilled by a number of pursuits:
Planning our next cruise, Philadelphia Orchestra concerts, saying the words “yes Dear” (and making sure I mean it and follow through), Hi-Fi, Gym 3hrs week, Paperwork caused by living, Visiting doctors, Appreciating the dry humor of mid-western PSA forum respondents like Palouse who help keep this Easterner grounded. -Jeffrey in Phila.
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Congratulations. I’m at 13 years now post-military (20 years USAF) and for better or worse, at this point, I don’t intend to retire. I plan on having them back the ambulance up to the building so I can make them pay out that maximum FEGLI.
In six days I hit my 5-year post-transplant date which was the break where the odds started to get worse at the time I had the procedure. The long-term outlook seems to be improving for folks like me; I was at the start of the stem-cell transplant therapy, and the people who got it ahead of me are still alive, so I’m hopeful I’ll get more time than we were counting on when this thing started.
Given the discussion of VA benefits - I have been extraordinarily well-taken care of. The VA admitted that my disease was most likely caused by burn pit chemicals on the first try. I was incredibly lucky and I don’t lose sight of that.
Anyhow, congrats again and thank you for your service to our nation. The current occupant seems to think all of us just sit around doing nothing while the truth is that we work incredibly hard to keep the Goliath in motion. I’m glad you’re getting the retirement you’ve worked so hard to earn. Enjoy the music, my friend.
Mike in Dayton
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good news
their blaming vets for Gulf War Illnesses backfired sufficiently so folks like yourself were not called vile names. that battle paved the way for later service-induced illnesses. resolve worked.
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Thanks! I’m from the NW, northern Idaho to be accurate. Dry humor must come from my familial ties to and years in England.
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Agreed! and thank you for your service both in AD and in civil service.
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The dryness of your humor might come from your advancing years. I find that as I age all kinds of things are drying out.
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Both our kids share my style and love for sarcasm. My wife, from Minnesota, like so many Scandinavians, has no sense of humor and fails to appreciate sarcasm. And this after almost 50 years on marriage!
Thankfully I have my music.
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Oh, believe me, I’m thankful to the fight you guys led on Gulf War Syndrome. It made a difference for both me and for two of my uncles who had Agent Orange exposure. Weird diseases that don’t just happen…
They didn’t learn a thing from either Agent Orange or Gulf War Syndrome - I was stationed across the runway from the pit at Balad. They refused to open the shiny new incinerator they’d built because it wasn’t fully up to USA standards, so they kept burning s**t in the open. Busted vehicles, plastic, damaged Iraqi vehicles…all of it. There was an actual airplane over there one time I went by. And, whoa, out of the blue, I get the extremely rare disease? There was one USAF BEE that probably ended his career by writing an official memo noting his measurement of the chemicals far exceeding standards that got quietly passed around those of us who were at Balad. After my runs there, I would be blowing out black mucus from mouth and nose for a couple hours. But had to maintain fitness, right?
I lucked out that one of my providers got a genetic test done on me which ruled out the disease being hereditary. With that and being a rare blood disease that can be kicked off by exposure to chemicals, they didn’t have a lot of wiggle room.
Good times…
Mike D
PS: I’m not whining. I truly feel incredibly lucky where I’m at now. I got to see a grandson be born and am waiting on a granddaughter in a couple months. I got to marry off two of seven so far. All in the post-diagnosis/transplant period. I really hit the jackpot on doctors who recognized things that most would have missed. And the incredible generosity of Paul and the many people on this board (you all know who you are). It’s been a ride, but a good one that really restored a lot of faith that I’d lost in the world and the afterworld.
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I wished for help but got none for three years of 24/7…until Senator Rockefeller and Representative Shays championed my cause and shepherded laws forcing DOD/DVA response favoring vets instead of obstructing them. And the evidence I had, while denied by DOD/DVA for years (even though much came from their own studies before and during the Gulf War), was overwhelming. In 2008, their report reversed 14 years of denials, finally acknowledging what I reported to them, the White House, Congress, and media beginning in 1994.
I was in somewhat of a unique position. I had published 2 seminal studies in 1978, in part funded by DOD/DVA. They showed the dangers of the drug illegally forced upon soldiers (the millions of pages of soldier medical files housed at Macdill Air Force Base were all destroyed). As I indicated earlier, the full story is astounding.
Two sayings I’m “known” for:
Life is too important to be taken seriously.
Life is too long to drink bad wine.
And while I’m at it, my thanks, admiration, respect and love for people like Mike (umiami91) and akro and all the other vets, for bring such definition and character to the meaning of humanity!
Cheers.
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7 years retired! My previous life as an Engineering program manager for public projects was highly stressful, not only did I need to control the budget and dealing with contract change orders, but I was also responsible should anything went wrong since I gave the final design approval. I do not miss one day of that life a bit.
My management skill is now only limited to getting good tee times and deciding whom to play with in our golf outings. I like that a lot more.
I also found out I needed a better audio system since I spend so much time with it nowadays. 
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When people thank me for my service, I just generally say “thank you, the honor was all mine.” when I want to say “Are you kidding?? I got to fly past Mach 1, take a Humvee airborne, ride in a helicopter, see Baghdad, Constantinople, Oslo, Kabul, The Netherlands, England, and Seoul, walk an active aircraft production line, learn to ride a motorcycle, shoot several fully-automatic weapons, up to a 50 caliber machine gun, command airmen in war and peace, meet the future mother of my children, refuel F-4 Phantoms over Biscayne Bay, skinny dip on Haulover Beach, attend college in Miami, FL, spend a full year learning to be a better leader, get the honor to stand post with our honored dead both here and in foreign lands, and embed with the Army. Thank YOU for my service!”
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(The Humvee story is a good one that I will not commit to the internet. But trust me. It was as awesome as it sounds.)
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From one USAF officer to another, you’re welcome 
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Salute Sir! Dig in.
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Wonderful attitude! And approach.
But I have a question.
I am a member of a national organization of trumpet players who taps for military funerals and Memorial Day and the like. We are volunteers. Military funeral which needs taps? Give us a call and we are there.
I truly want to honor our service men and women. In addtion to playing taps is there anything I can say which honors and thanks them for their service? What has meaning for you?
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Nothing to be said. Thank you for being there.
Edit: I was answering in haste. Honestly, having you there is enough for most families. Simply hearing Taps from an actual trumpeter (or piper) is emotionally overwhelming and there’s no need to say anything but “I am sorry for your loss” or “My deepest condolences” if you have to say anything. You playing for the deceased…you showed up. That’s more than many people would do. You could be anywhere doing your own things, but you volunteered to be there to honor the dead. Just being there says you honor their service.
So, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you so very much. I only hope I’m lucky enough to be blessed with a real trumpet playing Taps when my time comes. Thank you.
Mike in Dayton
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