Well, I have been home since February and things are going pretty well. I made Chief, I re-enlisted for six more years and I accepted orders to a ship in Mayport, Florida. Things are moving along smoothly, and in exactly the manner I had hoped. There have been a few minor challenges along the way, and a few unusual developments, but such is what keeps life interesting.

I will continue to look back on my time in Afghanistan and my time with the U.S. Army as a defining point in my career. I can not think of any 18 month period of my life that has changed me more as a person than that period. I do not regret a single moment of it, and I have to admit, I would go back in a heartbeat, especially if I could go back with the same folks. My willingness to go back is not so much a statement of support for the politics or policies behind it all, as it is a statement of support for my fellow service members. I miss the camaraderie that I experienced there, the bonds forged by war between two souls are unlike any other.

However, I am ready to move on. I am looking forward to my new role as the Chief. I am completely committed to my sailors, and I look forward to doing all I can to get them to where they need to be, just as so many great Chiefs have done for me. I must never forget that the anchors I wear are not my own, they belong to my sailors. My career no longer matters, only the careers of those whom I have the honor to lead matters now. I intend to prepare each one of them to replace me one day, I only hope I can succeed.

It seems very fitting to me to write this final post on October 13th. It is the 232nd birthday of the United States Navy, and it is my 29th birthday. I have always thought it was a sign of something that I was born on the Navy’s birthday. Now that I have committed myself to being a career man, I know that it is in fact a sign. I consider a sign of something that was meant to be, because the fact of the matter is, that no matter how much I may sometimes bitch and moan, I do love this shit. I love it with all my heart, and I believe I am exactly where I belong.

Semper Fortis!

NOTE: This only marks the final entry to this blog, it does not mark the end of my writing by a long shot. In time I may start another MilBlog, and no matter what I will continue to write and express myself in some forum. Keep an eye out for my future writings. Be sure to check my MySpace Profile for announcements.

To see pictures of my Chief’s Pinning, CLICK HERE.

*** UPDATE (21MAR10) ***

Sadly the audio track to this video was removed by members of the RIAA who were concerned that they may have lost a few cents of profit. Those guys are such sleazy scumbags…