Talk to Travis

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Today is my official ETS (End Time of Service).  Here’s a brief history of my time in the Army.

• August 17, 2000 – Joined the army as a 12B Combat Engineer (Demolitions, & Explosives)
• Apr 2001 – Basic Training, Advanced Indivdual Training, Additional Skill Identifer School at Fort Leonard Wood MO
• Septemper 2001 – Arrive at my first duty station, Ft Drum NY.  Home of the 10th Mountain Division Light Infantry
• November 2001 – May 2002 Deployed to Kosovo in support of KFOR3B
• Dec 2002 – Spend 1 month in Ft Polk LA
• August 2003 – May 2004 Deployed to Afghanistan in support of OEF
• April 4 2004 – Stop Lossed (Held past contract expiration date) at the needs of the Army
• August 2004 – Finally released from Active duty to th Individual Ready Reserve
• May 2008 – Entered US Army reserve on a trial extension
• August 2008 – Completed my 8 year commitment to the Army
• Nov 16, 2008 – Completed my Army reserve extenion, Official ETS date

So, it’s finally over.  No more worrying about getting a letter telling me it’s time to leave my family again.  I will always be grateful for the time I served, but now my commitment is to my wife and two daughters.  So, it’s really a bitter-sweet time.

In celebration (or maybe for closure) I am doing two things today.  One, I am listing a bunch of my Army stuff on eBay.  Two I am getting a tattoo of the Combat Flag patch on my right bicep.  My wife thinks it’s odd that I’m branding myself for the Army now that I’m out, but the real reason I’m getting it is because I know that no matter what I do, that huge part of me will never go away.  My time overseas, and in the Army in general has changed me, and I will always have those feelings in me.  The tatoo is my way of symbolizing the way I feel.

If you are interested in checking out the Army stuff I’m selling you can see it HERE.

I’d love to hear any comments or stories you have to share.