SEPARATING.

I separated from the military this week due to a medical injury incurred in the line of duty. It’s been a process and none of it smooth. Paperwork flew from unit to unit. By fly I mean crawled at a snails pace. Paperwork got lost and I once again praised my ability to hold onto every scrap of paper issued to me by the military. I am entitled to severance pay- which means the military is compensating me for the lost income of some, not all, of the remaining years on my contract. Turns out it takes weeks for that to hit. It takes a minimum of a month for me to be paid for the leave days I sold back. And no one has any idea what paperwork I need to finish. I’ve signed my DD214- the holy grail scrap of paper that congratulated me for serving honorably and apologies for my injuries. Yet paperwork still flies in left and right. It doesn’t matter that I no longer legally have an obligation to the army- I am still requested to fly in on a whim to sign more papers so the army can drop me from their rosters. The process is slightly ludicrous to me- I signed my freedom paper. That means it’s time to go. However that’s never the case with the military. Be warned- you’re never quite done. The army can always call you back. 

Beyond the paperwork fiasco I am struggling to adjust to civilian life. I still wake up at god unholy hours and finding a job in between figuring out everything the military left me with is a little bit of a struggle. There is no guarantee that I can get the things I need before I get thrown back into work. I’m more confused by that than anything. However I’ve got every thing at my beck and call. I am still permitted to call my old duty station and ask the bajillion questions it never occurred to me to ask. And for that I’m grateful. For all it’s faults- the military still takes care of its own.