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It's been a long time again, I know, please don't hate me for it.
I don't really know if this will be read anyhow. Sometimes I guess you just have to write for yourself. Well if you're not me, please read anyway, you might find it enlightening.

Today I find myself unwillingly to be a civilian for only the second day in my life. 21 years as a Navy brat and 19 years 1 month as a Coast Guardsman haven't done much to prepare me for it mrgreen
The reason for this is that I failed to make weight standards. Yep, you read it right, the Coast Guard threw me out unceremoniously after 19 years and 1 month because I was overweight! At 40 years of age (which is considered ancient by some of you, I know) and with numerous health issues causing me to have problems, the powers that be in one division of Coast Guard headquarters decided that I was no longer good enough.
They also stole over 70 days of leave that I had earned (over $7000.00 dollars worth in a monetary sense) which would have allowed an easier, less stressful transition to a civilian life.

Note to all people who have ever had problems with their weight or are considered "heavy". Do not, I repeat, do not join any of the military services! Despite our countries great need for good enlisted men and women and officers, if you have problems with weight then the military is not the place for you. It doesn't matter if you are the best thing to hit the military since creamed chipped beef on toast, if you one day find that you are unable to meet the weight standards then nothing else matters.

More on this later...