We are excited for you as well...have a blast!

Just curious to see if anyone, maybe the wise and informative Macie, can help me figure this out. I am coming back into the Coast Guard, again. I have already done 8 weeks of boot camp back in March 2007. I was not able to get DEPOT, I ship out January 3rd for the entire 8 weeks again. Is there a reason why I didn't get DEPOT?

That one is out of my scope of pretend expertise. Were you rated while you were still in? Maybe the time between your discharge and now has been too long to qualify? I'm sure there are a few more variables but that one, I'm of no help beyond speculation and guess.

Come on, you know you want to do the full 8 weeks... you had fun the first time, you want to do it again! Anyone can do it in 8 weeks... think how special you are to get to do it in 16 weeks! I kid because I care.

Carolina... what rank did you get out as?

Old Guard...is it a right of passage in the Coast Guard to get a divorce? (I'm just being a little bitter-I'm in the state that all relationships are overrated)

I'm a little bitter about a divorce right now; Seems like every coastie past E4 has had one?

I have known MANY MANY MANY happy and loving Coasties married the entire 20 years of service and still happily living on retirement together. To be brutally honest, the Coast Guard had nothing to do with my divorce. We were both pretty young and immature when we married. That was strike one. He had a personality trait that I won't discuss on an open forum that hurt us, strike two. I had a personality trait that hurt us, strike three. We really did try but he wouldn't quit his thing, I wouldn't quit my thing so instead we quit each other. We both realize now how foolish we were and how stubborn. Again, none of it had anything to do with the Coast Guard at all. We would have divorced had he been a ditch digger or the CEO of GM Motors... it wouldn't have mattered.

However, I can tell you now... We are very good friends. We email, we will talk on the phone, we have chatted on facebook. I have told him more than once since our divorce that I love him. I will always love Jim, nothing will ever change that. We just made big mistakes with no concessions along the way. Don't be down on relationships. I have been with the biggest pain in the ass that God ever put on this planet for the last 15 years... He is the love of my life (after my son of course). I wouldn't know what to do without him. I do have a plan on how to hide the body in case I want to see what it is like without him... But I know I'm stuck with that big lump! Just always remember if you feel that you are doing something that is destructive, be the bigger person and say "I'm sorry, I'm going to stop _______" and man up to it. If either Jimmy or I had done that I am almost 100% certain we would still be a happily married couple. But neither one of us was going to give the other the satisfaction of stopping first. Crying uncle isn't weak, it's smart.

OK... I'm off my soapbox. Jim is a great man, he is by far the finest Coast Guardsman I know, he was just a putz as a husband. I am a great woman, just ask me and I'll tell you, I was a good housewife and I'm great at what I do now in my professional life, I was no princess bride!

Old Guard, your right with all your words. I love being married; I love my wife...with out going public on this link, I am a bit disappointed about something that has happened in the CG with my wife. However that is one thing unique to the CG...every command has it's own personality and way of doing business. One positive note for all of the young coasties and soon to be coatsties, there is such a variety of responsibilities in the CG, don't get discouraged by a single bad experience. In the Coast Guard, you have to be a do'er... there is so many different ways to enhance your career! You just have to do it. Be a go getter and explore many options-they are out there in the CG!

Stone,

I'm sorry things are messed up somewhere. It sometimes isn't easy. I do hope whatever the problem is it can be fixed with some ease. If you ever want to chat, feel free to PM me anytime. Anything shared with me, stays with me. I know what it can be like dealing with problems and sometimes you just want to vent or ask for guidance and you don't know where to go or who to trust. I might not have the answer but I always have the confidentiality and the shoulder. Same for your bride. If she needs someone away from the same command, she just wants to talk, really complain about something... been there, done that! Tell her she can PM me as well.