Retiring From the Military

How it felt, and what’s next.

My first retirement ceremony was only months after I joined the Navy and showed up to my first command. The Chief had retired and transferred to the command the same week I had—Thanksgiving 2021. We spent the holiday with them in the terrible base hotel, eating commissary meals, and they went out of their way to welcome the fresh young recruit into the Navy. A few months later, he retired.

Ceremonies differ based on the Sailor's wishes, and I’ve seen everything from Star Wars to Indiana Jones to classic Navy uniforms and official proceedings.

I didn’t have a ceremony; I just quit showing up one day.

Of course, the paperwork and process start months ahead of time, but I routed the paperwork myself, kept it below the radar, and quietly attended all the meetings and training. COVID helped me. Everything shut down for my last four months, meaning I barely had to show up for work.

The Navy was never a core part of my identity, as it is for many who serve for twenty years or more. So many eat, breathe, and sleep Navy. The “CPO Mess” license plates, anchors in their flower gardens… it’s their whole identity. I never fell into that. It’s a job. It's a pretty good one. We get more vacation days than most Americans, lots of three and four-day weekends, and I…