Hanging Up My Combat Boots

murphda2

Super Moderator and KD Blade Show Boss
For a while anyway.@

In March of '08, after a eleven month break in service, I re-enlisted in order to join my old National Guard Bde in Iraq. After returning home, I volunteered to be mobilized as a pre-deplyment instructor or "OC". For the past two years. I have had the opportunity to train some dang fine Americans and have loved it.@

Unfortunately, my "mobilization" has come to an end. I spent yesterday afternoon til about 0300 this morning packing my shop into a Penske truck and I'm now driving to Arkansas to unload tonight (gonna be a long night). @I'll return to Mississippi tomorrow and finish "clearing" by Tuesday. I will officially be a civilian/part-time soldier again on Wednesday. I'm hoping that the "part-time" status will help me overcome my withdrawls. Last time I quit cold turkey after having been mobilized for two years and almost went crazy (non-knife loving civilians annoy the heck out of me and I was surrounded by them).

I'm not real sure what I'll be doing yet as the job market in Arkansas kinda sucks right now, but I'm keeping an open mind and exploring possibilities. For now I'm planning to get my new shop organized and then focus on knife making for a while. I hope to improve my techniques and skills enough to sell a few in order to at least cover my shop rent and urilities while I try to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.@
 
Thank you for your service and best of luck in whatever you pursue in future. RE:knifemaking... pics or it didn't happen :biggrin:
 
Welcome halfway back into the civilian gen pop... :) And thank you for all your time and service! May God watch over you in your part-time duties. :)

Now... It seems logical to me, that if you are going back to East AR, you should be looking at rice-farming...
 
I'm in Central Arkansas Brad. I grew up in and around Newport in NE Arkansas, so I've seen my fair share of rice fields. I grew up playing in them and have no desire to work in them.
 
Boy Murph, I totally understand about figuring out what you want to be when you grow up. I'm at retirement age and still haven't figured that out. What ever you do, be sure to set some of each dollar aside for when you decide it's time to quit so you will maybe have a choice.

Fair winds and following seas my friend,
Carey
 
I salute you , My Brother and Friend . You have done more than your share for us . Enjoy your knifemaking !!
 
Hey Murph,
I guess Male Modelling isn't really an option, is it?

Steve

Hey Steve, guess you haven't heard. Murph done went off and got him some Carhart overalls. He'll have them young model types all over him:s12137:

Murph what are you doing driving and interwebbing?
If you need help tomorrow CALL ME.

Todd
 
Steve, he would do it if he could find anyone that would hire him.
Murph, just remember, "If you are going to make your hobby your profession you had better make sure that you like doing it,,,,,a lot."
Good luck, also remember, "You make your own luck."
I know that you won't be looking for long.
 
Hanging Up My Combat Boots

Don't you ever hang them boots up, murphda2! They have a tendency to live forever (mine stayed alive for almost 40 years) and they're great for shoveling snow, walking the dog or as a backdrop for knife pictures...
Thank you for your service, sir. :35:


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"Sir"? Come on now, I work for a livin! LOL, actually, I was a semester away from finishing my ROTC requirements when I got smart and quit college. Yeah, I know, hind sight is 20/20. I love being an NCO, but all of my buddies are now 0-4s and I'm an E-6. Sure wish I was making O-4 pay and doing the job of an E-6!

I appreciate all the well wishes guys. As for the modeling career......I think I'll leave that one for Les. I'm going to call next week and set up a meeting with one of the counselors at the VA and take a good look at my education benefits. If the cards line up right, I may try to get back in school until my next deployment. I have about a year between now and then and maybe I can get closer to a degree in that time. I'll have to see if any of my old credits are still good after this long break from the classroom I've taken. It'll be my luck that they tell me I have to start all over. But, even if they do, I'm over the partying phase of my life so it should be easier the second time around.
 
Murph,

Thank you for service !!!! Both from me and my children.
Well wishes and good luck in your endeavors whatever they may be.

Take care, Josh
 
Murph, Thank you for your service!
I with the best to you and hope you find something you enjoy doing and not to much sitting around being bored.
 
Murph, I want to thank you for all you have done for our country and will do in the future. Keep your options open until you find something that truly fits you. It's amazing how good things come along when you least expect them. In the meantime you and Nadine will have some quality time together.
 
Thanks to alot of help from Todd, the shop got unloaded pretty quick today.

There's a knife shop in here somewhere.

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See!!!

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