Most people know that plans made by a soldier while on active duty aren’t worth their weight in thought space, which, incidentally, is weightless.
That’s why it didn’t necessarily shock me when my husband said, “So, I’ve been thinking about Green to Gold,” during our Skype-date a few days ago.
For those who don’t know, Green to Gold is a program the Army offers to enlisted soldiers, putting them on the path to becoming officers. It’s really an incredible program and a great opportunity, so I didn’t immediately shoot it down when he mentioned it.
Still, that wasn’t really part of our plan. The plan was for my husband to serve five years active, then we would go about our merry lives. The next three years and one month (not that I’m counting) were meant to consist of a typical enlisted Army experience, free of any major career changes. We may still end up following that original plan — who knows?
But now, with this mysteriously appealing offer on the table, the next three years that had been so crystal clear — with the exception of unknown deployments and duty station changes, of course — now seem blurred around the edges.
I’m hesitant to jump head-first into this blurry sea of our impending future since, when my husband first enlisted, we faced a few unknowns that the recruiter neglected to tell us before the infamous dotted line had been signed. Now I understand this to be completely our fault — research first! Although we’re perfectly happy with the way things have turned out, it wasn’t exactly our aim.
This time, before making a giant leap or signing anything else, I’d like to have answers to every possible question. I’ll triple-read every document available and I’ll know more about the decision we’re making than is even remotely necessary.
Our United States military is a brilliant system, filled with great opportunities for the men and women who serve our great nation. I’m excited to learn where this crazy journey will lead us next.
That’s why it didn’t necessarily shock me when my husband said, “So, I’ve been thinking about Green to Gold,” during our Skype-date a few days ago.
For those who don’t know, Green to Gold is a program the Army offers to enlisted soldiers, putting them on the path to becoming officers. It’s really an incredible program and a great opportunity, so I didn’t immediately shoot it down when he mentioned it.
Still, that wasn’t really part of our plan. The plan was for my husband to serve five years active, then we would go about our merry lives. The next three years and one month (not that I’m counting) were meant to consist of a typical enlisted Army experience, free of any major career changes. We may still end up following that original plan — who knows?
But now, with this mysteriously appealing offer on the table, the next three years that had been so crystal clear — with the exception of unknown deployments and duty station changes, of course — now seem blurred around the edges.
I’m hesitant to jump head-first into this blurry sea of our impending future since, when my husband first enlisted, we faced a few unknowns that the recruiter neglected to tell us before the infamous dotted line had been signed. Now I understand this to be completely our fault — research first! Although we’re perfectly happy with the way things have turned out, it wasn’t exactly our aim.
This time, before making a giant leap or signing anything else, I’d like to have answers to every possible question. I’ll triple-read every document available and I’ll know more about the decision we’re making than is even remotely necessary.
Our United States military is a brilliant system, filled with great opportunities for the men and women who serve our great nation. I’m excited to learn where this crazy journey will lead us next.