Veteran plate?

Only one plate here in Or. But it comes with no renewals, which is fine by me.

 

Ours in renewable, BUT after the vehicle is two years old you can get a perm dv plate for free as a disabled vet.

 

Good to hear. If mine were to 'wear' my rank it wouldn't do her any favors lol. Pretty low rank, I am a peasant.

 

lol it will come. You’ll look back one day and wonder if you were really that new and that young.

 

Not if he’s smart and gets out while he’s still young.

 

Depends what you do with it. Some of my best and some of my worst memories are with the service. Can’t say I’d have some of those good ones in civilian life. Also def wouldn’t have retired at 39 in civilian life.

 

California does have Veteran license plates, but they come with zero "benefit". I don't recall how much extra a year they cost, and yes, the last time I looked into them, the wonderful state of CA does charge you extra, as they classify Veteran license plates as Vanity Plates.

The primary reason I still haven't gotten them, is that California allows only one tyme of "specialty" on your plate, and I have disabled plates, whcih I would then have to give up for Veteran plates. I have the disabled placcard, but I hate having to use it, forget half the time, no good place to store it in the vehicle.... And, fortunately or unfortunately, my disability is not service connected. Happened 19 years after I ETS'd.

 

I guess 'high' rank is subjective. I am not young and have been in a long time, but something about rank that is not subjective is that it is subject to supply and demand. I made E5 in four years (from E1, no short cuts) and I remember some Air Force guys busting my balls as they would likely retire as E5s. The difference is my rate obviously had horrible retention due to horrible conditions so making rank was open, the Air Force guys were in an MOS where no one wanted to get out, so promotion is almost all-stop.

Now that I'm in the reserves, no one gets out. Making E7 feels like a lottery, my rate and many of my "sister" rates are at single digit advancement percents. Some at 0. I know an ET1 that was basically God's gift to the unit, made SOY where you compete for SOY of the entire reserves in DC I believe 3 times and couldn't advance, Evals were groomed beyond imagination. ETC was at zero advancement that year, maybe some other years too.

So yeah, subjective in both what people consider high rank, IMO in some units and branches, E6 is meh. Also IMO the lack of making rank reflective of someone's work ethic and military bearing also subjective, some rates are just totally locked up. That ET1 went Mustang, and I just read that the Navy brought W1 back from the grave in hopes of retaining CT types like CTNs, so its not all doom and gloom but... meh.

*** Disclaimer, without being in person the above could likely be taken out of context, I'm am not complaining just stating reality. I would do it all over again and I fricken absolutely love my twilight tour unit I luckily stumbled into.

 

It’s def subjective to branch, job skill and active vs reserve/NG.

Most my career was combat arms line units, all active army. Our promotions rates were pretty inline with a lot of my infantry buddies. When I took over an HHC, I really noticed the differences with the combat support and combat service support guys. Most active combat arms units, if you’re a 10 year SGT, you’re probably a dirt bag. If you put forth decent effort and were competitive, you could make SFC (e7) in 10 years. A 10 year E5 in reserves or NG isn’t unheard of. A 10 year SGT as a supply guy, mechanic or fueler isn’t unheard of either. Not really sure how it translates to other branches but that’s pretty much how the Army is.

I will say, if you want a job that translates to civilian life, you probably won’t advance much. If you want a job where you have fun doing it, you will advance at a decent pace but your body will be broken and you will have no transferable skills except the whole leadership thing.

If anyone has a field that needs to be demined, road swept for IEDs or barn raided let me know. I charge $10.95/hr.

Yes, you are a weirdo!

 

Like I said I'd do it all over again. Like going through gears in a car, my military career elevated my civilian career, that in turn elevated my reserve career and so on, to where I'm not that bitter E that couldn't wait to drop my retirement package and have a halfed bake 'fuck you, fuck you, you're cool, fuck you' exit, but actually dig my unit and mission.

That said I had a supervisor (civilian job) joke over some beers if he interviewed someone who retired as an e6 he would wonder what's wrong with him/her. It kind of hit, as I agree somewhat but at the same time have no chance of getting past e6 myself.

Just saw this today, it's really funny
https://youtu.be/Cx68nNy9WPk

 

I don’t want to give anymore money to New York State so this idiot governor and his loser partners in the state government can give it away to welfare or other waste projects he wants to use it for so I just throw some stickers on the back window. NYST charges $40.00 above and beyond the cost of the registration for Vet plates because they call them vanity plates.

 

The Navy has a well used saying, "choose your rate, choose your fate". Its said jokingly, but is so true.

 

Have the rate tatted above the thumb joint? Have to admit I dig how only BMs can pull that off.

 

How can anyone pull off having their rank tattooed on them?

 

....hit the nail right on the head.. anyone needing a house or building cleared or some guard pulled i charge $11 flat cause thats just the grunt way

 

It's not rank, it's their rate insignia (if that is the right word?). It's the oldest rate in the Navy and who knows how far back that tattoo goes but they pull it off as tradition, for others it doesn't make sense

https://images.app.goo.gl/dYwLNcTooQ4teoXB6

 

Got it... so like their job skill/MOS insignia? Kind of like a castle or crossed rifles tattoo?

Sorry, I know it’s just opinion but that’s just as bad. Maybe it’s just not an army thing, but those tattoos get clowned on just as much as rank tattoos.

One way the branches differ I guess.

 

I clowned on it myself back in the day, but the older I get I'm more ok with it. I guess it might be that thing were the bitter memories wear off and you remember the good times, I'm less sarcastic about all of that stuff.

I wouldn't do it myself, I still have zero tats. But I like tradition more and more. For example I didn't get "liberty cuffs" inside of my dress blues while stationed in Japan, but after the fact as I started to like some of the traditions more.

 

Well...they are vanity plates, no different than any other non-standard plate states offer.