Old Habits Die Hard

Published: November 7, 2007, 10:57 pm

Tags: memory, military, united states government, dep, fmcr, usmc

My last active duty day in the military was September 30th, 1998. That was the day I retired. Quickly approaching 10 years later, I still find myself reacting to various stimuli as if I was still in the military. I blame it on the constant repetitiveness of military customs, traditions and routines. Doing the same things, day in and day out for 20 years, can do that to a person regardless of whether it's military-related or not. In the mornings, nearing 8 am, I catch myself looking at my watch. On military installations, flags are raised at 8 am. Getting caught outdoors at that time means standing at attention, facing the flag, and saluting (if in uniform). A person could get stuck in that position for several minutes, long enough for the right arm to start sagging from the weight. On some military installations, they play the national anthem, followed by the Marine Corps and Navy hymns. I used to make sure I was indoors at 8 am. I still seem to make sure I'm indoors at 8

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