In the last three months, an E5 with about 8 years in the military smuggled over 20 pounds of marijuana from New York to here in Virginia, only to be pulled over just a few miles from his destination because he was speeding. Because he license was expired, they impounded the car and found the pot. Another girl, who was stripping as a side job but quit to birth and raise her child, went on vacation to overdose on heroin while her acid tripping friend drove her to the hospital and is now facing civilian prison time. Her husband is conflicted. The E-8 in charge of security and enforcing rules and regulations, a man with 18+ years, who struggled from being a lowly kitchen cleaner to cross-rating to a far more reputable Master-at-Arms position, was busted down to an E-4 and sentenced to some time in military prison for multiple counts of failure to follow orders by stepping out of his jurisdiction (ie spying on people when they were off-duty, following them, and arresting them and bringing them back to the ship), not taking of his people's paperwork leaving them on his desk for months at a time ignoring their awards and qualifications with their leave chits and orders, and assaulting his junior people with chokeholds and staplers and pepperspray.

Then there are other incidents that come to mind in my last three years at my command. The E6 who painted all the beautiful murals all over the ship inside the hangarbay and on various doors ended up getting drunk and shooting his best friend and another person on our ship six times and killing him. The officer who was to be in charge of our ship's damage control efforts speeding at 110 mph while drunk as a skunk. The E6 who sexually harrassed girls by showing them photos of his penis. Various rapes, gay rapes, fraternization cases, stealing, assault and batteries, and friends who have been mugged.

I think about this and it is only a minor inflection on why I want to get out, but I can only imagine the future candidates who get in only to cause a mess and end up not wanting to be there. A lot of people don't ever think the military through. I didn't, but I turned out for the better and am getting my benefits.