Well, I guess it's better to join a party late than to miss it completely...
USMC 1993 - present, ten years active, ten more in the Reserves and still drilling. I guess I still have a little something left in the tank. I really appreciate some of the old timers sharing their experiences, that's the stuff the Marine Corps legacy and reputation is built on. As a CH-46E driver by trade, I feel a connection to the Vietnam Marines and also those that served in the Infantry. A good friend of mine is the Commanding Officer of HMM-774, which will be the last Phrog squadron to transition to the MV-22 Osprey. I was on the command screening board competing with him, and as disappointed as I was that I wasn't able to command the last CH-46 squadron, I know the Corps picked a good and capable man to fill the job. My current unit is still in the deployment cycle, so I think I got one more trip through Afghanistan before I retire.
I believe there's a lot of Marines into barbecue because we spend so much of our adult lives tired, hungry, and covered in mud and dust, just dreaming about a good meal that we are inevitably and naturally drawn to the tbs. And of course, meat eaters are always at the top of the food chain.
