Change of Command and Retirement

It was a little low key, circumstances being what they are, but it was a momentous day for us nonetheless. Thanks again to Megan at A Beautiful Moment Photography for capturing this event.

"They" say you want to have the band at the beginning of your command, and at the end. Tim got both; it was a successful command tour. Did anyone doubt it would be? Apparently Tim did. When I asked him a while back why he had no photos or mementos on his desk or anywhere else in his office at the battalion, he told me he didn't want to have to pack a box if he got fired.🙄

Masks and six feet? Not at this ceremony. "Sweet Caroline" could have been the theme song for this event.🤣

I almost didn't include this picture. Too sappy of me. But I remember how, as he was summing up his feelings about his career and all the people who'd made a difference to him, I thought how how the Marines were what brought us together. And it's been a roller coaster, but it's been a good life all in all, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Is this coffee table in our office yet in its appointed spot? No it is not, and for some reason that bothers me a lot more than it does him.

After such a fitting conclusion to 26 years in the Marine Corps, the plan was to enjoy a well deserved summer off, but of course he couldn't just do that. "I still need to find a job!" he'd remind me at least once a day. I'd be like, "Ohmygosh, can you just relax? You're still active duty through September!" A friend drew his attention to a position that would suit him perfectly -- director of the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society on Cherry Point. The start date would be in 30 days, which would allow him to actually enjoy 30 days of summer, so he applied. He was offered the job, which he accepted happily, and then they said, "Yeah, we need you to start next week." So much for summer. Tim heads out the door at the usual time every morning, his gym duffel containing business casual instead of cammies. He never did relax because he spent the couple of weeks between Topsail and his new job working feverishly to complete projects in the house and yard. In case you were wondering how he was liking retirement...😜 

But I am happy for him because now he gets to help Marines and sailors with budgeting and finance, something that he has a real passion for. He wasn't hankering after the government civilian jobs that most retirees around here get. He also wasn't looking to have to commute to a bigger city for the higher paying jobs that some of his peers were pursuing. This job is exactly what he needs: he gets to keep the same daily routine, work out in the same gym, and while the job doesn't pay a huge amount, it is adequate for us. Things could have hardly worked out any better.

Just for fun, here are a few pics from his early days in the Corps. These by no means comprise all the highlights of his career, but they were the best I could come up with, digging through our archives.

Boot camp, Parris Island, 1994

Commissioning in 2000

Promoting his best friend Derek to sergeant, 2001. Tim once told me that the man you can see standing behind Tim gave him a talking to once the promotion was over. Tim had used the heel of his fist to playfully "pound" the new insignia into Derek's collar, which the senior enlisted Marine disapproved of, no matter that he hadn't come anywhere close to drawing blood. 

Iraq, 2003

Pinning on my 1stLt bars in Iraq, along with our friend Andrea, 2005. Yep, he did the same thing to my insignia as Derek's. I'm pretty sure he only did that to his favorites.😉

Our wedding in Grafton, Massachusetts, 2007

Our pictures in the homecoming exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia. These photos were taken in 2012 when Tim got back from the MEU and met six-month-old Timmy for the first time.