How many people regained love for their respected branch after they separated? I loved the USMC when I joined then hated it as soon as I hit the fleet, now that im separated I feel all the pride coming back.

It's pretty common to hear vets say, "They wouldn't trade their time in the service for anything, but they wouldn't go through it again for nothing!"

Got more than love, biggest mistake I made was leaving. Loved every dirty, stinking, training, deployed minute of it. Damn woman, I never should have listened.

I never had a bad assignment in the Navy so was very happy with my 9 yrs there.  
I only had one short term assignment that was a PITA in the Army and I reenlisted out of it.  All the rest of my Army time was great.  
However I have an permanent dislike for the hair farce!  I washed out of flight school because of hay fever, not a big deal as i knew that might be a problem if they got wise before I finished training.  However when I refused to spend the next 2 yrs as a junior enlisted man (I already had 5 yrs prior svc) they screwed me by coding my 214 to make it impossible for me to reenlist back into the Navy - or any other branch.  I was out 3 yrs before the Berlin Wall crisis came along in 61 and I was able to get into an Army NG unit that was activated.  They just convieently over looked the coding in the lower left corner of the 214 from the stupid ass hair farce.  
So with only a couple of glitches I have always been happy with my time in the military.  I spent a bit over 15 yrs before being retired for disability, to many grenates one dark night.  
Sarge

I love the airborne always have always did.I hate mech.

I enjoyed my time in, for the most part. I never felt bad about the branch I chose. Being deployed was an interesting opportunity to see how some of the other branches do things differently.
You spend all those years getting to a point when you can retire, and when you reach that point a part of you doesn't want to let go.
But you realize that its a young mans game and theres some young guy somewhere in line behind you who deserves to not get the axe in this era of force reductions and its better if you go
Its amazing how fast some of it fades after only a couple of years out, though.

I'm proud of being able to retire after 22 years of service, but I don't miss it a bit.
Joining the AF was the best decision I have ever made and I enjoyed the time I served
but this civilian gig suits me better these days.  

I had a lot of problems with the direction the DoD has been heading recently.
I decided the military didn't live up to my values anymore, so the only
choice was to leave before it got any worse.

B_S

>>>Placeholder until 2039, when I hit my mandatory retirement date.<<<

A lot of things look better in the rear view mirror than up close and personal.  As you get further from the situation (unless it was just genuinely horrible) you tend to focus on the 'good stuff' and ignore than bad.  Plus, even if it was truly horrible...think SFAS or BUD/S...you MADE IT and many don't.  I spent 42 years and change in various uniforms and retired in 2010 when I hit mandatory retirement age.  It wasn't always fun...and some parts I wouldn't want to do again.  But I was in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Army and I am proud to have served...and survived.  Many didn't.

I am ready to go now and will retire in Oct 2014. With that, I have passed the torch to my youngest son who is at Ft Benning right now going to OSUT.  Time to let others grow and lead.  Yes I am sure that many days I will miss it.

It's ok to be moto after you get out.

After I PCS'd to Ft Benning in 1991, I gained a newfound love for Hanau Germany. Wished I'd extended.

Same thing after years away from the Army, but it was just as others have said, the good times outshine the bad.

By the time I got out I was pretty grumpy about how things were ran and couldn't wait to get away from the damn salt water. A few months ago, I was in SF saw my old WPB steaming by, one of those whistling orange shit cans go over that I used to hate hearing, and a few big white ones sitting at the pier. Made me miss it. I don't think I would go back, unless Uncle Sam called me back. Lots of good times, good friends, bad beer and cheap whiskey.

I miss it.

miss the job, don't miss the bullshit.

yup