Steve, the E.M overseas used to do the calendar count-down, and when you became a "two-digit midget," the prestige started to kick in. When that happened, everyone knew it, and when you went single, everyone was with you on the count-down.

The only downside was, after you shipped back home, especially if you shipped to a new duty station, everything was reset and you started all over again.

But it was great to be a barracks "celebrity" for that little while! especially with the newbies. They had a whole year to go, and watched a new friend ship out. I left a lot of stuff, food, guitar, etc., to the new guys, with a sort of "pass this along to the next guy when you leave" good-bye message.

There were no tears, no emotional good-byes. Just grabbing your bag and shoving it on the bus. In my haste to get out of there, I wish that I had gotten a couple of addresesses that I have tried to hunt down in later years with no success. Oh, well....