The end of an era.

I first put on a badge in 1980, as part of the US Army’s Military Police. Now in 2017, 37 years later I am retiring. 28 years in the retirement system means that there is little financial reason to continue to work, and being desk-bound has turned law enforcement into just a job.

Most importantly, I am ready. I will never regret my career, but I dislike these days of administration instead of leadership, of department heads more worried about the media than their own troops’ safety.

My last date isn’t for some weeks, but the withdrawal has begun. I have shifted most of my stuff from work, and am burning excess vacation and holiday leave. I have devoted a lot of time to putting my man-cave into order, as my writing time will open up drastically soon.

It all passed by so quickly; it seems like just yesterday I was a slick-sleeve Patrolman with a full head of hair campaigning for assignment to permanent nights, patrolling my district with all the subtlety of a Hind gunship hunting Afghan rebels, hunting arrests like a miner panning for gold.

Those were extremely good days.

And what awaits me will be very good as well; I’ve numerous writing projects planned and the creative juices are flowing well. I hope to see my fifteenth book published in October, and to have the time to go back and hunt typos in my older work.