When people ask about my Marine Corps service, they sometimes hear that I served from 2002 to 2008.

That's true.

But it's also not the entire story.

I signed a 6x2 contract.

Six years active.

Two years Individual Ready Reserve.

From my perspective, Uncle Sam owned me for eight years.

Some people don't count the IRR years.

I do.

The IRR Is Real

The reason I count those years is simple.

I saw what happened after September 11th.

I saw Marines from the Individual Ready Reserve get called back.

I saw it happen.

Not once.

More than once.

When you witness Marines getting recalled, you develop a different perspective about what the IRR actually means.

Suddenly those years don't feel theoretical.

They feel very real.

The government may not be using your time every day.

But the commitment still exists.

The obligation still exists.

The possibility still exists.

You Don't Just Quit

One thing many civilians don't realize is that military service is fundamentally different from most civilian jobs.

If you're unhappy with a civilian job, you can usually leave.

You may give two weeks' notice.

You may leave immediately.

But the relationship can end relatively quickly.

Military service doesn't work that way.

When you sign the contract, you're making a commitment.

You don't simply wake up one morning and announce:

"I quit."

That's not how it works.

The military is built around obligation, commitment, and contracts.

The Military Can't Just Quit You Either

Something interesting happens on the other side of the equation.

The military generally can't instantly get rid of people either.

A lot of civilians assume commanders can simply point at someone and say:

"You're fired."

That's not how it works.

Even when someone is failing.

Even when someone isn't adapting.

Even when someone is heading toward separation.

There is usually a process.

Documentation.

Reviews.

Procedures.

Time.

A service member can't instantly quit.

The government generally can't instantly quit the service member either.

Commitment Means Something

I think there's a lesson in that.

The military treats service as something serious.

Because it is.

The commitment carries weight.

The commitment survives bad days.

The commitment survives discomfort.

The commitment survives changing emotions.

That's one reason military service shapes people the way it does.

The organization expects people to honor commitments even when it becomes inconvenient.

Civilian Employment Is Different

Today, at Two Marines Moving, we operate in the civilian world.

Employment is at will.

That works both ways.

An employee can decide they want a different opportunity.

The company can decide that someone is not a good fit.

The relationship is voluntary.

Mutual.

Ongoing.

Nobody is trapped.

Nobody is obligated to remain forever.

That's very different from military service.

Why This Matters

I think sometimes people confuse commitment with permanence.

They aren't the same thing.

You can choose commitment even when you have the freedom to leave.

In fact, I would argue that commitment means more when it is voluntary.

The best employees I've worked with chose commitment.

The best leaders I've worked with chose commitment.

The best Marines I served with chose commitment.

Not because they were forced.

Because they believed in what they were doing.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, I still smile when people casually ignore those IRR years.

I can't quite do that.

I saw Marines get called back.

I saw the reality behind the paperwork.

When I signed a 6x2 contract, I understood I wasn't making a six-year commitment.

I was making an eight-year commitment.

That's what I agreed to.

That's what I signed.

And whether someone counts those years or not, I always will.

Because Uncle Sam certainly did.

Semper Fidelis,
Nicholas Edmond Baucom
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Two Marines Moving

Marine Combat Veteran Founded & Owned Since 2008. Industry Leading Pay. Moving Done Right. Join the Mission.