Marine Corps doesn't really care if I dropped my letter. This is now the 3rd year in a row the retention bonus for Hornet pilots dropped. (25 to 18 and now 15) They just shut down an active Hornet squadron and 3 reserve Hornet squadrons. Supposedly we are the "healthiest" group among Marine aviators. That sounds great on paper, until you look at a ready room with half the seats empty because all the O-3's and O-4's are overseas on IA's.

I'm not sure what exactly goes on up at headquarters, but the word denial seems to come to mind quite a bit lately.