New Guys... Do you think you'll get the 3 Year Service Medal?

 But that doesn't mean it isn't worth something, and in my mind, perhaps it's worth something to everyone else instead. So rather than celebrate my own three years in TAW with a medal, I  thought I would take a look at what three years in this organisation has meant to me, and perhaps it will help someone, perhaps somebody new, somebody that likes what they see, and  would like to celebrate their three years too, sometime in the future.

 Three years, it's a long time, right? Yet there are members that have been here far longer, one of our own Arma division guys recently got his 10 year medal. I think perhaps at that stage it  should come with a pension contribution and a free bus pass.... But I'm just a CO, a Captain, there are members that have been around far less than I have, and have a higher position in  the  world. Have I been doing something wrong? I don't think so.

 The biggest piece of advice that I could offer to anyone joining TAW today, and felt ambitious, is to be patient. It seems like an obvious statement to make, but I see it all the time. You join  TAW, you love TAW... you want to be the CIC... but why? I've met DCs that have been in TAW for 6 months, members of OS that have been around for five minutes, and for what? Do we  run  the risk of rushing up the chain of command so fast, that we miss out on what being a member of TAW is really all about?

 Take your time, enjoy the moments that really count. Allow yourself to form the friendships that come from the game you love playing. When you stop playing that game, don't stop the  friendships. What makes this place so unique is the variety of games, and the places you can end up. If you're bored, Fine! Play a different game. Don't be afraid to transfer and see what  mandatory ops are like in a different area. They may be better, they may be worse. You may be able to help improve them using the experiences you've gained elsewhere.

 In my mind the TIs and DIs have the best jobs in TAW. They're all about taking someone from where they are today, and pushing them into where they'll be tomorrow. Put your hand in the  air, and take that job. You'll look back on it one day with great admiration, as very few people forget their TIs, and absolutely nobody forgets the first person they met in TAW, their DI.

 And if you're a 6 month old DC or DO reading this, and you're taking offense, don't! It's just my thoughts, but think about what I've written, and never forget the real reason you joined TAW.  But more importantly don't forget the reason you decided to stay...

 Maverick