Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge

Welcome to Retirement, Army Style

March 3, 2021 / 66 Comments
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Jeff and his parents

I am still recovering from the weekend festivities celebrating and honoring my amazing husband on his retirement after 22 years of active duty service in the United States Army. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were so blessed by the few friends and family members who were able to make the trip to northern New York for our celebration.

I wanted to share some photos from the weekend as well as a bit about Jeff’s military career. This is all official sounding, Army style…

SSG Jeffrey M. Herling joined the Army after graduating from Weatherly High School (Weatherly, Pennsylvania) in 1999. Upon completion of One Station Unit Training, his first assignment was in Germany where he spent three years. During his time in Germany, SSG Herling deployed for 6 months on a peace keeping operation to the country of Kosovo in the Balkans. Upon leaving Germany, he was assigned to his first stint at the 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, New York. During his first 5 years with the 10th Mountain Division, SSG Herling was deployed for 13 months to Iraq and then another 17 months to Afghanistan.

Following his return stateside, his next assignment would be with the United States Army Recruiting Command in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. While assigned as a recruiter and Station Commander, SSG Herling met the love of his life (that would be me)! After completing 4 years in recruiting, he was assigned once again to the 10th Mountain Division for his final assignment in the Army. In 2015, he completed one final deployment to Afghanistan where he spent 9 months.

SSG Herling’s final job at Fort Drum was as Rappel Master Course NCOIC at the Division Light Fighter School. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal x2, Army Commendation Medal x4, Army Achievement Medal x7, Army Good Conduct Medal x7, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, Gold Recruiter Badge with 3 Sapphire Stars and numerous other awards and decorations.

Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Thank you to our dear friend Kurt for giving the most wonderful speech on Jeff’s behalf.
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Kurt and Jeff
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Kurt, Jeff, and our BFF Adam
Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge

I could not be prouder of my husband and his amazing career as a United States infantry soldier. Only a very small percentage of men and women who join the armed forces make it to 20 years of service. And even fewer get to 22 years. It has been one heck of a journey for both of us. I suppose once we are officially done with Army life, we will always identify as a military family.

By the way, the retirement ceremony last weekend merely marked the formal acknowledgement of Jeff’s service to the military. He will not be officially retired until August 1, 2021. However, he just began an 8 week internship on Monday with a local HVAC company here in Watertown, New York, where we plan to remain at least until the children have graduated from high school.

Upon completion of his internship, Jeff will begin his final leave from the Army. He will be home relaxing and doing some traveling during the month of May and will begin his official civilian job some time in June. I am excited for this next chapter in our lives and I know that Jeff is super excited to be done “playing Army” after doing it for more than half of his life.

And now here are a few final photos of the food and stuff from our celebrations last week.

Army retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
Cake is from Europe Cakes and it was lemon blueberry with lemon filling. So freaking good as Monica’s cakes always are!
bang bang shrimp, Shelbee on the Edge
My sister’s famous bang bang shrimp.
ice cream sundae, Shelbee on the Edge
When my sister is in charge of serving the ice cream, this is what happens.
lobster pizza
Lobster pizza from Ruyi Sushi
sushi boat
Sushi Boat
Japanese ginger salad
Ginger Salad

We ordered all sorts of wonderful food things from our local sushi restaurant as well as two 30 inch pizzas from Papa Tino’s Pizzeria.

My sister ordered this really cool personalized decanter set for Jef as a retirement gift from LavaDecanter on Etsy.

LavaDecanter
LavaDecanter

Shelbee on the Edge
This is my “I am not at all happy breathing inside this horrible mask” face.
military retirement, Shelbee on the Edge
This photo is a very accurate representation of our life together!

Congratulations to the love of my life on a stellar career. You are definitely my hero!

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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66 Comments

  • Kellyann Rohr

    March 3, 2021 at 10:00 am Reply

    What a wonderful post Shelbee and congratulations to your husband! His parents are beaming and must have felt so proud! What an exciting time this is for your family and the celebration afterwards looked delicious! I love that decanter set your sister got your husband – what a unique and thoughtful gift. Cheers to many happy civilian years ahead!
    xo,
    Kellyann

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 3, 2021 at 10:25 am Reply

      Thank you so much, Kellyann! It was a lovely ceremony and apparently much smaller than normal due to Covid…which I really liked. I was told that most retirement ceremonies are more like graduations with 50 or 60 people retiring at once. But so many retirees are opting out of the official ceremony that there were only 3. It made it more personal and much quicker! It was a wonderful weekend of celebrations as well, but now I am pooped! I hope you have a wonderful day, my friend.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 3, 2021 at 10:41 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Nancy! It has been a journey for us, for sure! We are looking forward to the next chapter. Oh, that sushi boat was amazing! Our local sushi restaurant is owned by the family of our neighbor (and close friend) so we get a little spoiled around here when it comes to party food!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Gail

    March 3, 2021 at 1:23 pm Reply

    What an amazing day Shelbee – the cake, the food, the pageantry, your amazing husband and that wonderful dress. I also come from a military family, my dad was in the Royal Marines. Congrats to your husband and all the best for the future.

  • Ellie

    March 3, 2021 at 2:42 pm Reply

    What a great accomplishment, Shelbee! Many thanks for his service and congrats again on his retirement! It looks like a wonderful ceremony and delicious food!
    Wishing your family all the best as you enter a new chapter of your lives!

  • Suzy

    March 3, 2021 at 3:08 pm Reply

    This is such a wonderful post, Shelbee! Congratulations to your husband on 22 years of active duty in the army! That’s incredible! So good that he’s already studying for his next job.
    The photos are wonderful, Shelbee. I particularly love the ones of Jeff with his parents. They look so proud!!
    Huge hugs,
    Suzy xxx

  • Anita Ojeda

    March 3, 2021 at 5:02 pm Reply

    Aww! Congratulations on both your service and your retirement, Jeff! Thank you for serving our country. And Shelbee, thank you for serving our country–military families serve just as much as those in uniform! It looks like you had a wonderful celebration.

  • Nancy

    March 3, 2021 at 7:52 pm Reply

    I totally forgot to mention that you looked fabulous!! Gerben asked if he wanted to retire or that he couldn’t stay in the army longer. Gerben is very impressed with the medals.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 4, 2021 at 10:24 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Nancy! Jeff probably would have stayed in longer if he could, but he did reach the maximum number of years of service at his rank and so he was essentially forced to retire. He does have a lot of medals after 22 years and he wears them proudly!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • jodie filogomo

    March 3, 2021 at 10:15 pm Reply

    First off…congrats and how absolutely wonderful.
    Second, I cracked up at : “This is my “I am not at all happy breathing inside this horrible mask” face.” That’s exactly how I always feel.
    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 4, 2021 at 10:22 am Reply

      Jodie, thank you so much! I cracked up when I saw that photo of my face. Haha. I asked Archie to take a picture from standing on top of the bleachers and I really thought I was smiling. Then I realized that I don’t smile often inside the dreadful masks and I most likely always have a sour puss on my face ion public these days. How unpleasant! But I guess these things are here to stay.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Helen

    March 4, 2021 at 12:01 pm Reply

    What a lovely ceremony, Shelbee! You must be really proud with your wonderful husband – you are beaming with pride. Congrats to both of you

    And you really cracked me up at your “I am not at all happy breathing inside this horrible mask” face. Lol. You need to get a mask that sits further away from your face or one of these plastic breathing brackets that fit under the mask 🙂 I love my 3D masks btw – if you can get someone to sew you some of these, you’ll look much happier, my friend

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 4, 2021 at 5:02 pm Reply

      Helen, thank you so much! It was a very lovely ceremony. But seriously, these masks are driving me crazy! So far, the only ones that I can breathe even somewhat comfortably in are these paper medical ones. I had considered one of the big visor ones that cover your whole face, but then I remembered that I rarely go anywhere in public anyway so I’m okay with these paper things for now. I do look miserable though, don’t I?! Haha.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Michelle Leslie

    March 4, 2021 at 12:36 pm Reply

    A big congratulations to your hubby, Jeff for all those years of service. For people like me who aren’t involved in the military, I am always in awe of the sacrifices made by so many incredible people who serve their country. I wish him everything of the very best as a civvie. It must be wonderful for you to know he’ll be safe at home with you and the kids

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 4, 2021 at 4:58 pm Reply

      Thanks so much, Michelle! We are definitely happy that there will be no more deployments in his future! But the last few years have been rather easy on us with lots of flexibility in his schedule. That will be our biggest transition moving forward, I think. We are very excited about this next chapter in our lives though!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Mary Katherine

    March 4, 2021 at 1:59 pm Reply

    Shelbee – how very exciting! Congratulations, and thank your handsome husband again for his service. We had already retired from the military by the time your husband enlisted but I remember that life so very well. And the awesome reputation of both active and family members at Ft. Drum. The HVAC plan sounds wonderful – we need the skilled trades so badly, and I hope he makes a TON of money! Your outfit looks marvelous, as anyone would have expected. So happy for you all.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 4, 2021 at 4:56 pm Reply

      MK, thank you so very much! We are super excited to start this first chapter of civilian life! Jeff is really happy with this new job path for exactly the reason you stated…there is a huge need for skilled tradespeople and it will benefit us in many ways. I think the biggest transition for us is going to be less flexibility in his new job. That sounds strange given the craziness of military living, but the last few years have been really quite easy on all of us. But the time has come for him to move on and so here we are!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Sheila (of Ephemera)

    March 4, 2021 at 4:20 pm Reply

    Yay, congratulations, Jeff! 22 years at anything is an amazing accomplishment, and to do it in the military? Kudos, sir. Hooray for both of you, as you both move into civilian life. Looks like it was a fabulous celebration, and so glad some friends and family were able to join you in it. Nom, that food looks amazing. I’ll take some of your sister’s shrimp, please!

    Love your striped dress! Very cool and luxe!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 4, 2021 at 4:49 pm Reply

      Thanks so much, Sheila! It was a wonderful time celebrating Jeff and all of his accomplishments! He really is my real life hero! I wish I had gotten better pictures of my outfit. I was wearing a cute mini sweater dress underneath the long striped kimono thingy. I tied it to give it some shape and then I lost the rest of the outfit underneath it! Ooh, the bang bang shrimp is so good and super easy to make!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Bojana Krienke

    March 8, 2021 at 12:43 pm Reply

    Congratulations to the both of you. What an exciting time in his life and I am so glad that he was able to celebrate it in a good way. His job is brave, thoughtful and also extremely emotionally exhausting. I cannot imagine the worry and anxiety that you both have had to overcome while he was away in dangerous circumstances. His dedication, and yours, is admired and respected.

    bosbodaciousblog.blogspot.ca

  • Niky

    March 10, 2021 at 5:54 pm Reply

    Thanks for sharing this momentous occassion with us, Shelbee! What a distinguished career your “hero” has had! How blessed are we all to have such amazing military men serving and protecting our country! Congrats to your hubby and your whole family!

  • Barbara Chapman

    March 11, 2021 at 1:46 am Reply

    CONGRATULATIONS!!! Shelbee and Jeff, so many congratulations to you both and to your family!!! I was looking at all your medals, Jeff and first I saw the purple heart ribbon… As someone who loves war movies (not war itself, but the military men and women who fight for our country), “Currahee” comes to mind!!! Band of Brothers is still one of my all-time favorite series and an old Clint Eastwood — Heartbreak Ridge — with his ex smirkingly waving an American flag as he comes back from somewhere with his Marines. These movies tell the tale of honor and respect for our military men and women. <3 Thank you for your service and for keeping us safe, no matter what. <3

    Anyway, the latter movie reminds me of your last photo! They get back together with her waving the flag. 😉 A lot of sweat and tears and hopefully only good memories for you both! <3

    Try not to be surprised by the lack of "get it done" quickly in today's world. That drove my husband, USMC Capt. Charles R. Chapman (only 8 years due to cut-backs in the 1990's), absolutely crazy!!! He's since mellowed but it takes time. He still out-works people at his positions, whatever managerial role he has over the past 34 years. Do think about the counseling outgoing services available to you as you move to civilian life; it's really different working outside the military.

    Thankfully, you have base priviledges and can still go camp all over the world via military bases! If Kilauea Military Camp is still there on the Big Island of Hawaii, it'd be a great place to take the kids and see active volcanoes!!! Something we lost when Charles had to leave the Corps, which really hurt this military brat who was soooo excited to marry her Marine and be "back in" after my dad retired (US Army – 1950's, Panama during Korean War with the US Army band – and USAF, retired as a Lt. Col.). Anyway, enough rambling… We wish you all the best!

    Big hugs all around,
    Barb and Charles Chapman

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 11, 2021 at 10:22 am Reply

      Thank you so much, Barb and Charles! I really enjoyed reading your military experiences! Jeff also is a huge fan of war movies and war history and Band of Brothers is one of his favorites. And no worries on the counseling…that is a family affair around here…we all go see someone! But really, he actually is required to do all sorts of counseling and training courses in order to officially retire. His new job, fortunately, is a lot of retired and ex-military people so I am hoping the environment and work ethic isn’t too much of a shock. Thanks again for your very kind words!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Barbara Chapman

    March 11, 2021 at 1:48 am Reply

    Oh, and besides a big Congratulations to you both, Shelbee, I am happy to feature your post as the lead story in tonight’s Share Your Style #295. <3

    Love and hugs,
    Barb 🙂

    p.s. Sorry I was sooo long-winded. Just thought I'd share some thoughts. <3

  • Lucy Bertoldi

    March 11, 2021 at 2:18 pm Reply

    What an amazing accomplishment and now well deserved retirement! Congratulations and thank you to him for his service. And now onto great things in your civilian life. Loved this post!

  • Darlene

    March 12, 2021 at 8:54 pm Reply

    In reading all the commendations and accomplishments your husband earned throughout his career, I had to share this post with my husband–a former marine. He said, wow, what an impressive and honorable career. And that the 10th Mountain Unit is highly demanding and very prestigious. He told me about their illustrious history dating back to WWII. So, WOW! Congratulations to him and to you as you enter this next stage of his life! Thanks for sharing his patriotic story! Oh, and your dress and boots were the perfect outfit for this significant event, my friend!

    xx Darlene

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 13, 2021 at 2:28 pm Reply

      Darlene, thank you so much! My husband also thanks you and your husband and he says that is a wonderful compliment coming from a marine! The 10th Mountain Division’s history back to WWII is really quite fascinating. And while I don’t know all that much about military history (that is Jeff’s passion, not mine), I have learned enough to appreciate the magnitude of what some of these troops endured during those major wartimes. There are also some really cool artifacts from that era in some of the buildings here at Fort Drum.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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Shelbee on the Edge