Some days, it's strange to realize that what I do is "work."
I remember the thoughts going through my head following a raid while riding in the back of a Chinook after being on the go for 30 hours, sweaty, dirty, physically exhausted, mentally drained, and yet feeling very accomplished and privileged to be able to do what I do. I looked at my buddies and said, "Dudes, we just got paid for that."
We'll be taking apart a turbine engine, looking at chicks through the FLIR, or sitting in the office talking shit to each other and I sometimes have to remind myself that I'm making money. I'll turn a wrench for 20 hours straight, then wake up in the morning excited to go and do it all over again.
I can't think of any other job where the amount of responsibility given and the privileges had match that of my current occupation.
We are given a weapon, all the gear we need, any vehicle we need with all the gas you can burn, and a sense of pride that nothing can compare to.
Sometimes it sucks, but I'd say that this is the most "fun" job I've ever had.
Working at [name withheld] doing the retail thing and drinking beer with pals in the back room was cool when I was going to college, but nothing compares to this.