After graduating High School, one might have thought Mitch would end up somewhere doing a job where he could continue to be alone. Except that due to Mitch’s low grades he enlisted in the armed forces. Sure there was some dishonesty on the part of his recruiters, after all recruiters get bonuses based on the number of sign ups they get, but the Navy was to be his next station in life.
At first it seemed like a good choice. A new place doing something new should have forced him to interact with others. Others who like himself were essentially tasked with doing the same things: learn ranks, general military principles, and get the discipline they all apparently were told was lacking. They were going to become sailors in the US Navy after all. They needed one another to complete tasks in boot camp.
Sadly Mitch once again did not fit in. Once he accidentally left a quarter in his left shirt pocket and a CO found it. The entire unit had to get into push up position to exercise, everyone except Mitch that is. You see they do that, or at least they did at the time, to show everyone who the troublemakers were. I’m sure it was not designed to single anyone out for a potential blanket party by those upset they had to exercise because of people like Mitch forgetting something, but it sure seemed that way. That blanket party never came for Mitch, but it did force him to isolate further.
Despite Mitch’s quirks, he managed to squeak through bootcamp, after which he was whisked away to his C school, the first of 3 stages for the path he had chosen. At first it seemed as if Mitch had actually transitioned nicely into Navy life. Sure he still had not really made any friends, but he was still there. Unfortunately he was not meant to stay and complete his entire enlistment. After failing a retest of a units exam, he was overheard musing about ending his own life. Or at least that is how his fellow shipmates had taken what they overheard. When asked by commanding officers if he wanted some help, Mitch was checked in for a brief stay at the hospital for evaluation. Again due to his yet undiagnosed autism and a family history of mental health issues, he was diagnosed as being unfit for service and put on a path for discharge. Issues with family and his inability to transition into military life were listed as contributing factors. With just over 6 months of service, Mitch was shipped off one last time to return to live with his family.