For those who got out before retirement why did you?

Although it was my choice, it was circumstances beyond my control at the time. I chose to get out to assist my Mother with medical issues she was having at the time. I was up for re-enlistment, my third, at the time.

For me it was the fact that the jobs that I could expect in front of me were not as personally desirable as the jobs that were behind me.

Active Duty Spouse. Got Recruiting orders, which does NOT tell you where you are going. The inability to coordinate Family and Career left me with a choice of choosing one over the other. It took less than a second.