Need advice on whether I should stay in or get out?

You don't stay in or get out for the money, mistake number one. You stay in because you love what you do, the rest is part of the journey. And you give it your all. You get out because you don't love what you're doing, see no future in it and make what you can of your life. You can survive either way. I would never presume to tell you which way to go as I don't know you. don't know what you're doing and how well you are doing them. But if money is the deciding factor, your priorities are wrong. And yes, I'm well aware that you say you have 7 dependents. I do know that the ability to make good money is entirely dependent on your skill set and demand for them in the market. You should check to see how you fit into that as part of your decision making process. No vote from me on this, but I wish you luck (and a lot of skull sweat!) on whatver it is you choose to do going forward.

Sorry this is going to be long winded, I left active duty as an E-5 in 1998 after my second enlistment, dumbest thing I ever did if I could find a way to travel back I would have stayed in. I was a school trained mechanic before joining thanks to Vocational training in high school, I was a mechanic on active duty, I am still a mechanic. I make close to 6 figures but I have been doing it since 98 on the outside, I work 55 to 70 hours a week. When I retired from the Guard I lost my tricare reserve and now I pay 150 a pay check for medical care for my family and I. This is a huge corporation so the insurance is one of the best out there. This year my deductible BEFORE the insurance covers anything is 1500 per person THEN I have to pay 20% of everything so a single doctors visit with prescriptions may potentially cost me an entire 2 week pay check due to health issues my wife has. My son broke his arm last year the day after thanksgiving, the emergency room visit cost me out of my pocket $1500 that was with insurance that had a $100 copay. You may hear about the good pay but remember there is NO housing allowance, no separate rations, and no free health care, also if by some chance you get hurt on the job depending on your profession you can't come back until you are 100% cleared and they are not paying you when your not working, sure they have short and long term disability which pays 60% of your salary, try living on 60 percent of your pay. Depending on the economy my job could be gone tomorrow, it has happened to me before. I have been offered promotions before but considering I have seen numerous branch managers, numerous service managers and numerous assistant branch managers get let go, I have no desire to move up anymore, the best chance of staying employed is staying a worker bee. The civilian world is all about numbers and percentages and MONEY, when they are not were they should be no matter the reasoning someone has to go.

As for Government jobs, I have applied for 15 years for various gov jobs and never heard anything, I have had some friends that got lucky after years and years of trying but they make less than me hourly and with a family I can not afford a pay cut, which while I can live on my pay at 40 hours a week my play money is my overtime plus I have 3 older kids and they get even more expensive as they get older. I wish I had someone talk real sense into me when I was a young NCO and tell me what it was really like on the outside. I do not know of anyone that has benefits anywhere close to what the military provides beleive me I am looking right now due to insurance costs alone. Buckle down, do what you need to advance, stay away from the E-4 mafia and stand out among your peers as a leader and good things will come, they did for me.

Until you can Guarantee a good job that you can provide you need to stay right where you are! If your happy doing what your doing and the family is happy then why disturb that unless you have something guaranteed to not disturb your family life! Good luck on your decision and choose wisely.

Don't get out unless you are for sure you have a job. You have a family that has to be taken care of, and you can't play around with that. The Army is a great place to serve. I stayed in 30yrs, and my family loved it. My children still talk about all the different places they were afforded to see and live because of me and my Army career.

There is nothing like waking up and knowing that no matter how hard times may get my retirement check is going to be deposited into my account. I put in the years, and the benefit is well worth it.

Only thing I can say is you must do was correct for your family. I was at a crossroads many years ago my career and had to make the decision and I had to get out in order to make the money that was necessary to support my growing family.

Only you and your family can decide whether to stay in or get out. What are your career goals? decide what job you would like and then look at the required skills and education needed for that job. With a wife and six kids, you and your wife must both be exhausted. Are you making time for your educational needs? I agree with the other responses, that you will not make 70 - 90K a year outside the military. I would strongly consider staying in, but again, this is you and your wife's decision to make.

I was in the same quagmire but decided to hang on and I didn't have friends to advice but i'm happy in due cause i'll get my degree and retire peacefully to join the corporate world.

if you can make 70 to 90k a year you let me know....lol. someone is bs ing you that ain't no lie

Im seeing all this for the first time and really appreciate the feed back you all have given. I plan on staying in as long as i can. Now if only my unit would send us 42A's to schools. Gets kind of annoying hearing, oh what do you need that for? Your HR you dont need that.

Stay in.