Reenlist vs getting out?

Cpl Dakota, As a retired 1SG, i contemplated the very same th

CPL Dakota,
The choice to stay or get out is yours. You know what is best for you and your family. I will tell you what I told my Soldiers. Have a plan! It's that easy. If you stay in, look at what you need to do in order to progress. Don't stay in to receive a pay check. If you decide to get out, you should already have a plan. Whether that is going to college, specialty skills school or out in the work force. All this should have been done 6-12 months prior to getting out. If you haven't done this, you need to reevaluate your life and figure it out. Talk to your first line, career counselor and Ed center personnel for guidance.

Getting out and staying in are both mixed bags. Don't think that getting out entitles you to be treated as an adult. You have to earn that in the workforce too. Biggest thing about getting out and I think most of us had to deal with this is the separation anxiety. You do not realize until you are out that military life was full speed ahead and getting things done whereas civilian life at least in your first year is a dead stop. It is boring and lonely, especially if you are single. Nobody understands what you did and some may even resent you for stepping up and serving when they would not.

I had an 2LT who did five years enlistment in the Marines and then got his commission through Texas A&M as an Army officer. He was a very good leader. He held us to high standards.

Big thing is to go to school shortly after you separate. College helps to keep your mind busy and it also provides a break from your parents and a way out of the community you grew up in and are returning to after separation. Use your education benefits, and your student benefits from the VA and get a part-time workstudy position while going to school full time. Use that period in school to learn how to prioritize your life by focusing on your classes and GET THAT DIPLOMA!!! Also, go to a school that teaches job search skills. Those are vital to establishing a career because once you graduate, you are truly on your own again. Unless you can reenter the military and take OCS.

An E-5 w/5 years of active duty service living off post with duty station in zip code 12401 makes approx $4500 mo. I know, a few years ago I grabbed a copy of his LES to show my daughter who is now in. That same individual if out would be lucky if he made 1/3 of that if a civilian; benefits? Forget-about it!

It's economic slavery for
Most out here in the real world. That said if you get out you will for a while have the Post 9/11 Gi-Bill to ease some of the pain. Lots to talk about. Consider finding an AGR position.

I never regretted getting out, and I loved the Navy. I got home met my wife and have a awesome family. That was in 1988. No risk no gain. Take with you what you have accomplished and be proud. Your job does not define you, only you do! :)

Good Morning,

I once had that decision to make. I waited 15 days before ETSed and decide to re-enlist. It was the best decision I ever made. I ended up staying for 24 ½ years. You cannot put anything better on a resume of life than USA, Retired (or USN, USMC or USAF). I does not get any better. The medical care and the monthly checks are always there. What more could you ask for. It was not always an easy life. Deployments also took their toll. However, in the end I would not have ever changed a single thing. I would do it all over again in a second. Everyone may not agree just ask them, where did it go wrong for them and don’t repeat it if it fits. Good luck AIRBORNE!!

DOL Study Finds Substantially Higher Earnings for those Who Participate in Registered Apprenticeship –Up to $240,037 over Lifetime
Posted by Alexander Jordan - On August 07, 2012 (EST)
Individuals who complete a Registered Apprenticeship program will earn substantially higher wages over their lifetime according to a study released today by the U.S. Department of Labor. The study, An Effectiveness Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Registered Apprenticeship in 10 States, found that over a career of 36 years, participants who completed the Registered Apprenticeship program had average earnings gains of nearly a quarter million dollars ($240,037, increasing to $301,533 with employer benefits added) compared to nonparticipants. After accounting for costs such as taxes, the net benefits for those who complete a Registered Apprenticeship program are $233,828. Even when individuals who participated in but did not complete Registered Apprenticeship are added to the analysis, the estimated average earnings gains for all participants is still an impressive $98,718 ($123,906 with employer benefits) over their careers. Taking into account various costs the estimated net benefits for all RA participants are $96,911.

Registered Apprenticeship is a career-training program that offers structured on-the-job training combined with related technical instruction tailored to industry needs. The program, created in 1937, seeks to produce well-trained workers whose skills are in high demand. In 2011, almost 400,000 people across the nation were enrolled in the program. Registered Apprenticeship is administered by the Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Apprenticeship within the U.S. Department of Labor, in conjunction with State Apprenticeship Agencies. Apprenticeship programs range from one to six years and are offered in approximately 1,000 occupations, including the traditional skilled trades such as electrician, plumber, and carpenter, as well as occupations including wind turbine technician, health informatician and geothermal & well-drilling operator. For apprentices, RA provides on-the-job training, related technical instruction, incremental wage increases as skills are attained, and, upon completion, nationally recognized certification in the chosen career area. RA programs are delivered by sponsors—employers, employer associations, and labor management organizations. Sponsors cover the costs of training, wages paid to apprentices, costs of managing the program, and costs associated with time spent by senior employees to mentor and train apprentices.

This study, led by principle investigator Debbie Reed of Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., assesses the effectiveness of Registered Apprenticeship and performs a cost-benefit analysis of the program. The report measures the net effects of apprenticeship for participants as well as the social costs and benefits of Registered Apprenticeship across a variety of state settings. It also examines the barriers that women face in Registered Apprenticeship and the best practices for promoting their success. In addition, the report explores whether federal and state administered RA programs have patterns of differences in the programs themselves and their outcomes.

The study focused on 10 states selected to vary in program features and labor market characteristics, including program size, region, the degree of union representation in the state, administrative type (federal or state), and the degree to which RA is concentrated in a few occupations. The states are Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.




Key Research Findings
• RA participants had substantially higher earnings than did nonparticipants. Over their career of 36 years, participants who completed the RA program had average earnings of nearly a quarter million dollars ($240,037, increasing to $301,533 with employer benefits added). After accounting for costs, the net benefits for RA completers are $233,828. Even when non-completers are added to the analysis, the estimated average earning gains for all participants is still an impressive $98,718 ($123,906 with employer benefits) over their careers. Taking into account various costs such as taxes, apprentices pay on earnings gains, the estimated net benefits for RA participants are $96,911.
• The social benefits of the RA program appear to be much larger than the social costs. Over the career of an apprentice, the estimated social benefits of RA exceed the social costs by more than $49,000.
• The report finds that female apprentices expressed positive views of RA but recommends some changes to promote women’s success. The data demonstrates that women participate in RA at lower rates than men and are concentrated in social service occupations (mainly child care and health care). In the 2010 cohort, women made up only 9 percent of new apprentices. Women are much less likely than men to enroll in the traditional skilled trades and, when they do, they are less likely than men to complete RA. The women interviewed see their participation in RA as a pathway to career advancement and higher pay. Those interviewed suggested strategies to enhance the success of women in RA: undertaking targeted outreach campaigns, building women’s basic skills, helping women develop accurate expectations about particular occupations, adequate child care, assisting employers to enforce policies to combat harassment at male-dominated worksites, and peer groups for support and encouragement.
• RA programs are largely similar in states federally administered by the OA states and SAA states. Modest differences were found between OA and SAA states in terms of the demographics, occupational distribution, completion rates, and earnings gains of apprentices. The most notable difference was that SAA states are more easily able to create partnerships with the workforce system and educational institutions because they are part of the same state government.

I tell every military person actively serving to stick it out. Here's why: I'm retired Air Force, didn't have a bad time for the most part. Sometimes it could suck; family separation, foreign shitholes, etc. But the experience I gained is mountains above what civilians receive. The benefits; G.I Bill, medical, and retirement, usually exceed what most civilian jobs can offer. Every prior service individual I work with is far more grounded, more reliable, and has a greater work ethic. There's other options also. You could see what the other services have to offer.

You can always get out and get into a college that offers Army/AF ROTC. Experience the college life while serving, and earn your bars right after you graduate.

I would like to clarify that part of me staying in is that I'd like to move branches and go enlisted to officer. I simply don't have the knowledge on who to talk to about switching branches and who to talk to in regards to going from enlisted in one branch to officer on another through an enlisted-commissioned officer program