Retirees - When did you know it was time to hang up the uniform?

It is my intention to hang it up when I no longer enjoy putting on the uniform.  This is up to each Soldier.  It will either be when I am not having fun, or when I can no longer do the job required of me.  I have the feeling that within the next couple years, I will throw my boots over a wire.  It is becoming time for me to spend time with my wife.

When I knew that I was not willing to keep up my physical standards and get taped, I passed the Tape Test, but I did not want to go through that. As the NCO in charge of tape testing in a couple of units, I determined after tapeing many NCO's E-7 and above that I would not be that guy. To me it was a sign to step aside and let the younger more motivated soldiers step up and fill my shoes. Did i and do I miss it, yep, but I still think it was the right decision. 

I have made the decision to retire my last day will 1 JAN 2016, my last kid will be out of high school and the oldest out of college. There are a couple of reasons, one me and the wife always said when the last kid graduated I would go, second I hit 24 years in 5 days and the Army life has taken its toll on my body, I hate not being able to keep up with the young kids. And, even though I love the Army and the best decision I ever made, it is just not fun anymore. I can go into alot of problems I see in the Army but that would be a whole different decscussion.

I'm gonna simply put it this way. When you simply don't have regrets about the Army. I resented joining when I was a private but that all went away after learning valuable morals from my leaders and mentors, and when new soldiers arrived and I first saw a wave of attrition, this discouraged me. When I got medically retired. I didn't accept it until I had to face the fact that I have to live with a mental disability. Right now, I feel as if I left my duty without feeling accomplished. So I am continuing finding ways to rejoin the Army, because I signed a contract and left it unfulfilled.

I had almost 10 years on active duty, then an 8 year break, and then 12 years in the Air National Guard.
Changing missions, down sizing, losing our C-130's in addition to the huge increase in all things "PC" let me know that I had had enough. I miss it everyday! I was able to get a deployment at least once a year for the last 12 years! I don't know how to handle NOT getting ready to leave again.
The economy is very weak, at best, and I totally understand how the guys that are looking for work feel! It took me almost a year to find a decent job, and like a few others here, I got on with the post office. But I also feel like it was time for me to move on. That which I know that I think is important and of value to the USAF, will have to be learned with out me. Oh well....

I knew when the 5 year mandatory PCS for reservists rule forced me to travel nearly 10000 miles a year to drill and pay for it myself. I did the math and found I was going to be earning about as much as an E2 after expenses. Pay-to-Participate is a poor policy, but are unlikely to change any time soon.

When I realized that, despite all the time and experience I've amassed, I'm still merely the the summation of what's on my chest. When it was no longer fun or strictly business and it became personal. When I realized I'm no longer serving my nation or constitution, I'm merely surviving these final three and a half years.

I called it quits when it was no longer as fun as it used to be. With changes in the Command and the restrictions, I know it was time to go.

I was medical retired from the Army. I could have fought the MED Board. As I was coming up in through the enlist ranks I was taught if you cannot lead from the front it time for you to go. I figured since I could not lead from the front in all aspects, it was time for me to go.