Stay 20 years in the military vs. Going back to civilian life?

My last day is THIS Friday. Start PTDY on Sunday then terminal leave on 1 Sep. Retiring after 23 years of service. Excited but very nervous too.

With the cutbacks it's going to be hard to stay 20 years. This is because they have lowered theservice limitations. That is going to reduce the total force fast no matter how good you are at your job or how fast you get promoted. Getting promoted fast is probably your best Ave to stay in 20 years otherwise you'll belet go by service limitations. The total reduction in overall forces sucks for everyone! My final thoughts, if you can stay in stay in otherwise make sure you have 100% idea of a job that you are sure will cover your expenses as a civilian. Invest as much money as you can as well as save now while you're young because it will add up quick overtime! A good rule of thumbis to save at a minimum 10 percent of your pay in something other than government bonds. Find something that is high interest bearing like a CD or hire a broker to invest in stocks. Get as much of your education out of the way before you leave the military especially Any certificate that will support your professional job that you wish to obtain!

PO3 Jeon,

It really depends on what interests you, your personality, what capabilities you have, and your level of persistence and commitment.

I would be happy to discuss offline.

Warmest Regards, Sandy

I spent five years active duty as a machinist in the Navy, I got out because, as I believed then, the grass was greener on the other side. After several years as a civilian machinist in a good company, I began to rethink my decision. I had been layed-off several times for one reason or another. I had been told my position was permanently eliminated, and at that point, decided to further my education as a nurse. After completing school and getting my bachelors degree in nursing, I began to heavily reconsider re-entering the Navy as a nurse. It took me 2 years, a lot of time and energy, only to be told after turning in my package that I was too old for active duty in the Navy. By this time, I could have retired with 20 years. I ended up settling for the Navy Reserves as a Nurse, because at the time, this seemed like the best option. I'm now completing my package for active duty as an Air Force nurse, there is no comparison The retirement, granted you can stay in that long, is worth it. Civilian employment isn't always the greatest, there are so many issues you deal with that are as prevalent in the military sector. And then there are the benefits... or lack of. Health insurance, education, housing allowance, ect. I guess my biggest thing is, I'm not interested in working into my 70's like my parents and so many others have had to do. Take a good, long look at your options before you get out. That grass may look pretty green, but may dry up real quick.

I am retiring, but its been 25 years, STAY IN. Only a few can say they ever retired from the Armed Forces.
Duty, Honor, Country!

There are plenty of arguments for staying 20/30 and plenty for getting out. You already seem to be taking a proactive method to making this decision. Ultimately it is your decision to make.

I have a few suggestions to consider while you mull over the advice.

1. While you are in, do your best to knock out some college, working toward a degree. CLEP exams are good for supplementing college and can advance you to a degree quicker.

2. Whatever qualifications you get as an LS, try to get them converted into civilian certifications. Some of the certifications you can obtain as an LS are forklift and heavy equipment operator, and hazardous material specialist. Ask your LPO and LCPO about other certifications you can get.

3. Unless you are forced to get out or you have a job/college lined up at the end of your enlistment, keep reenlisting as a viable option.

4. Make sure you keep a paper copy of everything that is supposed to go in your service record and medical record.

The Navy will be one of the easiest jobs you will ever encounter. You rarely have to worry about housing, transportation, medical, and food while serving.

Whatever you decide, look to any of the veteran organizations (VFW, American Legion, or sites like this) whenever you need assistance. Good luck.

The civilian world offers more opportunities. I was in the same quagmire as you eight years ago. The ease of the enlisted life is wonderful where an “S” shop takes care of the complexity of life. I loved being a grunt but with the situation in Iraq still new to the United States private companies offered better options. Four years after my discharge I wanted to go back in and use my degree as a way into the Officer Corps but the government was experiencing budget issues making this option illogical

My point is there are no definite answers. We experience the paradox of getting out of the service to go back in when the civilians get all the gravy. I feel that after my two contracts with the military I did enough time to take advantage of the freedoms that others did not earn.

Go to school and unless you want to be a doctor or attorney do not go past a Master’s degree. Get a job that places you above the status quo and live a good life. Do not waste opportunities or gifts.

Everyone should plan to get out, we all are going to do it unless you plan dieing on active duty which is a terrible plan in my opinion. Ask yourself what do you want to do when you get out. Do you want or can you even stay in your current profession when you get out? (not much call for Infantry in the civilian market, or maybe you suffered some injury that prevents you from standing for long periods of time). What certifications or additional training would you need (these can actually help you get promoted faster in some situations YMMV)? If you want to stay in your current field do you want to be doing that when your 50? When your 65? Will you be more or less marketable when your 40ish and making the change verses 25ish. Do you want to become fully retired when you get out. It is possible to do that at 20 years of service with aggressive saving. Regardless of when you decide to get out, you need to decide now what it is you want when you get out, identify gaps and then fill those gaps.

After that the question becomes do you enjoy the military lifestyle. There are some suck parts but there are some advantages. Right now you have a good working knowledge of the system. You know what is expected of you more or less and you have an idea of what it will take to get promoted as well as how long you can stay in for each rank if you keep your nose clean. For as chaotic as our lives can be in the military there is some predictability to them. You might not know where you will be stationed next year but you know that you will be paid and a good idea of how much as well. This level of predictability can be worth more than just a higher pay scale but the chance to walk in on Friday and not have a job on Monday.

I've thought about getting out each time I was due to reenlist. I did the research and realized that I'd need a 6figure salary to maintain my comfortable standard of living. And then I considered the job market, even took a job interview or two. Each time I came to the conclusion that the military was the best thing for me.
Do your homework, take a job interview and then make your decision...the only person that knows what is best for you is you.

PO3 Jeon, I think you should stay in and ride the green wienie, wait that's Army...you should stay in the Navy for as long as your can. I was in your boots many moons ago. I have 16 years time in service now so I am not getting off the green wienie for at least 4 to 5. I also made some accomplishments through the years so the Army would want to retain me over my peers. If I got out now, I would have to find a job, find health insurance and Obama Care of a young person is super expensive. Take advantage of the opportunities you have before you like health care, college, and experiences of a life time. You can take a 3 or 4 classes a year which seems like it would take forever to complete you degree but over the course of time it shows you are progressing. I wish your luck!