When should you retire?

Keep going until your heart isn't in it anymore.

As so many sage advisors have Said - if you're not moving up and are holding others back - it's time.

You will reach a day that you will know it's time to leave. It just happens. I always pondered that question as I progressed through the years and didn't know if that day would ever come, but it did and hit me like a ton of bricks.

I recently retired and have found a great job and have moved on. I'm glad that I did.

I say as long as your meeting the standards and not holding up slots, stay in as long as you can.

1SG (Join to see) Keep going as long as you, your family, your Soldiers, and your superiors find you relevant, forward thinking, and leading. The military is the most honorable of careers and you will know when it is time to retire. The key is to listen to your inner voice, conduct solid self evaluations, and ask yourself am I still making a difference?, if the answer is yes, then your promotions will come, because others will see your dedication, and with promotion comes additional years of service. In the end the decision to retire must be yours.

I think that for all of us we just have that gut feeling that its time to hang up your hat.
I loved my time in the Navy and in all honesty in 1999 when they announced that E-6 could stay until 22 years I reenlisted without a second thought. I was back on the ship and life was good for me.
9/11 happened and I was asked to extend for another year because the Navy was short handed and it was easy to get the waiver, again I loved what I was doing and I felt I had a purpose so I extended. Another year goes by and I was asked to extend again and I was hesitant because of the new leadership but I figured it would be good to stay and assist in the transition. A few months into the extension I realized it was time to go because there was no respect being shown to the E-6's in the division and being the Leading Petty Officer I was constantly being questioned on why I was giving counseling chits to underperforming sailors and that my leadership style was too old school for the new crop of sailors in the division. I knew then that if I were to stay any longer it would just be spinning my wheels and having to justify every single action or decision.
So I think you will know in your gut the best time for you to hang up your hat.

For me, I have a five year break in service, currently 41 years of age and am privelaged to have made it to SFC. I'm getting out. You have to look at where you wanna be when you are at full retirement age and how much money there is out there in the civilian World to make a comfortable old age chapter in your life as comfortable as possible.

When you feel like retiring anytime after serving 20 years.

The sad part of this is recruiting goals aren’t being met and if they are who will have the experience to lead them. Once upon a time the primary concern was performance. I would have loved to stayed in for 30, but an injury cut that short.

There has been a lot of good advice, thanks!

I knew that 20 years was going to be enough for me. I never intended to make a career out of the military. I was going to do 4-8 years, then out and back to school with a GI Bill since I felt I had some growing up to do prior to going to college. But then I met my wife and that all changed. With no education beyond high school, I decided to say in until I could retire.

But this is as personal a decision as enlisting. My recommendation is to make a list of pros and cons of retiring or not retiring and include your family since this will affect all of you.