ETS/EAS
For me, I was physically beat, angry, disappointed and ambitious.
I've seen people at the end of their military careers. Some had glorious exciting careers but a lot were wash outs that just did their time to collect their pension. I don't fault them for it, it's a good deal. I originally planned to be a lifer but in the end I wanted something more than mediocre.
My dad, AD Enlisted, retired after 28 years of service. My 10 years active was concurrent to his retirement years. Mom had health problems and was taken care of so I knew how the retirement benefits weighed into everything. Dad has not worked a day since retiring in 99. That's what he wanted to do, and he is very happy.
I had many reasons pro/con, on the fence, changing my mind as often as every day. 10 years is that tipping point, midway to retirement. My long answer shortened: poor leadership and career stagnation. Not all career fields are equal, nor do they fare well outside of uniform
One way of looking at it thay everyone understands, money. At 10 years my reenlistment bonus was maxed at $90k for another 5 year commitment. After taxes, $60k, averaged an extra $12k per year. Even if I could pull a tax free deployed reenlistment it would average out to $18k per year. I had faith I could do better year to year.
I've now been out for those 5 years and am years ahead of myself had I stayed in. My career has progressed down paths I would not have been awarded in service. I had to fight to get selected for opportunities but I have more impact on where my career goes. I've held positions reserved for officers. Some of my unobtainable goals have been reached and I've been young enough to enjoy them. Not living paycheck to paycheck, I'm happier and more satisfied with my life.
I've run into a few Veterans that were the same AFSC/MOS/Rate as I was now doing the same thing I am doing. Some did 6 years, some 10-12, some 20+. We are all peers now, and the salary gap between us isn't very wide. That's where the retiree wins out, that suplimental income. They can survive easier on a lower paying job with that extra check coming in every month.
"Don't make hasty decissions based on emotions."
The biggest reason, though, is future employment. Something I've run into again and again, is that unspoken, or tactfully reworded "You're too old". While you serve, you are not building seniority on the civilian side, and companies that pride themselves on hitting veterans? They don't mean you, Mr or Ms 40-ish retiree. They're talking about the first tour officer with a degree, maybe 25 years old, or enlisted with very specific jobs. If I had a nickel for every time I heard " we're just not sure if your skills are still relevant " or worse, during recruiter feedback, finding that an interviewer who asked absolutely nothing about how you would do things, insisted you were "too rigid and set in your ways".
So unless you are on the advancement fast track, and love what you do (also) don't walk, RUN to the first school with a degree in what you do, and apply. Odds are your increased pay and seniority will MORE than make up for any petty retirement you could have gotten, (assuming they don't kick you out early with some PTS /ERB type program) and honestly, even that's in jeopardy, as more and more benefits are either going away, or do not require military service.
For my case, knowing what I know now, I'd have gotten out, possibly remained a reservist or something, and started working on something that would actually support a family without relying on all sorts of special pay...
Some personnel reach that point though where they are done, or they "think" they are done. Warrants a discussion with the SM. I would def encourage them to stay. 10 years is a blip.
At a minimal, encourage them to join the USAR or NG. Show them the retirement point calculator. I make a decent earning on the civilian side with a pension and 401K. BUT, that extra retirement income from the USAR is going to be nice. Not to mention the health insurance piece.
If the SM is a subordinate, have them list out the pros and cons..reasons to ETS etc... Give them your honest opinion. Best of luck!
SSG A.,
When I was a retention NCO, the one thing that I always professed to all my potential re-enlistees was that I understand that the Army is not for everyone and support a Soldier either way, but I would go on and ask them if they had a plan. Most would always say that either they were going back to school or had a job lined up back at home. I would usually get the yes for the job or I don't know which school or what I want to do, so I then would go into detail about having a solid plan for their and their families future, if they were planning on school they needed to have a degree choice in mind and a school already set up as well, and if it was a job did the job they have lined up equal the benefits they were giving up. Did their projected pay provide enough for health insurance that they currently didn't pay for, and did they know the price of private or work related health insurance, and the dental that they had was going to be another extra expense.. I would cover the free schooling that the military offered for their specialized field, the correspondence course that were free that could be converted to college credits, the DANTES course, etc., etc. There were many benefits that they didn't think about along the way that was now put in front of them, especially ones with families that was what helped many decide on their own that staying in when they were past the halfway point a better option if they didn't have a plan in place.
I also used to tell many of my E6/7s that they also had to think about the fact that if they got out then they were basically saying they had just wasted the last 10, 12, 13 or more years because they weren't getting anything from the Army for it, so it was basically a waste other than the experience and knowledge gained. That was a big factor for many of my NCOs that I re-enlisted.
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