What was your breaking point?

Weather Man

Persistance Is A Bitch
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Just out of curiosity, what is an average retirement benefit (not including other benefits like disability, health) for a 20 year term of service?

Retired in 2000 as an E-7 = $1.621 a month now.

I knew 1 guy who got out with 19 years in so he wouldn't have to give half to his ex-wife. That was cutting your nose off to spite your your face, but it was not an amicable divorce.
 

1 Alibi 2

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Just out of curiosity, what is an average retirement benefit (not including other benefits like disability, health) for a 20 year term of service?
.
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Retirement is based on pay-grade, & you have enlisted, WO, & Officer.
..........As a point of interest:
In 2008, I took a forced buy-out, ( 2nd career ), I never thought about the cost of health care till then.
People who took the buy-out with me were paying $ 800 - 900 / month to cover themselves & their wives.......Me.........$ 15.00 / month through Tricare !!
.........( which has since gone to zero )
 

wildman97

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I retired from the Marine Corps in 2014, At the time they were offering the TERA program. As long as you were over 15 years of service, a E-6 or above within certain MOS fields you could apply for a early retirement at a 2.5% reduction per year prior to 20.

For me it was a easy choice after 15 years, multiple deployments and my youngest being on the autism spectrum it was my time to leave. I'm not sure if that program is still running but that may be an option.

I will say though, if the program did not exist I don't think I could've just get out with only 5 years until a full 20 year retirement.
 

DaleM

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I.was.medically retired at.just short of 32 years. I had an amazing job. If I were.king for a day I would have stayed at E-7 or E-8. E-9 takes you away from the action more than I would have liked.
 

nofire

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Retired in 2000 as an E-7 = $1.621 a month now.

I knew 1 guy who got out with 19 years in so he wouldn't have to give half to his ex-wife. That was cutting your nose off to spite your your face, but it was not an amicable divorce.

I used to work at Tinker AFB with a guy who got out, got divorced and his wife got half, so he bought back his time and applied it to his civil service retirement just to spite her. lol
 

Weather Man

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I used to work at Tinker AFB with a guy who got out, got divorced and his wife got half, so he bought back his time and applied it to his civil service retirement just to spite her. lol

That would be a legal nightmare, judges get vindictive on stuff like that.
 

Stanger00

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I got out after 7 years in 2010. I must of submitted a hundred or more online profile applications with resumes and not one phone call or email! I did get a job overseas and did that for 1 year and then I started school in 2012 when I got back home. I got a career job in 2014 and I thought I wouldn’t be able to go to school full time while working but I was wrong and gave it a try. I went to school off and on between 2014 and 2018 until I got my BA in December.

Honestly, you’re selling yourself short if you decide not to work full-time while pursuing your degree.

If you haven’t already, knock out those lower level courses at the base community college and ensure they will transfer to your new program. It’s free and will help prolong your GI Bill benefits. I 100% used my benefits and wish I had a few months left over to help cover some of my time in a graduate program or help pay for PMP course and certification exam.

I checked how much my degree cost and it ran the VA nearly $74k and the MHA paid out to me was prolly close to $100k over 36 months.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

saleensc281

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Highly recommend you stick it out for another 5 years. You will reap the benefits in the long term of things. I pay $48.00 a month for my families health care coverage. You would be hard pressed to find that low of a rate in the civilian sector. I retired from the Army in 2017 as a E-7/SFC. Ended up working in the agriculture field for about a year and half. I enjoyed it as it was something I always wanted to do growing up. While doing that a opportunity presented itself and I now work as a DA Civilian as an Assistant Inspector General. A gig I did for 4 years as a green suiter. The position is short term (12 months) since I am back filling a DAC who is currently deployed; however it may turn into a full time job and should find out here in a couple months. So keeping my fingers crossed. Hang tight man...fight the good fight. 5 years will go by quick, trust me.
 

raustin0017

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OP...Here is my short story. Active Duty USAF at 14 yrs I was still an E-5. Got pissed at myself and studied for the two Tests...got a line number to E-6. Next month I got in trouble and line number was 'Red-Lined' by my CC. Was guilty and got caught. Don't matter what happened it is what happened after I got in trouble.
Worked harder than ever and was allowed to test again for promotion. Tested and got E-6. Two years later tested to E-7. Two years later to E-8. Two years later earned E-9. Retired with 30-years Active Duty AF.

No matter what has happened in your career...you can make it to the top. Don't blame anyone but yourself for where you are. You are responsible. Period. If you quit at 15...going to be a huge mistake. In the next 6 years you could pick up two maybe 3 pay grades if you work harder than you ever have in the past. It ain't easy...but the formula is simple.

Want to speak in person to a USAF Command Chief Master Sgt (Ret)...PM me and give me your cell and I will call ya.
Later
Bob
 

rezarxt

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I'm impressed you made it 15. 7 years split between Guard/Active was enough for me. My body is pretty destroyed for not even being 30 yet. Numerous reasons pushed me out including:

1) Bad Leadership (this was 75% of it. I had terrible leadership except for one single leader). Fort Bliss wasn't a magnet for the Army's top leaders.
2) Terrible work life balance (even when in Garrison, I regularly worked until 7pm-8pm nightly)
3) Physical toll on body
4) Lack of mobility into the I.T. sector where my degree is. The army, in its infinite wisdom, made me Infantry instead of IT specialty.
5) Lack of upcoming deployments. Opportunities to go to Afghanistan/Iraq aren't what they used to be. Garrison life sucks

I sat down and said to myself "Where do you want to be at 50?" I wanted to be most of the way to retiring and have my health (or what was left of it). I knew I wanted to go back to school to get my Masters and I knew Post 9/11 would pay for it. I was a little nervous about getting out, but I can honestly tell you that I don't even regret it a little bit. I try to be an evangelist for those looking to make the jump into civilian world. Its difficult and you have to ask yourself do your goals align with the military? You only get one life, no point in wasting it.
 

Blkkbgt

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Mine was 12 years. I basically got railroaded by my command the second I got injured. I actually turned down a promotion to get out. Even though I actually had an important job and supported a very important mission almost daily it wasn't enough for me to stick around. Some tried to talk me out of it but the ones that really knew me didn't bother because they knew if I was walking I had a plan and was done.

You however are at 15 years and honestly I think you're even more crazy then myself if you were to walk at this point. I would trudge through the next 5 years and start working on your degree. I understand that your degree requires you to physically go to school but you should be able to start working on your general education requirements. This is pretty much what I started doing about 18 months before I left. I spent about 10 months unemployed going to school full time before I was given an opportunity at a great paying career.

Even though you have a degree in mind and a path keep your eyes peeled for the right opportunity. Sometimes the path you want is not always the best for you nor is it what will make you happy or the right amount of money.
 

sosslow

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I was an active duty E-7 in the Army, in for nearly 14 years when I hit my fork in the road. I got an acceptance to medical school while still active duty. I had to decide if I would apply for a military scholarship to pay for medical school and do a military residency, or get out and become a civilian.

I can't tell you how many times I looked at the pro's and con's of each side. Ultimately, I chose the military scholarship because I didn't want my family (wife and 2 small kids) to suffer while I went and chased my dreams over the next decade. I also have a huge desire to be downrange saving lives. I tried not to look at the monetary side of it, but I would be lying if I said it didn't play a factor (I hope to retire as an O-4 with 24 years).

The choice is yours to make. I had a buddy in a similar situation, and he got out and decided he could work at the VA if he wanted to put those years to good use. I had another co-worker get out at 17 years because he and his wife were tired of it, only to come back to active duty 2 years later because they both realized that was a dumb financial decision.
 

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