Originally Posted by
gr8vu
I am 1 yr out and can put in my paperwork this month for retirement next summer. My earliest availability date is around 1 May 2014 (terminal leave). I started my airline prep/apps in March.
Looking for inputs on doing retirement paperwork now versus waiting until 4-6 months out.
One factor -- if I get tagged with a 365 TDY (I have a 1993 short tour return date so I should be high on the list) I will be able to turn it down (3-day opt) but will have to retire NLT 7 months from TDY notification which ultimately could allow me to retire/be available earlier than May.
Appreciate any inputs!
If you haven't already, have a talk with your commander (or equivalent...the one who will receive the e-message once you request the retirement date). I say this because I've heard stories of folks being delayed when commanders felt "blind sided" by the news. If the boss knows the email from the AFPC robot is coming, he or she will usually just click the concur button immediately. YMMV.