Originally Posted by
Indy
Question: For retiring mil guys. If a retirement date is not requested yet and a call to interview comes, do you think we should set a date prior to interview or wait until we get a job offer? Does not having a date hurt one in the interview?
Sure would be nice to wait until the bird was in hand, but I'm thinking I should commit prior. Four months between retirement and terminal leave is a long time.
Run through vMPF Retirements function, and you'll see that the first step is to "verify retirement eligibility." You'll also see a note that it can take some time to process that request (I think it's 4-6 weeks).
I also believe that your 120-day clock to the start of terminal leave/PTDY begins when you fire off the request to check retirement eligibility, not when you actually request retirement. Make sure this is still true (it was last year), but you can shoot that eligibility request right now and it will lock in a retirement date. Then, if you get the nod, you can adjust fire as necessary based on your expected class date. If you don't get hired, or the class date is further away, you can just not apply for retirement or request a new eligibility date further down the pike.
A couple months ago, the word was that the interviews would be for early 2014 classes. I don't know if the lower COMAIR or furlough returnees has changed that or not.
And of course, your mileage may vary, caveat emptor, and all that. I was only as smart on the retirement queep as I needed to be, and not a neuron smarter.