Originally Posted by
SJF15E
Here's what I'm concerned about:
1) Amount of time spent at the unit per month (in addition to airline trips). The unit I have been talking to wants 6-8 days/month, is this normal?
2) Having to spend 3+ months transitioning into a new aircraft.
3) 8 more years of USAF bull***t in the form of UTA's and mini-deployments...just to get a retirment at age 60
4) Conversely... giving up the retirement and the Tricare if I decide not to finish the 8 years.
How do guys tackle this? I would like to go for the retirement but I don't want to DECREASE my quality of life. That's the reason I'm getting out in the first place. All ideas/spears/advice/insight welcome.
1. That seems typical for fighter units or maybe even a little on the low side.
2. If you have to go to RTU, you have to go
3. In the Reserve or Guard, you trade in your active duty bull for Reserve bull. You'll still deal with bull, but it will be different bull than you're used to.
4. don't know what to say about that.
If you don't live driving distance from your Guard/Reserve unit, it will make your life a pain. Some units will require you to live there.
A plus is the security you get from a Guard/Reserve unit. If you get laid off, most units are pretty good about letting dudes trough or transition to a full time job...If you are a participator.
If you're joining the ANG/Res to get away from deploying, my advice is don't join. We only want people who still want to serve and participate. We already have the best deal going in the military; 45 day AEF's every 18 mos or so. If you can't handle that and a couple two week deployments in the interim, then you need to do something else. If that sounds like a good deal to you, then you should love it.