Before you decide to retire, get all your affairs for the after-life if you desire an airline job. Don't decide to retire and then start writing your resume afterwards. Life will come very fast and youll feel like you don't have enough time to get it all done and still do your current job and all the additional duties. Attend the ECIC seminar, get your CFI equivalency completed, talk to friends about what each airline wants on a resume, discuss the psyc tests, cognitive tests, learn jepps symbology, decide where YOU want to live, what will commuting do to your family life (living in base is great, but chasing your base is as it changes is a nightmare), etc. And most difficult of all for most military guys is, get your log book up to date in civilian terms. Go to the HARM office (AF term) and make sure your hours are correct. Then begin determining the conversion factors for each airline and have a spreadsheet for each one which can be easily updated. Don't punch and then go "time to get started" with the applications. If you do you're already way behind. If you want the golden B-B where you're on terminal leave and in class at the same time then getting started 6 moms prior to separation is too late. With 75 days of leave you'll actually be able to be on terminal almost 100 days prior to your retirement date - or in other terms, less than 3 months from your aproval date if its 6 months. Or if you arent hired you may elect to fly until you have to sell 60 days. Remember, recency of experience now becomes a big factor. Lots of folks out there are applying from regionals, ACMI carriers, and other walks of life. You'll be competing with folks who have had 2, 3, 4+ airline jobs and are already in the cue or have submitted their apps. Don't be naive and think your special. Get started early. Of the folks I know who have applied only one has not been hired yet. But all those who did get hired had to put in lots of effort to be prepped and ready for the airline phone call. Best of luck to all.