I have bounced between flying, school, and staff tours and worked my last assignment to get back in the jet but this also impacted my promotability as expected. The night I got the call in the AOR that I wasn't getting promoted, I hit send on my airline apps and finalized my plan to retire a year later. Take advantage of all the military has to offer as you wind down--log flying and sim time, volunteer for flying related courses, get any medical issues cleared up, etc.

The prep courses are great at helping you capture your positives and sell those main points during interview questioning.