Old 03-13-2006, 03:43 PM
  #4  
Andy
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: guppy CA
Posts: 5,160
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thedude113, you say that you like flying fighters. How do you feel about straight and level, 30 degrees of bank, 1.1 Gs, ILS full stop? If that's not your cup of tea, don't get out. If you can handle it (it DOES beat working for a living), then consider getting out.
Who do you REALLY want to fly for?
Southwest/JetBlue, UPS/FedEx, American/United? Each company is different; a lot like the Air Force vs Navy vs Marines. First figure out what company you'd like to work for.

Let me suggest a career path that would allow you certain flexibilities. How about picking out your favorite airlines (two to three) and targeting them along with a few Guard/Reserve units.
I would also suggest that you consider getting back on active duty sometime after being hired by an airline and finishing out your military career. USERRA allows you to take 5 years of military leave of absence with no penalty. At United, you can take 6 years of military leave of absence and come back with the same seniority as when you left. The big thing is, hiring has continued during that time, so you are much more senior than if you waited until retirement to get an airline job.
Pulling this off is a bit of threading the needle, but it would allow you to accrue seniority at an airline and still get your military retirement.
Andy is offline