Originally Posted by BravoZulu

Greetings all. I am a long time reader and appreciate all the great feedback and advice given on here. Here is my situation -- I would love to hear your thoughts of wisdom.

I am enlisted active duty and retirement eligible. I am not in an aviation field, however I have worked off-duty as a CFI on evenings and weekends for many years. I have 2500 TT and all the associated minimums for a full ATP. I am looking toward interviewing with regional airlines in the near future in pursuit of my second career. I am 47 with a masters degree. If possible, I would love to be able to conclude my airline career as a NYC-based narrow body FO at one of the big 3, but here is my dilemma:

I absolutely love my job in the military. It is rewarding, fulfilling, and nourishes my soul, and quite frankly I don't want to leave. However under High Year Tenure, I am forced out in three years. Possibility for advancement to the next rank is slim, so this time frame is the reasonable expectation I have to work with. Additionally, my field has limited application outside of the military. I am struggling mightily with this choice, even after having had numerous conversations with my wife and friends. I can:

1. Retire summer 2019 at age 47 to get in on this hiring wave now and maximize my airline career, but sacrifice three years of what I love doing.

2. Retire in summer 2022 at age 50, get all I can out of the job I love, get a modestly better pension, but potentially eliminate my possibility of getting to a major airline.

If my chances of making it to a legacy are very low even if I begin next summer at age 47, then I would just stay the three more years in the military, followed by a 15-year career at a regional. But what do you think? Are my prospects for a major strong enough to warrant retiring now?

Thank you all in advance for your input, I will consider all of it carefully.