Cougs you are not alone.

I am well into my 40s and don’t think your questions were millennial-ish. Lots more people who transition from the military weigh the contractor vs airline life, including the stability, or not, of each one than are willing to admit it on here or in the cockpit. I’ve spoken with a number of folks who were in airframes that didn’t deploy that much who had a difficult time transitioning their family to a new life of Dad or Mom being gone almost half the time. A lot of it seems to depend on where they are in life with kids’ ages, etc. It’s not easy to be junior and be on the years your kids are actually around the house.

The last few posts are banging their chest about currrent airline positives, as human nature might state they would. But the fact is there are military folks who maybe weren’t gone that much and the transition can be difficult. It is not talked about much because we all love airplanes, but it should be talked about *way more* in comparing veteran’s “next careers”.

And it doesn’t help that the 737 is a total disappointment to fly. Now, watch, someone will tell me “you could’ve sat sideways for years!” But I don’t think this thread is really even about that. It’s about making this transition - for SOME - to being gone way more. It’s just that there aren’t too too many of us out there for whom this jobs means more time away. Not to even mention folks who forgot there is more to flying than this ATC-driven style.

Keep weighing that long term vs short term. And be glad you are moving to base.