Originally Posted by 2dotslow
My .02, Duke. I'm a retired USAF
and legacy (cough) airline pilot. As you can easily discern on this forum, the airline industry is in turmoil right now. Hell, I was furloughed after over 11 years, but chose to retire (again at age 54) instead. You're what, 32 maybe 33 years old now? If you opt to
suck it up and retire as a LtCol/Col, you'll have (assuming a normal life expectancy) a fairly nice (like $1.5 mil)
401K
that you start drawing one month after you get out...a comfortable stipend to tide you over during the tough times. And, who knows, maybe by that time there will be some stability on the outside. You'll still be very competitive, and with the large numbers of retirements pending at the airlines over that period, a hiring phase like the one I experienced in the late 80s may happen. This is all conjecture, of course, and you have to do whatever you feel is best. But, there has to be more incentive to stay in than just a
bonus (ha, in my day it was the leather jacket...) so weigh your options carefully. Listen to what others, even those above you
have to say. I was a fighter squadron commander, I talked to lots of guys who were putting in their DOS. Some, I tried like crazy to get 'em to stay in...and some did. Others, I hopped-up, shook their hand, wished them well at airline-X, and went to the club with the rest of my boys to celebrate our luck in the fact that
those types were leaving. Which of those guys are you? Just food for thought.
2dots,
Sir, great advice and things to think about. I have definitely crunched the numbers on the retirement $$$ and concur. It is a good chunk of change just to be chunking it away. But here's my concern: what good does it do me if I stay in, retire, and die at 42 of a heart attack because I'm working 60-70 hour work weeks for 20 years. I don't know when you retired....but I'm not exaggerating. The work is still there and we just keep getting smaller and smaller (reference the 40K additional personnel the AF is shaving over the next few years during "force shaping"). I've heard stories about the days (1980's??) of the guys going to play golf if they weren't scheduled to fly. Those days are gone forever.....have been for a long time now.
Bonus is not a big deal but here's what bothers me......knowing that Joe Bagodonuts who sluffs off everything, makes everybody else pull his weight, and then puts an extra 25K a year in his pocket for the next ten years while his peers that are 1-2 years his junior get squat. The military needs to put more emphasis on merit and job performance and less on time in grade and a pulse. What's my motivation to stay?.....might as well role the bones, give the civilian world a shot, and if it doesn't work out, I come back into the military (NLT 5 yrs later) to finish out my 20 and retire as a LtCol. I know plenty of dudes that did just that (because of Sept 11th furloughs). Nothing's a guarantee of course and they could always say no thanks....but I've got a good record and I'm keeping it that way. I'm not closing any doors.....
As far as talking to my Sq/CC. I don't think he could influence my decision because he has no control of what I want. I know your raising your eyebrows... so let me explain. I am a school select for ACSC. So, I know where I'm going next. My problem is there is no guarantee in where I go after that. They could send me back to another FS and I don't want that anymore. 10 years in the CAF is enough (reference the deployments to too many sandy locations and being shot at). If I could just get that (school, staff, RTU, then retire).....sign me up and stick the bonus up their butt. I know too many dudes that were non-vol'd right from school back to the FS and that would kill me.... probably literally. My boss could control where I go from here....but after that, it's AF needs (It's really always AF needs...but we all know that).
Believe me....nobody bleeds Blue more than I. I love my AF. Service before self, Integrity, Exellence in all we do. But we all have limits......and the service before self in the military is being strained more than it has in a long time. [veterens....no disrespect intended....I know there has been MUCH tougher times in our history]
I know I'm a keeper and I know my boss would fight to get me to stay. That's what I'm afraid of. My heart and loyalty to my AF would get in the way, then I would end up staying.....only to die a couple years after retirement and leave my two girls without a father on HS graduation day.
VR
Duke