Dispatch
While my experience may be a little dated, I would strongly recommend that you continue with your ATC background. Your ATC experience, college degree and proven managerial skills will take you a long way with the FAA. I got off active duty in the Marine Corps in the mid 70's after the Arab oil embargo turned the airlines upside down (sound familiar ?). I took a job as a controller at the LGA sector of the New York TRACON in order to get a facilities check pilot job as the FAA only hired from within at that time, and no one was interested in my consumate skills as a fighter/attack pilot. I left for a pilot job with Braniff before I could get the flying job with the FAA but a friend of mine did and he is now a B767 CA with AA. Furloughed from Braniff,flying corporate, I took a job with People Express which required a dispatch certificate because for four days a month pilots did the dispatching. (stupid idea that I'm glad Al Spain didn't bring to JBLU)The dispatch certificate is easy to obtain as the test is virtually identical to the ATP- a week or two of studying the questions while standing the duty should suffice. Sorry for the long-winded explanation but I wanted you to know what my advice was based on. In short the dispatch job- while important to the airlines safe operation, is a glorified clerk position and is paid as such. You will have a difficult time transitioning from the responsibility that you have in the Corps anyway and I feel that you would quickly be bored and disillusioned in a dispatch job. The FAA job however is very well payed, secure and offers many advancement opportunities. A person with your credentials is sure to do well and the time spent on active duty counts for retirement. While most of my bretheren left during the PATCO strike, I did liason for many years for my airline and found most controllers very satisfied with their career choice and if you want to continue flying there are opportuities there as well. Hope this helps -Semper Fi