You are WAY behind the power curve. There are many issues here that you need to learn fast. I'm not trying to beat you up. I'm telling it like it is so that you and others don't make the same mistakes.

1. After separation, you will enter the individual ready reserves (IRR). (I think that is the name) You have no requirements while in the IRR except that the USAF will send you forms to update your contact information should they need to call you back. Additionally, they may send a medical form for your doctor to sign acknowledging that you still healthy.

BUT THIS NEXT POINT IS VERY IMPORTANT, you will still meet promotion boards while you are in the IRR. This means, if you leave as a Captain, you WILL BE passed over for your Majors board in the IRR. Why are people in the IRR meeting promotion boards? I don't know, just keep reading.

After you are passed over twice, you will be unable to join any ANG or Reserve unit again. Period. Nada. Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200. I know three dudes who were totally screwed by this. The USAF never told them when they separated on the last VSP.

If you have any inclination that you will be going to the Reserves or Guard, you need to WORK THOSE CONTACTS RIGHT NOW! You can't afford to meet a board and get passed over. You need OPRs on file from the ANG or Reserve to remain competitive. Either way, in the IRR or Reserves/ANG, if you don't make Major, you can not stay in. They will force separate you. In fact, the units will not even hire you if they know that you've already met your boards and weren't promotable.

NOW ... all this airline stuff.

Yes you can get a job without contacts, but you are stacking the deck against yourself by doing so. You need to network network network! You've completed a couple of tours in the Air Force. You must know someone who is at the airlines. Get on Facebook, start phoning friends, send emails. Even if you have to go through a friend of a friend of a friend to find a long lost contact, do it. The worst that they'll say is no. At a minimum, get letters of recommendation from a squadron commander, DO, or chief stan eval person -- someone who can attest firsthand to your flying ability. You may want to have these letters addressed to each specific airline. But generic letters work fine too. If you can, make sure they have a real signature on them -- no photo copies. Also make sure they include contact information should they want to contact your peeps.

If you are up for separation near term, you have a lot of things you need to do fast.

FAA Certificates: ATP, Commercial, Instruments with Multi-Engine privileges. FE Written or FEX Basic Turbojet Test (for the cargo companies)

FAA Medical: First Class ... hopefully no waivers of restrictions.

Applications: Have you even started them? Are they current and on file? Update them after every sortie you fly if possible. Do you know your driving history? If not, get online and submit for a copy. DO NOT LIE ... DO NOT ASSUME that they're never find out about that speeding ticket in Boise back in 1980. They will. And if you lie, you'll be fired. No questions asked.

Fitness/Health: Get your cholesterol in check.

Interview Prep: Tell me about yourself/Tell me about a time/Why do you want to work here/Why our airline type of questions. Have you studied the gouge? The aviation tests they give you are hard. In the interview, they don't want to hear 11-202Vol3 crap. They want to see if you know FAR stuff. They don't have time to or the money to teach you all that stuff .. you're expected to show up knowing it. Do you know the sim profiles? What aircraft they will use?

Interview Suit: conservative here, nothing flashy or trendy.

Recency of flying. Many airlines can not hire you if you don't have flying time within the previous 6 months. So if you separate and you don't have a flying gig, you run the risk of going non-current. See above (RES/ANG)

Flying Time. I don't know what you flew in the USAF. But if you flew a heavy, expect not to use Other time. Some airlines will not let you use it towards your total time or PIC calculation. Bring the SARMs product. DO NOT bring your own log unless it is civilian time. BE CONSERVATIVE. You need at least 1000 PIC hours and 1500 TT for most airlines. To be competitive, you will need more. Instructor is always PIC, evaluator time may not be. Check the airline's website or phone a friend. Do not assume anything.

Resume & Cover Letter: Do you have the correct format? DON'T use a confusing military resume that has gobs and gobs of information on the resume. The resume should be clean, elegant, and state the main points but not the details (that is what the interview is for). Stay away from military jargon if possible. APC has a sample resume available online to use an example. Use it. Do you have cover letters? Are they addressed to the correct people with the correct addresses? Are you using the proper company name on the resume/letter? For example, it isn't Delta Airlines. It is Delta Air Lines (you'll learn why if you get here).

Meet & Greets: Are there any companies hosting airline meet and greets? Kit Darby (google him) usually hosts these type of things. Go to them if you can. Also, Women in Aviation (WIA) and Organization of Black Airline Pilots (OBAP) hosts these as well. Go to them. No, you don't have to be a girl or a person of color, but you have to be a member. You'll figure it out.

You must start working your contacts. Internal recommendations are huge. It is sad, but the reality is this industry is about who you now, now what you know or your flying time. The airlines like military pilots, but they don't like arrogant military pilots who think they're deserving of an airline job because of "their training", their service to the country, etc.etc. They want humble, safe, and competent pilots. Good luck. Call your buddies.