rickair7777

Almost impossible. But if you're already on orders and a senior AC flag will endorse your extension, CNRFC won't say no to that. I've seen people pull it off.

LuckyNo70

Agreed Rickair,

If you are in the club with a Flag, anything is possible, proven by some of the most inept aviators that miracles can happen if you know the right folks, maybe even get promoted to 0-6+.

Most are not and most end up begging for orders to get close to 20 and then of course you have to beg from the civil service leadership to approve you to do these orders and they just love a brother or sister that is stomping on an active duty retirement while they are getting furloughed or no raises in the civil service system with one continuing resolution after another. It aint easy or fair, but hey, step up to the plate and swing the bat.

For the average guy with average connections, an active duty retirement is next to impossible without a return to active duty gig or landing in the big pot of gold at an AOC/HQ/Pentagon or actually working in a unit with a high utilization rate, hmmmm, wonder what those are?

It aint an easy road to travel AFSoar, especially at 17.5 in, but some have and made it, they probably had a four wheel drive vehicle though to handle some of the off road parts and a support team rescue them every now and then. What you driving my friend and how long you want to stay behind the wheel? Better have a spare parts store somewhere on speed dial as well.

While sleeping under the blanket of active duty, they are not going to rip that blanket away in the middle of the night, they may make you find a new bed for a year, but you still in the club getting closer and closer to lifetime benefits, heck in six months those benefits can not be taken from you by law. When you become a reservist, blankets are passed out based on preference and friendships, you may be good for a while, what happens when the new Wing CC or OG shows up with a different agenda and your bro passing out blankets has no more to pass out? Well, you get left in the cold waiting for the spare parts store to open up to reconfigure your ride. That can take a while...

rcb32

But there are points only opportunities that will get you a couple of years.

I did my last two with online FEMA courses and duty here and there at the local Guard unit. My years were a mix of Army Guard, AD AF, Reserve AF before points only.

So no pay for two years but I get my check when I'm 60.

Of course, you could resign your commission and go enlisted since it's high 3 anyway, but few do that. I've only heard stories.

If you find a cool unit they will let you come and go at will since they're not paying you so whatever you do even if it's making coffee and cleaning up pubs, it's free to them.

Further, you can use it to escape reserve some at your airline since it's still duty.

Han Solo

Knowing the USAF, in 5 minutes the pilot shortage will be over (or not) and they'll be paying pilots to retire early. No way no how would I jump at 17.5, especially if I could stay in the cockpit.

2old2fly

I retired with 20 active duty. I flew airlines for 19 years and had to retire at 60. My mil retirement is my main source of income. Tricare means I don't have to pay for a Medicare supliment. 2500 hours isn't that much if you are looking at a major. A few hundred more hours won't hurt and it looks like they will still be hiring in 3 years. If they aren't you would probably be furloughed anyway. I vote stick it out.

Lilbit2lt

I separated at 17.5 in Dec 17. Have started with SWA, will finish on EAD orders (full time, 3yrs) working in AFJORTC. Will have 3yr seniority with SWA and will receive my military retirement.
It is possible, just have to do a little digging and find what fits.

Waitrose

The new deal is they require you to sign a waiver stating you won’t claim sanctuary. So, you can get orders, which is nice. And, the unit doesn’t have to fear sanctuary claims.

kbay hombre

Wow, I'm gone from this forum for just a little bit and I totally miss this post/thread. AFSoar, I was in your exact situation just a few years ago. I had had some crappy staff tours and was dreading the next one in the Hampton Roads area (HR is the seventh circle of hell), resented that I was virtually forced to go to grad school (which was recommended for O4 and practically required for O5 at the time) instead of flying, and was also dreading another deployment and time away from my wife/kids. By about 15 years in, everyone including me was also sick of biannual PCS moves.

The only reason I didn't jump ship was because at the time the majors weren't hiring like they are now, so I took my chances. What others have said is spot on. If you haven't been passed over twice and aren't getting forced out, STAY IN if you can. Dude, life really is greener on the other side. Being a civilian again is amazing and now is definitely a great time to try to get hired by a legacy. With that said, you're 6 months away from going on autopilot. I was lucky and made it to 18 years just barely. As someone else mentioned, if you make it to 18, you just need a pulse and to pass weigh/tape-ins to make it to 20. They literally can't throw you out short of some sort of UCMJ issue. Doesn't matter if you get passed over twice, doesn't matter if you get mediocre FITREP's/OER's or whatever the AF calls them. If you're already at 17.5, you only have 6 months to go to literally be invincible. Suck it up for 6 more months and then you're guaranteed to make it to 20.

In 2.5 years the majors may or may not be hiring like they are now. If you do 20 years active and retire as at least an O5, you're going to start making $4k+ per month immediately plus tricare. Unless you've got quintuplets and a dependa who doesn't work at all, you can live on your retirement checks until you get a job somewhere, even if the hiring situation isn't what it is now. Conversely, if you get out now with the plan that you'll get hired by a major and then go on EAD/AGR to finish out, and then the funding situation changes or something else happens and that falls through, you're going to be kicking yourself. Let's say that happens and then you have health issues and lose your civilian airline job. Then you're out with no pot to **** in and no retirement. EAD and reserve funding is never something you should rely on. Stay active, suck it up for 6 more months, then enjoy the last two years of not having to worry about promotion boards, FITREP's, etc and cruise to 20.

viking1995

I would recommend getting your retirement, however you can. The small amount of time it would take to get this retirement, to me, far outweighs the seniority you would build. Cost of living raises and a pension for life is something to seriously think about.

Put it this way, I seldom hear former retired military personnel tell me they regretted staying in to get their retirement. However, I have often talk to other former military who regretted not staying in to get their 20.

C130driver

I know many guys who stay and “stay in the cockpit” only to work some random IG job or a 365 making PowerPoints and never actually flying except once a month whilst missing out on thousands of seniority numbers and an exponentional jump in pay based on worked performed.