After nearly 11 years in the Army, Active duty and Reserve, my reserve commitment is almost at the end. May 27th is my last day in the military, honorable discharge. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be feeling. I'm happy to be able to have the time and the opportunity to do other things, like work abroad, but I think I will be sad to leave. It's been such a huge part of my life. All I know is that I can't stay in, I have to commute for my regional job, and I have to commute for my reserve job and I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything. I tried to go Officer (had good exam results and reviews), UPT, back to active duty, even get deployed and everything was shot down. I couldn't even get deployed to be with my friends. Started feeling like I was useless

For those of you who stayed in longer than you were supposed to (more than one enlistment), what sort of emotions did you feel, and how did you prevent them from taking over your thoughts? What am I supposed to be feeling? I wanted to do my time and my job, and neither of which I feel like I've accomplished.

 

I'm leaving active duty at 13.5 years TIS. Although I am transitioning to AFRC/ANG, leaving AD was the toughest decision of my life. I start terminal leave in July (September separation) and I currently have no civilian job or AFRC/ANG job secured.

Look forward, forget the past. Life is in front of you. Dwelling on the past is a waste of time. Professionally, I had to become a washed-up IP before I realized the value of that wisdom. Personally, I had to become a father.

Also, have you looked into transitioning to the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard? Sound like you're an enlisted guy. A career as a KC-135 or KC-10 boom operator can comfortably coexist with an airline job. Tankers are everywhere! With only 9 years until earning a retirement, it's worth finding a manageable path to 20 years of service.

Good luck!

 

I can definitely relate to the sentiment here. I'll be leaving active duty after 14+ some change years and transitioning to a traditional ANG job while also pursuing other opportunites that I will not elaborate on. My terminal starts on the 5th of June and it couldn't start soon enough . My process of deciding to leave the active duty side after being in this long was a long and tough one, but it's the right call for my family and myself. Initially, I thought about punching out a few years back and decided at the time that I could make it until 20. Reality then kicked me sqaure in the head. As a CSAR guy, I had to come to the realization that after my instructor tour here at the schoolhouse is over (they consider 12 hour + days teaching initial qual students a "break" from being in a line unit) I would have at the very least 4-6 more years back in the field unit(s) on a less than 1 to 1 dwell between never ending deployments to look foward to until I retire. Being in a LD/HD type of job...there is really no way out they won't let us crossflow to another airframe and being a proud "sweaty", there are no staff tours for us unless you are a E-8/9. I've already put my family and myself through the grinder before and refuse to do so again. Contrary to the kool-aid drinkers, in all services, you gotta make the descion that is best for you and your family. If you have spent the past couple of years preparing to leave active duty and have a solid plan, you'll do fine. You gotta realize that the grass isn't greener on the other side, but it isn't all "Big Blue/Green" either. I didn't have any regrets when I signed the dotted line, and I don't have any regrets in my choice leave active duty to join the ANG. "Big Blue" operated just fine before I joined and will continue to do so when I leave. Just my two cents.