Interview timing
 

I am looking at potentially exiting the military around November 2017 (end of my current flying orders). I have a board in March 2017 that would keep me in the military if the results are good. Obviously my goal is to start training as I begin terminal leave, but that leaves eight months between board results and exiting, so I would like to put my applications in sooner rather then later.
My question is how does it look to stop the process halfway through, i.e. I start interviewing with an airline but the March results are good and I elect to stay in the military. Would that have repercussions down the line when I do in fact get out of the military and pursue the airlines? When would be a good time to start submitting applications without shooting myself in the foot?
My stats:
2600 TT
2300 PIC
NATOPs instructor
Masters

With the amount of hiring projected in the next 10 years, the only downside to stopping your application/interview process halfway through would be the incredible seniority (lifetime earnings/quality of life) hit you would take by postponing your airline career.

AA, DL, SWA, UA, FedEx, UPS will be desperate for military pilots going forward, so little things that would normally scuttle prospects of being hired at a major today (like turning down a job) will matter less/none in the future.

Only you know all of your circumstances, but are you familiar with USERRA and have you checked into the Air Guard and/or AF/Naval reserves?

Start applying now.

Good luck.

Talking to a hiring prep consultant- apply apply apply- you're more than competitive as a jet guy for all of the majors. You can turn down interviews and be okay. If you get the job offer and turn that down you've nuked a pretty big bridge.

Is this a trick or treat board? Select you stay, non select you're out? Will you be involuntarily separated or are you choosing to leave if the board turns you down? Need more details of your options or what you're looking to accomplish.

I have a similar question. In short, I am in a family situation where it is not possible for me to get out of the military without a stable job lined up. I'll be shelling out thousands a month for medical costs for a family member without Tricare, so going to a regional for a while isn't really acceptable. Pretty sure the wife would divorce me if I went that route. So, I guess I'm looking for advice for when to put my availability date with the airlines? I know everyone wants a perfect transition but in my case without it I'll be forced to stay in for the insurance...BUT my wife and I are done with this social experiment that we call the AF and want out now. I should have 60 days of leave saved up so with that said how far can I back up my availability to hopefully get an interview and get hired before I get out? I fear that it might not be smart to back it up too much and then potentially **** off an airline. I know and understand that very deserving dudes have waited years for a call, so I know I probably sound like a douche but I have to take care of the medical problems in my family. Stats:
~2,200 total time
~2,000 Turbine
~1,750 TPIC
~850 Instructor
Current pointy nose IP and hopefully SEFE soon
Additional IP time in trainers
Safety qual'd
BA GPA 3.73 but I took 6 years to get there because I entered ROTC late
MBA GPA 3.89
Consistent volunteer work for as far back as you want to look
Fluent in another language and working knowledge in 2x other languages

I appreciate any advice or spears!

Put the earliest date you can get out - plus any terminal leave. That date should be on your app. Expect airline traffic to start about 6 months from your availability date.

What's your flying background -- I'm assuming AETC tour in there somewhere. PM specifics if you want advice.

Snap,

Res or Guard an option? I've heard great things about tricare reserve select, that may take a bit of stress off while trying to find the 'right' major.

I will be voluntarily separating at 16 years in. I plan on staying on with the reserves, most likely in a non flying job since I will be too senior.

Are you fed up with Active Duty? At 16 years in it would be disappointing to not get an AD retirement. I can tell you that it is very nice to have Tricare benefits, not to mention that nice check coming in every month to augment my airline pay. Great peace-of-mind, too.

There are of course some considerations, such as--is it even possible to stay flying (and therefore current) up until the 20 year point, and is there a good reserve option now that could at least get you to 20 reserve years while establishing a seniority number somewhere given strong hiring over the next 4 years.

It's a tough call...but don't underestimate the AD retirement!

Not to divert attention away from the OP but I didn't want to start a whole new thread about the same subject. My commitment is up in Nov '17 and my DEROS is May '17. I'll be able to 7-day opt and would then likely extend my DEROS to Nov and get out. I'll be applying for Palace Chase but IAW the AFI I can't apply until 6 months prior to my DEROS which is this Nov. What I hope will happen is that my PC application will be approved and I'll be able to get out 6 months early at my DEROS next May. What should I put as my availability? March (DEROS minus 60 days of terminal) or September (commitment minus 60 days of terminal)?

20 would be the goal, but under my terms. If it does not go the way I want, This is potentially my last flying gig. So I would rather get a four year head start. I have looked at money, and it is pretty much a wash. I will use the reserves as a backup plan and certainly to get me to a retirement paycheck at 60.

T6,

PM sent.

Otherwise, yes I am looking at guard or reserve options, but I'm not willing to count on that until I get a unit to say they will hire me. Everyone I talk to says that they have somewhere between 20-40 people applying for each open TR slot. Those are the good options, most units are telling me that they are overmanned on TR slots but they might have ART/AGR options. Looks like everyone has the same idea that I do.

With 16 years AD, you'll be close to a 20-year retirement paycheck when you turn 60. If you wait, you'll lose four years worth of seniority which is invaluable.

With your 16 years AD, you may have to go longer in the NG/Reserve in order to qualify for retirement. I retired from the ARNG and my entire time was NG. I seem to remember some obscure ARNG regulation requiring eight years minimum if one was prior-service like you. It may have been ARNG specific...I'm not certain.

With 16 years in, an AD retirement is easily in reach through the Guard/Res with an AGR stint or two. It would be more disappointing to realize you gave up 4-5 years of seniority at a career airline in lieu of an active duty retirement when you could have had both.

TriCare Reserve Select is the best health insurance value money can buy, anecdotally speaking.

It's not that simple though. It's unlikely they'll give you an AGR that they know from the get go will put you into sanctuary as a pinned on AD O-5. Any younger than that, and you won't have enough time to make it to 20 Active before you tap out on USERRA, unless you start pulling piecemeal contingency deployments that are USERRA exempt, or change "career" airlines after 5 years, which defeats the entire scheme.

But to your point, I too would much prefer slugging AD credit point collecting on a piecemeal basis in the ARC any day of the week and twice on Sunday, than endure the Active Duty madness. That place jumped the shark a while ago. :D

Snap,

Another thing to think about is that if you get involuntary separated you continue to receive tricare for 6 months.

Denzel

Actually, it is. I know several guys doing this, all ranging from 13-16 years when they got out of AD, all O-4s (except for the passed over O-3s, who are now O-4s). Mostly in the Tanker and UPT world, but some fighter.

It's not just AGR you have to consider, but also AT, ST, and MPA. There's always too much flying/not enough bodies, nobody who wants to go on the 2-week trip, more students than IPs, and that Pentagon/MAJCOM tour (you can pretty much demand any staff job come with an API code these days) no one wants. You have to be willing to possibly change airframes or move to DC or your nearest UPT base, but it is the Guard/Res, it is way better than AD, and you can easily get an AD retirement and a seniority number by "quitting" (the AF is jealous of us quitters!) at 16 years.

Again TRS is money.

Maybe not the most popular side of the argument, but also consider.....
Full AD 20 retirement pay starts immediately and is COLA protected. It's a nice augmentation to first year pay (and subsequent years) and is invaluable in the event of unforeseen circumstances such as furloughs (ask me how I know...twice), temporary FAA medical groundings and strikes . Tricare is immediate and is far better than airline medical plans. That has saved me and my family another approximately $400+ a month in premiums. It may not make up for 4 years seniority (especially with current hiring), but it is still something to consider. The status quo is one 9/11 type event, war, pandemic, oil supply change or stock market correction away from reversal. Not trying to persuade one way or the other, just keeping it real.