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We serviced a lot of "Innkeeper" Chinooks when I was at Kwang Ju!
Yes, I may have been there (Innkeeper 99 - 00 and 2005 - 2009).....
They had a GREAT burger at the on post club! One of the best....even compared to what I eat now...
I don't miss it because I am on the post daily. I use the gym, the Bowling Alley, PX Commissary, even get an Army Haircut to feel comfortable. I miss having Artillery Firing though
Stay put. You'll never find this type of retirement in the civilian sector! It is worth it and your wife will appreciate it 10 ears from now!
This is true - and I expect w/ the current budget deficit and debt crisis, the future military retirement compensation program will likely be changed (reduced), possibly making retired active duty members wait until they're 55 years of age or something similar rather than immediately the day after retiring from the military.
PS - don't expect your civilian cohorts/friends to be overly happy for you as they continue to have to work until their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond while you possibly could not have to work another day in your life after leaving the military.
Pardon me for horning in, this is an interesting thread. I just want to say "thank you for your service" to each of you--whether a few years or a whole career.
This is true - and I expect w/ the current budget deficit and debt crisis, the future military retirement compensation program will likely be changed (reduced), possibly making retired active duty members wait until they're 55 years of age or something similar rather than immediately the day after retiring from the military.
PS - don't expect your civilian cohorts/friends to be overly happy for you as they continue to have to work until their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond while you possibly could not have to work another day in your life after leaving the military.
Agreed on the upcoming changes...I think military retirement is about to become significantly less generous in the near future, so lock it in while you can.
As far as working, welll......I retired after 24 and while I suppose I could survive on my retirement alone, it would not be a very expansive lifestyle. The big advantage is to be able to start a second career at a relatively young age with a 'baseline' or 'foundation' in the bank.
My dad only did Marine Reserves/Air National Guard and he stayed in for something like 30 years and retired as an E8.
His civilian job is in Real-Estate.
We rely on his military retirement as it is the only source of income that is stable. Tricare is amazing. Tricare alone was worth him completing 20 years.
He had a heart attack at 59 and we had no insurance at the time. Massive bill that we just couldn't afford. Luckily though, when he turned 60, he was able to start seeing doctors again and getting medications. And my sister has all sorts of medical problems.
His being retired also made two trips to Disney World possible.
To me, there's just something to be said about job security and a stable paycheck... even if it isn't much, it's at least there, no matter what.
I'd say stick it out. Nine years will be gone in a flash.
I have friends who did their two or three years active duty way back when, I can see the wheels turning regarding pensions, Tricare, etc.
Too late now.
I considered exiting the USAR after Desert Storm because of disappointment and disgust in the way so many in our unit, sister units, and the higher commands acted during deployment. Mostly these were the upper ranks, E-7, E-8, O-4 through O-7. Like spoiled children, to put it politely.
I did stick it out, seven years, and finished my 20 (4+ active) and fired off my retirement paperwork the day after my 20 year letter arrived. My wife initially wanted me to stay and perhaps achieve CSM status. I was in an E-8 slot and would have had it in a year or so.
Enough was enough, we're both glad I retired when I did.
While some city and state pensions are looking good now (SF cops and firemen @ $100,000+), many cities and states have mismanaged their funds like the insane persons or criminal entities that they are.
Whether those pensions ever get paid or whether some of those entities eventually collapse is open to conjecture.
I see one city in NJ (I think) has quit paying firefighter pensions, but kept a slew of other gravy-train programs going.
Reneging on those contracts should be go-to-jail IMO, but in the Animal Farm world we're sliding into, nothing has happened so far.
Even taking a pay cut (i.e., no inflation adjustment) the last two years because of the fraudulent CPI index (food and fuel not included), which has amounted to a 6-10% cut, we're still ahead. I have a state pension coming in a few years.
Some of the more vocal and brown-nosing brass want to cut pensions and bennies, but when you're a three or four star general who's going to slide right into a juicy, obvious conflict-of-interest job on the civilian side to supplement your seven to 10 grand/month pension, things look different.
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