What job did you choose after the miliatry?

Along with another thread I started...

I am trying to decide if I want to stay in the Army much longer, and I was curious what some of you chose to do job wise after the military. I would also be interested in some related info(if you are comfortable posting it here): rank you got out/retired as, MOS/branch, etc.

Just trying to see what my options are.

 

Nearly ten years as a MP K9 handler....now im a smelly greasemonkey

 

GI BILL

 

Yep, GI Bill here as well. What you studying for man?

I have 16 months left of benefits. and about 3-4 more years to go.



If I get accepted into graduate school that is. haha

 

GI Bill and own a landscaping business, the post 9-11 is great it takes the VA a little while to get everything going but once they do its great

 

I was fortunate to work in my field once I got out. I actually was on terminal leave and already working. I was able to use the GI bill to supplement my income and complete an apprenticeship resulting in a Gunsmith Certication...If I had stayed in the Corps I would be retiring this fall. The economy was Good in 1998, I think if I had to make the decision today to reenlist or get out It would be a different story.

 

All bullshit aside - had I known then what I know now - I would have stayed in. Had a good MOS (Army/MP/ETS'd as E4) - at least I was happy with it...and in 20 I would have gotten out when I was 38 and had plenty of time for a second career. Know several guys that spent 20 as MP's and are now civilian cops.

But what I did do (back in '77 when I got out) was use my GI Bill to go to college and then into law enforcement. Now, at age 55 I have one retirement and still working 3/4 time...if you think you are able - stay in - keep a sure thing!! The medical and assurance of a pension is worth so much more even now -- with the shitty economy -- best of luck and thank you for serving!!

IMHO!!! YMMV!!!

 

How many years you got in now? What's your MOS?

From what I hear from folks coming off active duty and then coming into the reserves (which is where I reside), is that they wish they would have stayed in.

Part of the problem is the job market, the other part of the problem is civilians themselves; namely management in the "civilian sector".

My civilian job is almost in line with my MOS, so that worked out for me.

 

Stay in if you can, there's nothing in the civilian world to offer you.

 

i was just going to post a topic about this same thing. i am about to get out i have right around 13 months left and am trying to figure out what i am going to do next year. i will be getting out at 9 as a sgt avionics tech/maint. controller. i am thinking about a couple options stay in aviation or do a journeymen program for outside lineman or oil rig work or??? anyway when you do your seperation class you will get all kinds of info on your options and how to word your mos description to a resume.

 

What's your MOS OP? If it translates to civi life you have options

I was a grunt NCO, guess how much anyone gives a hoot. . .

Pick a plush job and ride it out. Retire at 40 and open a small business/hobby.

Civilians are tarded (not that Marines weren't also) but if you do decide it's not for you to stay in take serious advantage of the GI Bill. I wouldn't be on my own two feet without it and neither would my little brothers. Just try not to punch any college kids in the face your first semester

 

88M four years. School to become a "professional automotive technician" aka a trained grease monkey. Post 9-11 got handled quickly, but medical is taking forever.

 

You might get better advice if we know what it is you're doing now and if you want to do something similar. If you can get it, a Federal job is a good option. Your time in service can be counted toward your federal retirement and the amount of vacation time you accrue (Federal employees get 4 hours of vacation every two weeks for 0-3 years of service, 6 hours every two weeks for 3-15 years and 8 hours every two weeks for >15 years). If you're a vet with a campaign ribbon, you can get veterans preference.

Federal retirement is 1% of the average of the highest three years of your income for every year served. So if you worked 30 years and the average of your highest three years was $100K you'd get an extra 4 years(assuming 4 year hitch).
$30K/year without military time, $34K/year with.

 

What about a full time reservist? There was a nice base in Klammath Falls that I thought about trying out for when I got out. You're already at the half-way point. My advice would be to keep going for another 10 and get the retirement. Life-time medical and base privileges.

 

Ha, im on 3 of 4 now. I'm more than pressed to get out and finish my engineering degree.

The military is a scary place to be right now and its not getting better. Atleast in the civilian world, if the US economy takes a massive shit, I have absolutely nothing tieing me here to the states.

 

Haha your entire point was valid and made perfect sense, this wordage combo just gave me a chuckle.

 

I was tempted in the 90's to get out, but I stayed in and did 20. I am glad I did. I was an engineer (in a ships engineering plant not building bridges and finding mine fields) so it was pretty easy to get a job on the outside.

Just a side note when the economy took a dump my company reduced everbodys pay, alot of people got laid off. If it was not for my Navy pension I would have been screwed. Stay in and retire, as was posted before there is nothing great out here. Just my two cents.

good luck!

 

For the couple that asked about what I do...theres the hitch: 11B, drill sgt, SSG(p) with about 12-1/2 in. As far as the "you'd be wasting your time if you got out now..." arguement...I'm split on that. I'm very seriously thinking about the 15 year retirement plan in a couple years here. I fully realize that I have far less marketability versus a more technical job...its just getting to the point that this is not the same Army I joined way back then, and I'm trying to decide if its worth it to stay in any longer.

A huge point here is the fact that I HATE my time on the trail, and I am sure my mood/view on the Army will improve greatly after I finish up drill time(in Dec of this year).

Also, the reason I am bringing this up is I have come up on my "indef" re-enlistment...I have till the end of Sep to decide if I want to re-up. So I am looking at other choices before I sign away the last few years.

 

Dude....12.5 years in is well over half way over. It's not the same Army when you had joined and it's not the same "outside of the Army" as it was when you had joined.

Talk to a career counselor and see what other MOS options there are that's more technical that are in need.

 

IMO, you're too close to get out. At least go to 15. It's just a little more than 2 years.