Extremely hard decision to make... help?

Like the title says, I have to make the hardest decision of my life (so far) in the near future.

BLUF: 357 days left on enlistment, almost 10 years in, stay or leave?

I've been in the Air Force nearly 10 years now and have just under a year left on this enlistment. I've been offered several very tempting jobs (GS-12 positions) and I am seriously considering taking one.
The delimma is... 10 more years and I can retire and I usually enjoy my job.
The downside is... 10 more years sounds absolutely miserable and there are aspects of the Air Force I can't stand. I want more control over my life and more stability. I want to be able to wake up, go to work, do my job and go home.... no more deployments, no more threats of deployments or PCSing to places I really don't want to be, no more PT tests or redundant stupid training.
My wife wants me to stay in, but she doesn't have to deal with any of this stuff. I did apply for a fantastic assignment (Southern Italy), but so did everyone else. If I get it, I'll do at least 4 more years... and that would make leaving much harder. But odds aren't in my favor.
Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts, I know about losing the benefits and the guard/reserves... still undecided on that, but unique perspectives outside of the same old arguments.
Also... if there is anyone who is hiring GEOINT analysts with extensive training and extremely broad experiences (and an active clearance)... I'll have 10 years experience before I get out.

Thanks

 

I'm at 15.5 years right now, fully planned on doing my 20 and retiring, however, I'm undergoing a full MEB which will probably result in me being med retired by 17. I've always thought it was pretty dumb to invest 10 years, get half way and quit before you get your reward... however the last two-three years has really changed my mind on this, the AF isn't the same, and while no branch has avoided change over the last 15 years, I feel like the AF has really gone down hill in the area that mattered to me, taking care of people. I've spent 11 years of my 15 in a career-field I hated, was forcibly retrained in basic to, and couldn't get (permanently) out of. Yet I was always able to keep my focus because I could always relate it back to taking care of people, be it patients (I'm medical), troops, co-workers, or my flight. Over the last year though, I've been absolutely astounded by the lack of care from people in my unit. without going too in-depth, I was hospitalized in Jan for my 2nd stroke since 2011. I was the flight chief of a 11man shop that was operating with 3 people (one of which was a fresh out of tech training Amn) I was put on half days from the beginning of Feb to the end of April. My SSgt (the only other person trained) covered me in the afternoons, but she was struggling, yet all that was asked, was for more performance. I came back to full days in May, as she went on con-leave. immediately I could tell I couldn't handle it, my body was telling me so. I went from being able to do 5 pushups (lost my entire left side in the stroke) to not being able to do one. I talked to my Chief, my Superintendent, my Supervisor (a Maj), My Squadron CC, my Shirt... all with 0 action. it wasn't until we got a new CC in, and a new Squadron Sup(who was also my career field) that they made a change for the better, addressed the critically low manning in my flight, and actually moved me to a flight where I'd have more time to deal with my health issues.

now I know I'm in a unique circumstance, but 5 so called leaders refused to do anything, IMO that's hard to chalk up to just a "this" base problem. after all the 3 SNCO's have only been here for 2 years at the most, and while it's a little more extreme, it's common to what I've seen over the last 6 years. To me... it's indicative of our focus of training being shifted from actual quality training, to saving time, and doing the least amount possible to "check the box".

That being said... you should really weigh your options... all of it, look at the benefits you get now, not just medical, but leave, tax-free at the bx(I hate AFES) etc. While I could give two shits about the CCAF, it is a degree, make sure you've got as much schooling done as you can. Above all, have a plan Z... if all else fails, all the jobs dry up (happens to A LOT of vets that get out) what can you do? if that's going back to school on the post 9/11, great! just really think about it, and give your wife's opinion a lot of weight, after all, this isn't all about you anymore (as I'm sure you know) maybe sucking it up for 10 more years, so that you guys can have that pension/health insurance for the rest of your life is worth the sacrifice... maybe not.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

 

Had a former Army O in a lucrative civilian job tell me his biggest regret career wise was leaving the Army before he retired. The benefits that come from being in the 20 year check of the month club are substantial. I enjoyed Italy(Vicenza) when I was there in the late 90s. Not sure if I would enjoy the southern part as it was crowded back then and is likely worse now.

That said, you only have 10 years in and if Air Force intel deployments and Air Force life is wearing on you, you might as well get out. Not poking at you but other than the redundant stupid training you list, your USAF life looks pretty chill.

Assuming you joined at 18ish, you can get out with enough time to enjoy the rest of your life. There are plenty of civilian jobs related to your field, and probably more so if you have a piece of paper from a 4 year school. A warning that many of them revolve around military, government, or contracting for those areas.

Why does your wife want you to stay in?

If you're ready to PCS, where else can you be assigned now?

 

Take the GS12 job and don't look back.

 

yep

 

@justguth help this man out!

 

Anytime I consider getting out I think about all the stupid bullshit I do on a regular basis. Then I think about how I put up with stupid bullshit before I joined from the civilian/public side of things. THEN I think about how I take about THIRTY days of paid leave a year to do whatever I want(realistically) and how I will never achieve that outside of the service.

On a totally diferent note, I find it a huge advantage that for the most part, the volunteer force thinks about a lot of things in a similar light. If I had to work next to and with some the idiots (Social Justice Warriors/Snowflakes) I see on TV and Social media I would probably lose my shit and be fired anyway.

I say stay in, yeah it sucks at times but I dont think you'll ever regret it and not to mention your wife wants you to stay in...

 

6 years in the army and got out. A friend stayed in retired with 20 years and now has been working a GS job for the last 2-3 years. He has his military retirement and will have a retirement from his government job by the time he is 60. If you can hold on, stay in and then go get the GS job.

 

Also i will add, my buddy got off active duty at about 10 years like you, and finished his time as a full time recruiter for the National Guard. No more deployments, and got to come home to finish his last 10 years or so recruiting. Much different than active duty but maybe a possibility.

 

Recruiting duty sucks!

 

Absolutely. Just said it was a possibility, didn't say it was fun.

 

Agreed. I did it just to get close to home. After 6 months I was ready to leave. Haha.

 

Consider joining the reserves if you decide to leave active duty. After ten more years in the reserve you would be eligible for retirement pay (around 30-35% roughly) and benefits without the daily mess of the military.

 

10 years is still a long ass time, and if you're going to be miserable then it's definitely not worth it. Kinda bugs me when people say "Oh you're halfway there!" as if 10 years is a drop in the hat.

 

I appreciate the input everyone. I know my job is nowhere near the worst in the military (I'm not on a -40 flightline) and I do typically enjoy what I do, I just wonder what I could accomplish in a position that suits my skills better than random Air Force positions.
Also...
I was notified yesterday that I have been selected for an assignment... Osan AB, South Korea. It's only a 1 year assignment and hopefully I'll get one of my top choices for my follow on assignment. I'll probably hit HYT and get pushed out at 15 years anyway since I put forth very little effort to get promoted, SSgt for life! Looks like I'll be around a while longer unless I'm offered an absolutely miserable assignment after Korea... I'm looking at you Cannon, Beale, and Grand Forks...
Still not excited about (at least) 5.5 more years.
Final decision still pending.

 

Stay in 10 more. I had a buddy who had 14 years in the navy and got out. Mainly because of his kids. He kicked his self in the ass everyday he came to the jobsite, for not staying an extra 6 years.

You can get a nice double pension if you do it right, my neighbor had 25 In the navy, and 15 as a USPS mailman. He was making a pretty penny from his pensions +SS.

 

The long term plan is to retire though real estate, military pension would be supplemental, I'm also slowly working on my company to help a little.

 

How about the best of both worlds? Get out, get your GS job and go into the reserves/guard. That's what my wife and I both did. We wanted more control over our family life but wanted to stay in. Our military time counts for our GS time in service and we will still get our military retirement through the reserves/guard at 60.

I am army, my wife is air force. Because of our military time, we started out in a higher leave group as a GS employee, and our military time counts toward our civilian retirement. We both do as much active duty time as we want, as our GS jobs give us ample military leave, but we don't have all the active duty BS to deal with. We have both been happy with our decision.

 

Beale was my first assignment, and I loved it. Though that was back in 02 and had a lot to do with the people who were there.

 

Beale just wouldn't take my career where I want it to go, I'm trying to get to certain positions and they just aren't available there. People do make a big difference with any assignment.