I'm thinking about going back in the service!?!?

Ya bro, Im just sketching out. I just need to chill it!

 

Only you know what is best for you. I think about it all the time, not to sound corny, but I miss the camaraderie, pretty sure you do as well.

You got out for a reason, sort it out and if thats not enough you know what to
do. Thanks for you service and best of luck with your decision.

Jace

 

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IMO .. I would do 20 and suck up as much military & private schooling and misc. education as possible.

Any job where you can do 20 years and get 50% of your pay (as early as 37) with all the other bennies is good IMO.

Doing 20 years gives you 2 1/2% (per year) of your pay for the rest of your life.

Not many civilian jobs will do that ... especially now ... with all the cuts in retirements & bennies in general.

PS ... I know several people who did a "triple dip combo" ... military, civilian or civilian gov't and SSA (plus your private retirement) and are getting over $10,000.00 per month in retirements ... with tons of other bennies (almost free medical for life) too.

I eat breakfast 2 or 3 days a week with a guy who is taking home the equivalent of almost $15,000.00 per month in taxable income and he was a mustanger who topped out as an O-4. He gets military, DVA 100 % disability + DVA A&A (with no off-sets), civilian gov't retirement and some SSA (plus his private IRAs & investments).

These windows are still open, but I expect them to start closing in the near future to those who are not grandfathered.

Military retirement + full DVA 100% disability (under CRSC and other rules, NO more DVA offsets) + full civilian or civilian gov't retirements + SSA + private IRAs & private retirement saving. This is too good to be true and too expensive and IMO, will not last long without big changes limiting these things and many of their tax deductions.

IMO .. to sum it up ... do the 20 ... or IMO you will regret it later ... (and remember this post when you are 65 y/o too) ...
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yup, golf co. 2/23 is located in los alamitos, ca. maybe you dont see them often because they are a reserve unit.

 

That'll do it. I remember reading about the most common degree Special Agents have. It was something really unassuming like accounting. I'm presuming because accountants have (Or should) impeccable ability to account for all the little things and keep it all in check and organized. I'll try to find it again.

What degree are you currently going for?

Edit:

Yup, totally was accounting. I knew it.

 

Are you referring to the U.S. Army Special Forces, aka Green Berets? If we're talking special forces then I definitely know how you feel; the reason I joined the U.S. Army (aside from service to my country) was to go SF. This made branch selection easy too; the Green Berets are Army, so my one track mind took me here. If so, then you should definitely go back in; you may regret never doing that for the rest of your life.

Good luck on your decision. Don't let anything haunt you for years to come.

Just my $0.02.

 

HAHA I should save this post forever. The retirement incentive to me is not very appealing. I would only get like 2k a month from my retirement check. Well, unless I went to the dark side but thats hard to digest.

It really depends on what "3 letter" agency your perusing after. For instance, the FBI really isn't to picky, they just want 1 of the 5 most popular degrees, besides business. Experience is key for employment, hence my desire to go back in. Im pursuing international security and conflict resolution with a minor in Arabic.

I really don't care if I go back to Marine Special Forces or Army. Army has a reserve SF unit not to far from me. MarSOC is about to open the doors for reservists as well. So, its whatever offers the best program for me.
Have you been through selection yet? Why didn't you go in under the 18X contract?

 

Im in the same boat as you about a month out and im loving it. Im going to go to school in the fall and what they pay us to go to school full time is almost as much as base pay!

So the choice for me was go to school and make $ or stay in....

 

Ya, the pay is very helpful... If it will ever kick in!!!!

 

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Print this out, seal it in plastic and open it as a "time capsule" when you are 65 (retirement might be 70 by then) ...


PS ... Good luck in whatever you decide ...

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Hey Killer,
Just one additional response for you. Always go with your heart otherwise you will never be satisfied or feel that you made the right decision. I have been retired for 5 years and even then it was one of the toughest decisions that I ever had to make although I had definitely served my time. But I knew deep inside it was time to go so I took the leap. I will tell you this, if the Corps has been good to you and you are good for the Corps, do not rule it out. There are difinetely worst places to be. I think that you got out for a reason so make certain that you explore that to the fullest. Every thing happens for a reason.
S/F

 

Thank you for the wisdom. Its very difficult b/c its not just want I want to do. I have my wife to account for as well. This is why the burden is very heavy on my heart. She wants me to fulfill the desires of my heart, but i know it breaks her heart when im deployed. Not to get too emo, but I think I just need to man up and make a decision. Life is insane, I love all of the freedom of choice I have. A feeling that is indescribable!!!

 

I'm not sure what Marine Special Forces unit you are referring to? As far as I know, the best the Marines train are scout snipers and force recon; which are not the same kind of force as the U.S. Army Green Berets.

The U.S. Army has two reserve units, the 19th and 20th Special Forces groups, headquartered in Utah and Alabama respectively. I have a cousin in the 19th SF Group; he really likes it as it provides him a way to keep serving while living a more normal civilian life.

I didn't do the 18X contract because I was going through college when I finally decided that I would regret not going into the service. I'm now in the U.S. Army ROTC program and will go through selection once I'm a promotable 1LT. The end result (hopefully) will be an 18A MOS.

 

go to school!

 

If it helps I was in Ranger Batt for 5 years and worked with SF plenty of times. The military is the military whether you have a better mission assignment and gear isn't relavent to the fact that the military is the military. I've been out for about a year now and miss the shit out of it, but I know that rejoining will not set me up for future success. It's just a matter of where you want to be in 10 years. Do you want to be an E-7 with 15 years in hating your life because you get stationed in Columbus Georgia or with a college education in the FBI. Your decision

 

Very keen points. The way I see it is, the more qualifications = better chance of employment. Anybody can go to college and apply for any of the 3 letter agencies. Not everybody can be a critically skilled operator with high threat experience. If I was the employer, I would tell the college cat to hit the road. I don't know though, I might be over thinking.

My brother was in 3rd Batt.