Re-enlistment

[fighter4cage]

Stay in !
I did 22 years and I wish I never got out ......

[pitbull30]

Look into CLEP and DANTES exams. I wish someone would have told me about them when I was in.

Extend your service until its convenient for you. I'm not talking re-enlist for years. Extend in short increments for opportunities or to line up getting out.

I've been trying to do this my whole enlistment. I keep getting denied TA by my command because I'm too valuable to the workcenter to dedicate my time elsewhere. I've heard that with just about everything my whole career. Leads into why I never got a deployment.

"Who wants to go to (Fill in the blank)?"

Me: "I do! I'm fully qualified and want to go!"

SNCO/NCO: "Can't send you. You're my most qualified Marine. LCpl Schmuckatelli, you're going instead"

I quit counting at 5.

[Gutz]

Well, I'm at that point in my career and I'm honestly torn on which direction to go. If I stay in, I realistically push my school and then my career further on down the road but I continue working in a job that I enjoy. OTOH, I get out, go to school, get a career (possibly making more money), and I don't have to work in an institution that values how fast you can run over your work ethic.

I'm all for physical fitness, but in a technical field (Air wing) I feel that your work ethic and competency should have a higher priority than physical fitness.

Anyone else face this dilemma? Did you get out and regret it? Hoping to get some insight from those who have hit their 4 or 5 year mark and made that choice.

Btw, I'm in a fast filling MOS and I've been in for just shy of 4 years. I'm also FY 15 so I have some time before an EAS but not much time before I need to choose.

I was in the wing to, 3rd MAW to be exact. I did 5 years, one year was all school.

I got out, found a job that paid me twice as much, I am going to school full time and getting BAH. Life is good. No need to worry about some stupid regs and basic freedoms anymore.

I love my time in the Corps, but getting out was totally worth it, although I do miss hanging out with my buddies in Afghan and Iraq. That is all I miss.

[Treb5]

I have wished many times that I would have stayed in. Joined 10 days after my 17th birthday. Got my discharge a few days before my 22nd birthday. Would have had my retirement at 37......then on to a second career.

HM2
64-69

[pitbull30]

I have wished many times that I would have stayed in. Joined 10 days after my 17th birthday. Got my discharge a few days before my 22nd birthday. Would have had my retirement at 37......then on to a second career.

HM2
64-69

True for many of us I think. The problem IMO is that staying in long term takes a big toll on family. I don't think I have to explain what I'm talking about in this sub forum.

[Anthracis]

Stay in. You won't be little fish forever. Stay motivated and prove you're NO QUITTER!

[MRX9989]

You may want to consider transitioning to the Army National Guard or Army Reserve. It's easier than you may think.

[SimonBirch]

Stay in. If it's not one thing it's another in the civilian world. The grass is not greener on the other side

[Snoopy47]

Stay in. If it's not one thing it's another in the civilian world. The grass is not greener on the other side

It's actually the exact same thing. Nonsense in uniform or nonsense without.

The bar however can be so much lower in the military for the same level of income.

[justjeff]

Did 10yrs in USN wish I would have stayed.
My wife is set to retire in <3 and I envy her.

On a side note Post 9/11 helps a lot and any disability goes along way!

I'm now finishing up my BA in CJ

Have you thought about Officer programs? O1E pay is pretty nice

Good luck!

[NiteQwill]

Get out. Go to school.

Or join the Reserves.

Missing out on an excellent education (worth more than any years of service), kids & a well paying civilian job is not worth it IMHO.

YMMV (if you have a kickass job, then stay in the military).

[baffomet]

I'm with NiteQwill in that you should get out. My only caveat is that you have to have a plan. If you don't have a concrete plan and the motivation/dedication to make it happen then stay in.

I spent 6 years in the Navy, 4 1/2 years on a ship and I was very determine when I left to never go back. I went to school full time (16+ units a quarter) and worked full time to get my degree. I was very motivated to get into the top firms when I got out and I did. From there, my career has gone nothing but up and I'm in a profession that it is easy to get a job.

I'm now making a heck of lot more money, enjoy what I do, have a very stable home life in which I don't miss critical life events like I did in the Navy, and have the freedom to do what I like and please. I also had and continue to have faith in my skills and abilities to not rely on a pension to keep me in a place I'm not satisfied with.

tl:dr
Get out
Have a plan
Be motivated
Have faith in yourself
Enjoy life

[pterrell]

I'm kind of surprised to hear you bring up fitness as a reason to get out.

Fitness itself isn't the reason to get out. It's the fact that the emphasis on passing a pft over your proficiency in a technical job makes it so that the ones who don't care about their job but spend all day making themselves look better for promotion, doesn't help to accomplish the mission of the squadron. Maybe I'm just whining but that's my impression.

I'm with NiteQwill in that you should get out. My only caveat is that you have to have a plan. If you don't have a concrete plan and the motivation/dedication to make it happen then stay in.

I spent 6 years in the Navy, 4 1/2 years on a ship and I was very determine when I left to never go back. I went to school full time (16+ units a quarter) and worked full time to get my degree. I was very motivated to get into the top firms when I got out and I did. From there, my career has gone nothing but up and I'm in a profession that it is easy to get a job.

I'm now making a heck of lot more money, enjoy what I do, have a very stable home life in which I don't miss critical life events like I did in the Navy, and have the freedom to do what I like and please. I also had and continue to have faith in my skills and abilities to not rely on a pension to keep me in a place I'm not satisfied with.

tl:dr
Get out
Have a plan
Be motivated
Have faith in yourself
Enjoy life

I definitely have a plan if my package gets denied/I turn down orders. I'll be going to school up in Washington. The one thing I'm not sure of, and I guess this comes from having not gone to college, is how you find out who those top firms are. I'm looking at mechanical engineering for example. Boeing, in Washington anyway, is an obvious choice for jobs. How do I figure out what other great corporations need mechanical engineers?

[NiteQwill]

Fitness itself isn't the reason to get out. It's the fact that the emphasis on passing a pft over your proficiency in a technical job makes it so that the ones who don't care about their job but spend all day making themselves look better for promotion, doesn't help to accomplish the mission of the squadron. Maybe I'm just whining but that's my impression.



I definitely have a plan if my package gets denied/I turn down orders. I'll be going to school up in Washington. The one thing I'm not sure of, and I guess this comes from having not gone to college, is how you find out who those top firms are. I'm looking at mechanical engineering for example. Boeing, in Washington anyway, is an obvious choice for jobs. How do I figure out what other great corporations need mechanical engineers?

Just like any other field: networking. Join an association or club. Or attend a job fair. Send emails. Etc. That's how it's always been done.

Trust me, it will all come to you when you start school and start taking your upper division classes.

[LB9]

What is on offer for you to re-enlist? I know it's not all about that if you enjoy what you are doing but it is something you need to consider.

I was also in Air Wing in a technical field and decided to get out after 5 years. I had signed up planning on doing 20 yrs but quickly realized I was in a slow promoting field and could make A LOT more money in my field (computer tech) in the civilian world. When they offered me no re-enlistment bonus that sealed the deal.

Do you work with civilian contractors? I had a few buddies who lined up jobs with the civilian contractors they had been working with when time came to re-up. They were pretty much doing the exact same job but making bank.