- Joined
- Jul 24, 2000
- Messages
- 3,525
- Reaction score
- 323
hey everyone. it's been a while. and by a while i mean like several months, lol.
i will have more to talk about, but it wasn't some intentional hiatus-- i've just been busy and haven't had the time to sit and put some thoughts down and i wanted to make sure i had a proper "cooling off" period before commenting on things.
many of you may know i left active duty last summer at 14 years. i'm now in an IMA position in the army reserves, and (great news) my specialty is on the critical wartime specialty list for the first time in a while, which means for each good year of reserves i will get one of my HPSP years to count as a good reserve year. which means for my 14 years of active duty if i serve 3 years in the reserves i get 3 HPSP years and boom, 20 year reserve retirement when i hit 60. so even if i don't get promoted, with the way "retired awaiting pay" works i'll basically max O-5. even better if i make O-6, but it's not a priority.
my civilian job is great. i make 6 figures more than my army job, doing the same work, with more control and a supportive administration. i could easily still be in the honeymoon phase but it's been interesting to see how institutionalized i was (and probably still am to a degree). just having people ask "what can we do for you?" then following through when you ask is refreshing. my suspicion and paranoia developed over 14+ years doesn't fade easily, but so far it's been nothing but positive.
my wife was AD for 12 years, and got out the year prior and is also IMA. her experience has been the same.
my reasons for leaving i can post elsewhere-- there were several, each with its own set of issues that would could be separate posts but nothing really that hasn't been discussed in the forum at some point before. it's death by a thousand cuts with the occasional shank in the back that wears you down, lol. regardless, the time was good for my family and me professionally, personally, and financially and we haven't regretted it. well, i do kind of miss 4 day weekends with federal holidays, though.
glad to be back and contributing, good to see some old familiar folks and a smattering of new ones. the circle of life and all that jazz.
-- your friendly neighborhood enjoying this side of the fence caveman
i will have more to talk about, but it wasn't some intentional hiatus-- i've just been busy and haven't had the time to sit and put some thoughts down and i wanted to make sure i had a proper "cooling off" period before commenting on things.
many of you may know i left active duty last summer at 14 years. i'm now in an IMA position in the army reserves, and (great news) my specialty is on the critical wartime specialty list for the first time in a while, which means for each good year of reserves i will get one of my HPSP years to count as a good reserve year. which means for my 14 years of active duty if i serve 3 years in the reserves i get 3 HPSP years and boom, 20 year reserve retirement when i hit 60. so even if i don't get promoted, with the way "retired awaiting pay" works i'll basically max O-5. even better if i make O-6, but it's not a priority.
my civilian job is great. i make 6 figures more than my army job, doing the same work, with more control and a supportive administration. i could easily still be in the honeymoon phase but it's been interesting to see how institutionalized i was (and probably still am to a degree). just having people ask "what can we do for you?" then following through when you ask is refreshing. my suspicion and paranoia developed over 14+ years doesn't fade easily, but so far it's been nothing but positive.
my wife was AD for 12 years, and got out the year prior and is also IMA. her experience has been the same.
my reasons for leaving i can post elsewhere-- there were several, each with its own set of issues that would could be separate posts but nothing really that hasn't been discussed in the forum at some point before. it's death by a thousand cuts with the occasional shank in the back that wears you down, lol. regardless, the time was good for my family and me professionally, personally, and financially and we haven't regretted it. well, i do kind of miss 4 day weekends with federal holidays, though.
glad to be back and contributing, good to see some old familiar folks and a smattering of new ones. the circle of life and all that jazz.
-- your friendly neighborhood enjoying this side of the fence caveman
