NFB: Difficult Military Career Decision. Advice?

[Mixedpuppy]

Hey guys,

I trust your opinions. Here it is in a nutshell. I'm an RN with a Bachelors Degree with over 8 years of clinical experience, mainly and recently Emergency Medicine. I will have 8 years of Active Duty service with the US Army Nurse Corps and I am currently a senior Captain and will probably make Major if selected in 2 years. I have the opportunity to leave the Army and reep the benefits of being a civilian or stay in to make my 20 for retirement.

Options:
STAY IN-Continous increasing responsibility, longer hours for same pay, more deployments, very demanding bosses, high expectations, more crappy bases and areas to live but I still reap military benefits and educational opportunities. Also I can't just quit whenever I want like right now. Also my bosses determine my jobs.

Branch transfer (US Navy/US Air Force): More or less the above.

Stay as a GS(Government Service) RN for the VA or DOD: I could retain some service years towards retirement but pay/benefits/education benefits may be less. Upward mobility is less with the nurses

Civilian Permanent/Contract/Travel: More cash in hand, able to determine what jobs I am willing to do and take. Quit when I want but also easier to fire. I can go where I want. Downfall. Eight years of potential retirement lost.

Advice? Especially Veterans.

[soCalTA]

how old are you now?

[Ponyrider]

I say stay in. I'm also in the military with 24 years. I to would like to get out and do something else. i should be promoted to CW3 in April 06.

[Red20170]

Definitely Air force. Those guys always had better food better barracks. Officer housing is Awesome. Better everything. You said you do Emergency Medicine. You would prob love those flying evac aircraft. Your almost halfway to your 20. Stay in Collect the retirement and have a civi job. With two checks. Airforce is hurting for nurses. I'm sure they pay top bonus $$$ for nurses. I definitely regret getting out the corps...

[Mixedpuppy]

I'm 31 now. No wife or kids (That I know of).

[KnightFire]

I was faced with the same decision a few years ago. The difference being that I was a NCO and had 13yrs on the job. I gave it up for the $$$ that is easily had (with those with the right qualifications) in the MD/DC area. The benefits you say, well with them whittled away year after year, you would be lucky to have any type of health/medical or any type of pension to speak of. Personally I'd rather take care of all that myself, because I KNOW I can do better with my money and plan my own retirement.

To sum it up, I grew tired of the non-sense that I saw going on in the USAF and got VERY tired of seeing my friends buying new houses/cars/gadgets/etc when they got out and got paid very high salaries for doing the same exact job as I was performing while serving and I was barely making it from check to check, rented a small townhouse and could barely afford my Jeep payment (the bird has been paid in full for quite some time). Now I own a home, have 4 vehicles and can actually enjoy some of life's pleasures.

It's a decision that you will have to make on your own for your own reasons, but I got out and never looked back. I will admit that I would have NEVER been able to pull the kind of salary I am, without the service record and I am thankful for what I learned/was taught while in the military. But, we all must command our own destinies.

KnightFire

[TraceZ]

I'd say get out. Find a nice high paying civilian job and have some fun with the extra money. Start a retirement account and meet with a financial planner to determine how much to put away for retirement. Or, invest in some realestate for retirement.

Bottom line: you can always take some of the extra money you are making and put it towards retirement. You only live once.

opposite side: A military career serves the USA and is very honerable. You should be proud of the time you have already served.

[LoudLT1]

not a VET but my 2 cents are Go civillian...
Here in Texas RN's with a Bachelors make very good money $60,000 -$90,000 a year. my sister has a RN with an Assosiates and makes about $45,000 and her work week is about 36 hours - 3 / 12 hour shifts..
more free time and great money decided i'm going back to school as soon as she told me what she is making..
eddie

[droptop z]

i made e-5 in 3 1/2 years and i was making pretty good money, when igot out after 4 1/2 years and got a civilian job i was and still am making half of what i made in the navy, its really all up to you and what your priorities are. the military takes good care of its people. everyone stays in or gets out for a reason, so good luck on whatever you decide to do.

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

I was a Navy Corpsman/Fleet Marines for 6 years and when my time was up, I couldn't wait to get out. Sick of working for lifer alcoholics and deadbeats that couldn't make it in civilian life and told me the same. Well, my skills didn't exactly transfer over to civilian life - the civilian hospitals wouldn't let me sew up people and do minor surgery like I was used to, so rather than make $8/hr as a paramedic, I got a job dyno-tuning cars, then got a job in a steel mill, then college which was somewhat paid for by the GI Bill, now an engineer, but I feel that I was also way behind my civilian friends and am still behind after all these years.

But with a RN degree and military experience, you would be made a charge nurse or supervisor for sure and making some healthy bux in the world. Maybe you can stay in the reserves and get some bennies that way and have the best of both worlds, but the downside of that is that there would be a good chance of being deployed with our country still at war. Thanks for serving!!!

[RangerBob]

If you are asking yourself this question after only 8 years, you already know the answer.

First step is to find out exactly what your skill set is worth in the area you want to live. Get some interviews or talk with some civilian collegues.

The biggest problem I had after I retired was finding employment.

The health insurance I have for my family is worth more than my retirement pension.

Bob
USA Retired
22 years

[beachbum86]

Since your almost there (the half way mark), I'd wait to see if you get picked up for major. I'm not sure how it works for Officers but all I got to say is think of the re-up bonuses that the Army is offering now. You could bank pretty well if you play your cards right. The navy and Air force are paying people to get out right now cuz they are over manned. Lord knows where they will be in 2 years... I'd hold out and at least make O-4. and when you re-up get a stability clause in your re-up contract.

But then again I'm and the hell up out of this sh!t when my time is up. Its been fun but its time to move on. Lots and lots of money of the civilian side for me in my field.

Good Luck!

Frank Z., SGT, USA Sig Corps

[imwlw83]

I hope this helps. I am 39, i retired for the Air Force at the age of 37 with 20 years in. I did a year as a GS-9, it sucked. Got one of those civilian jobs now that pays well and i like going to work. Its a real hard decission to make i Know, but i stayed in, and every month i get a pretty nice retirement check from the AF, and thats for the rest of my life......... I guess my spin is, you did 8, you got 12 more , dont give up now. A retirement check for life is worth all the times they are a pain in the @ss

[Mixedpuppy]

Thanks Guys.

Tough decision when you spend 4 years training to be a nurse and a branch officer and then another 8 years of active duty. There is a piece of me that is very reluctant to leave the service but sometimes the BS I go through really tempts me to leave also. I have friends who have spent successful company command time and had their careers set but they got out because of being overworked by overdemanding commanders and the strain of back to back deployments took a toll on thier marriages and families. I'm having a hard time determining to buy a piece of property over here because I never wanted to really live around Ft. Hood. I kind of wish I did for the equity though. The Army does offer tempting advanced education in my field though and would pay my way in full, with my full pay and benefits. All I have to do is go to school and be successful. I'm just not sure right now. If I was married and had kids this may be an easier decision though.

[1996fbody]

Well 2 cents from an enlisted Marine. ( one of the lifers but not a drunk ) any way i'm in just the oposite postion that you are in. I have 10 years and the Corp just gave me 2 years to get promoted ( I'm a Sgt E-5 sevice lims. are 12 years. If I dont its a firm hand shake a kick in the butt on the way out. I can make way more on the out side for the gov and ive been offed jobs in Norway, and i could go to Jordan. Could transfer sevices. The military sucks some of the time and is great some of the time and just is the rest of the time. I guess what i'm getting at is the old saying Your last comand is always better then the one your in but its never better then the one your going to. Hang in make major and know that you doing a great sevice for the good old USA. take the pay check on the first and the 15th and buck up Soldier.... lol Or should I say SIR!!