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This is where many of us end upI doubt I will ever learn to be a civilian fully. Not sure that I want to do so.
This is where many of us end upI doubt I will ever learn to be a civilian fully. Not sure that I want to do so.
One thing you will miss is structure. The idea of knowing who is in charge of what. Some matrixed org charts I have dealt with could best be described as a tesseract. My wife's company periodically plays a fun game called "spin the wheel of reorganization".I doubt I will ever learn to be a civilian fully. Not sure that I want to do so.
I retired in 2013 (COL retired, Army SF) after 25 years in the Army. The transition is tough and it takes some getting used to, for sure!
Make sure you finish your disability before you get out. It is much more difficult after you depart and the VA will give you the run around. I retired with 100% disability (38 wounds and injuries...) and wasn't finished with the process when I walked out the door. Big mistake. Took me a long time to get it settled.
Medical on the outside is a nightmare. Tricare is horrible. If you live near a post after you retire, you should be okay, but if you try to use Tricare on the outside, it is a almost impossible. I finally gave up and got insurance through work. It is cheaper than Tricare with WAY better coverage.
VA care, if you have a high disability rating, is a mixed bag that largely depends on your local VA facility. It can range from something like a country club to something out of American Horror Story.
Other than that, I don't mind civilian life. It is nice not getting shot, blown up, stabbed, cut, burnt, crushed and generally mangled as a regular part of my job. I don't really miss jumping out of airplanes anymore. It was cool when I was 18, but got old fast. I miss the unit, though.
Colonel, change is an understatement. When I started as a Traditional Guardsman and early in my full-time career I served with WWII and Korean War vets - Those men were tough, mission oriented and definitely didn’t suffer fools well. Our group commander (before Mother Air Force decided everything had to be a wing - funny how we were just as effective, if not more so, WITHOUT an entire extra layer of “leadership” at the top) started as a B-17 pilot, a man who flew 35 combat missions over Europe. He was a real SOB, in a good way, and I was proud to be part of the honor guard at his funeral.Your are right. I will miss the structure and clear command chains. I will not miss the politics, and the Army has become too soft. As an O-6 (COL), I cannot count the times I have had to remind folks that they should salute or at least give the greeting of the day when they pass a superior office. The military had changed.
I could not believe it. They wanted nearly two times my current pay.Fargo, N.D.?
They can’t possibly have that much money.
Actually, I have two fields, but the other is covered with Cotton waiting for a farmer to harvest it.I should have known that you would have your own launch field in your back yard.
Thank you for your service to the community and our country.Haven’t read all of this CW but big portions.
Started Army in Jan 89 on a 2 yr enlistment as a combat medic, got held over a year for the first gulf war.
Few years in law enforcement then the last 25 years in the fire service.
It’s amazing the generational and social changes we’ve seen the last few decades. Sounds like the military experience is very similar to what we’ve seen in the fire service.
I’m eligible to retire here in about 18 months, some days I want to stay longer but more often than not I can’t wait.
Congratulations Chuck! Your service is appreciated.Thank you for your service to the community and our country.
Thank you.Congratulations Chuck! Your service is appreciated.
My wife's job just hired a person whose last job was in Minnesota, where the weather's a little better than Fargo. They had to have a car reliable enough to get them to work at -30F. No thank you.Got another job offer for nearly twice my current salary in Fargo, ND. The weather news makes that seem like a bad idea. The wife said hell no.
minus what ever is too cold.My wife's job just hired a person whose last job was in Minnesota, where the weather's a little better than Fargo. They had to have a car reliable enough to get them to work at -30F. No thank you.
North Dakota experienced an oil boom starting about 15 years ago. That’s declined somewhat, but the state is still the second largest oil producer in the country after Texas. Lots of people have lots of money to spend in ND. Plus it’s too cold for some. Big salaries have a tendency to keep people warm.Got another job offer for nearly twice my current salary in Fargo, ND. The weather news makes that seem like a bad idea. The wife said hell no.
Good point. With this salary, I could retire in 5 years fully. I will consider it.North Dakota experienced an oil boom starting about 15 years ago. That’s declined somewhat, but the state is still the second largest oil producer in the country after Texas. Lots of people have lots of money to spend in ND. Plus it’s too cold for some. Big salaries have a tendency to keep people warm.
Don’t know. I’m not from there. I just remember hearing about all the oil jobs and the communities making money off of it. While you consider it, check the cost of living there. Might be pricey with all that oil money floating around.Good point. With this salary, I could retire in 5 years fully. I will consider it.
Any place to launch?
There's nominally a NAR section in Grand Forks (1.5 hours from Fargo), but they don't have much of a web presence. Lots of empty space up there though.Good point. With this salary, I could retire in 5 years fully. I will consider it.
Any place to launch?
Most of us who have served in the "great white north" but are not from there agree wholeheartedly with your wife! The funny thing is it's not the cold, it's the wind. Guys going to Minot ND always got the "Why not Minot?" question and the only answer was "Freezen's the reason" as a response. However, once there, most didn't want to leave. We'd have a hell of a time getting Minotions to PCS to Barkatraze and vice versa.... People are funny sometimes.Got another job offer for nearly twice my current salary in Fargo, ND. The weather news makes that seem like a bad idea. The wife said hell no.
I believe Elon’s poll was a staged event. He knew the results and wanted out.Most of us who have served in the "great white north" but are not from there agree wholeheartedly with your wife! The funny thing is it's not the cold, it's the wind. Guys going to Minot ND always got the "Why not Minot?" question and the only answer was "Freezen's the reason" as a response. However, once there, most didn't want to leave. We'd have a hell of a time getting Minotions to PCS to Barkatraze and vice versa.... People are funny sometimes.
You can ask Elon Musk for a poll, but I'm guessing most of the answers are going to be the "hell no" response
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