THE CHOICE TO LEAVE THE MILITARY
After 19 years of military life, the multiple lengthy trainings, the missed Christmas and holidays away from family and the endless cycle of deployments and work-ups, he made the choice. In the form of a simple request to his captain the request went simply, “Respectfully request to retire from Active Duty upon the end of obligated service and transfer into the Fleet Reserves”. The words he wrote brought fear of the uncertain to his mind. The decision was difficult to because it was for no one particular reason. He loved his job and he loved serving his country. The decision was a compound of two young children just becoming school-age and a wife with a new budding career; he just couldn’t continue the military …show more content…
A new life starts with the uncertainty of where he was going to work and if he would feel the same satisfaction he felt when putting on the uniform and serving his country. Now, with just a little over 12 months remaining in the Navy, he is starting to feel overwhelmed about the future. He thought, “Where do I want to live?”, “What do I want to do with my life?”, “What lifestyle can I afford?”, “Is my retirement check going to be enough to pay a mortgage?”, “Did I save enough money?”, “Do I have the skills to pay the bills?”, “Who will hire me?” All of these questions he thought about years before but now they just became his reality. They piled up to an incredible monster, but he found comfort remembering that there was a security blanket he paid into during his first year in the Navy. The Post 9/11 GI bill, introduced in 2009, is a program that would help him during his transition to a civilian life by funding his education and providing a living allowance. With this certainty, his next question was, “Do I need to go back to school and what school should I attend?” Choosing a school to study should be carefully considered and you should weigh all optional available because this decision is vital
After 19 years of military life, the multiple lengthy trainings, the missed Christmas and holidays away from family and the endless cycle of deployments and work-ups, he made the choice. In the form of a simple request to his captain the request went simply, “Respectfully request to retire from Active Duty upon the end of obligated service and transfer into the Fleet Reserves”. The words he wrote brought fear of the uncertain to his mind. The decision was difficult to because it was for no one particular reason. He loved his job and he loved serving his country. The decision was a compound of two young children just becoming school-age and a wife with a new budding career; he just couldn’t continue the military …show more content…
A new life starts with the uncertainty of where he was going to work and if he would feel the same satisfaction he felt when putting on the uniform and serving his country. Now, with just a little over 12 months remaining in the Navy, he is starting to feel overwhelmed about the future. He thought, “Where do I want to live?”, “What do I want to do with my life?”, “What lifestyle can I afford?”, “Is my retirement check going to be enough to pay a mortgage?”, “Did I save enough money?”, “Do I have the skills to pay the bills?”, “Who will hire me?” All of these questions he thought about years before but now they just became his reality. They piled up to an incredible monster, but he found comfort remembering that there was a security blanket he paid into during his first year in the Navy. The Post 9/11 GI bill, introduced in 2009, is a program that would help him during his transition to a civilian life by funding his education and providing a living allowance. With this certainty, his next question was, “Do I need to go back to school and what school should I attend?” Choosing a school to study should be carefully considered and you should weigh all optional available because this decision is vital