ShoeClerkMadeMe

I'm not really sure where to post this, so I'm sorry if it's in the wrong place, or maybe doesn't belong here. I've been here before, but this is my first post. I wanted to share some of my feelings regarding my current career track because I think there must be others who feel the same way that I do right now.

I finally came to the realization today that I don't want to fly for the Air Force anymore. Like many of my fellow Air Force pilots, I have been on and off the fence regarding staying and taking the bonus, when eligible, or taking the plunge and seeking out greener pastures and other opportunties. The security of an active duty retirement is a tough thing to give up, even if the promise of an airline salary can more than make up for it. There is a certain peace of mind that free healthcare and a pension brings that makes bailing on the military feel like a risk. But today I realized happiness is more important than finishing a 20 year career just for free healthcare and a pension. I can achieve the same level of financial freedom thru other means than the Air Force. My family doesn't have to be a slave to AFPC. I'm not the only member of my family with a significant opportunity cost associated with me being active duty.

Here's where I'm at. I'm just now entering the last year of my ten year Air Force pilot commitment. I can do eight more years after my commitment is up and retire with a full active duty retirement. Eight short years, and they may or may not be that bad. I would even be okay if they were taken up by an interesting staff assignment, but here's the reality of it all. I don't have the buy-in I used to have for the mission. I'm currently deployed and in command of a flying squadron, and I feel disconnected and unfulfilled. If I feel this way about this job, what can I possibly have to look forward to in the next nine years of Air Force career progression? I think it's time to stop trying to seek out professional satisfaction, and focus on personal satisfaction, happiness, and quality of life. An airline career seems pretty attractive at this point in time. I'll be honest, I don't know if I'd want to do it for twenty or thirty years, but it does seem like my friends who have taken the plunge are much happier, and their work doesn't follow them home. And a job that pays well and doesn't follow me home is looking pretty attractive right about now.

Beech Dude

Eight years is a long time. Just like you said, "slave to AFPC." Now, we all signed up so it comes with the territory, but you've served your time. There is nothing wrong with punching. Plus sticking it out on AD for retirement and crappy TRICARE isn't worth 8 years of BS and...LESS FLYING. Things can change as we all know, but the industry is growing and the hiring wave is only getting bigger. If you still want to serve, apply for separation, then put in for Palace Front. You can still work towards mil retirement but have a better quality of life, make more money, enjoy flying, and when you're off, you're off. No alert, no cancelled leave to cover down for another ORI/EDRE/etc. Plus not having your plane shot at is always a good thing. I'm a year behind ya and I'm out like a fat kid in dodgeball. I'm still deciding on reserves or if I'm going to punch completely. As far as staying in or separating, it's a no brainer, but everybody has different things to balance. Good luck brother.

AirBear

Bail ASAP, it's a great time to start an airline career. Guard/Reserve if you can to get that age 60 retirement. My best friend did that, flew for USAirways/American and left the reserves at CHS as a LtCol many years ago (he's 65 now). I failed to get a reserve commission after separation (checked the wrong box) and came to regret that while working for the incredible shrinking airline (USAir).

Keep in mind many on here advise starting the application process a year ahead of your available date.

PerfInit

Unfulfilled flying high tech military hardware, and leading a squadron?
This points to a much bigger issue that perhaps bailing to the airlines may not “fix” it for you. Is it about the money? You are experiencing “mid- career” burnout. It is understandable. But I can say with absolute certainty that an airline career will feel exactly the same to you after doing it for 10+ years. Granted you are not getting “shot at”, but 121 flying becomes very boring, routine and mundane after a while, just like everything else. I agree with others here who recommend sticking it out for a full retirement. You will not realize the value of those benefits until much later in life.

USMCFLYR

Then I will take the opposite view and say - GET OUT!

Nothing worse than doing something day in and day out that you can't stand anymore.

Now....some of the realities of life are going to hit you square in the face possibly.

"Greener" is relative. I've not done the airlines, but out of the flying ops I've done outside of the military (and one of them was even pseudo-military), I've not found the flying profession "greener" than the military flying. I'll say that I seemed to have enjoyed my military career much more than many on the forum so I look back very fondly of my time flying high performance military aircraft and doing much of the same things that you are currently doing in your career. Btw - I'm assuming you are a DET OIC on your deployment right now - not a squadron commander.

I remember a real gung-ho Executive Officer I had one time in my first fleet squadron. I was standing outside the office as he was having a conversation with a near end of tour senior Captain. The Captain was telling him how he was planning on getting out and pursuing the airlines - this was back in the mid-90s - so airline hiring was hot. Though I expected this hard charging XO to read him the riot act, he basically thanked him for his service, told him that he had done more in service to his country than most ever would, and best of luck to his future goals. I was floored, but always took that view with me when I had the chance in later years to sit across from those young enlisted or officers who had served their commitments and were looking to transition to opportunities outside of the military.

I say all of that to wish you the best of luck if you decide to leave military service. I would also encourage you to pursue those opportunities outside of military if you can't stand to fly in the USAF any longer for whatever purpose. I know personally I don't enjoy flying with someone who wishes they weren't there in that flight with me or sharing that cockpit with me.

Not sure I agree with the previous posters statement of 'crappy TRICARE'. It certainly isn't free, but when I learned of the cost some of my family members were paying for health insurance, I'll take that little bit of trying times I've had finding TRICARE providers to the reduced cost of TRICARE of retirees. It has been good for me, even with the numerous increases in premiums since I retired.

In the end - I say that if you want to be an airline pilot - go be an airline pilot. This is a great time to dip your foot in that pool. Hopefully the good run will become a great run and stay that way for your airline career. The history says that it won't stay this way forever - no doubt the industry is cyclic - but you'll know if you made the right decisions when you retire - and then it is all water under the bridge in any case.

Chris99

Get out now and never look back. Join the Guard/Reserve if you want to get that retirement and have a backup plan. Live either at your military job or at your airline base (both if possible) if you want to have the most time at home with the family. It's a night and day difference. Although the airlines are no panacea, I've never regretted getting out. The QOL is just so much better.

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rickair7777

Most jobs will get a bit "stale" over time, unless you're doing something creative about which you have great passion. Most folks don't even have the talent for that level of creativity, ie cutting edge stuff.

Normally I would be a great advocate of getting the retirement too, but at this point in time any professional aviator should carefully consider the risk vs. reward of airlines, due to projected opportunity. Nobody can stay on AD forever (except maybe General Mattis), and airlines are usually a great place to hang out. Fuel for the fire... you can still get the retirement (effective when you most need it) in the reserves.

rickair7777

x2. Anyone who complains about Tricare hasn't tried the private-sector alternatives!

Not to say that it hasn't been eroded over time, but politically there's a limit as to how much they can nickle-and-dime healthcare for warfighters and vets.

thurberm

Well, for what it's worth:

I retired after 23 years on active duty at the end of 2010.

Never flown for an airline, but have been 91/135 flying or a sim instructor most of that time.

That monthly retirement check (even AFTER the ex gets her cut) has kept me from losing my house after two job losses.

I used Tricare standard in lieu of company healthcare for 5 years in my 91 job because their small-company option was far too expensive and never paid anything anyway (I never even came close to meeting the min out of pocket expenses).

And there are just as many, if not far more a-holes, narcissitic, lying, dangerous/shady operatiors in the 91/135 corporate/fractional civilian world... Based on what I read in a lot of these threads, a lot of 121 operators aren't a rose garden either.

If it's not right for you, well, you gotta do what you gotta do. I'm just saying don't be too quick to dismiss that retirement income. A defined-benefit pension with regular COLAs (assuming you're under the High-3 plan) that can nver be taken from you is almost impossible to find anymore.

Also have a lot of friends Guard or Reserve bumming too, trying to get that good 20 in. Almost to a man, they hate it. They're all being rode hard and put away wet, then having to balance the civilian job & family with it. A few are doing as much active duty as they can trying to hit 20 on AD and get their retirement immediately. I hope they do, 'cuz I don't think they'll live to see 65...

rickair7777

Your experience in 2010 (nobody was hiring) was markedly different than the potential opportunity available today.

There's absolutely no doubt that major airline compensation will be about an order of magnitude better than the AD retirement.

What's subject to debate is risk. What's your tolerance, and how much money are you willing to give up for some security? That's up to each individual of course.

Oh yeah, re. the ex-wife issue... if divorce is a fact or even possibility, you're better off delaying or passing on the mil retirement until the dust sttles. If it's in the bag, the ex owns it, almost no way around that. But if it's not a done deal yet (ie you're in the reserves) then the retirement will have less value to the ex since it's uncertain. She'll probably let you keep it a discount, otherwise she's taking a risk that you'll drop out and leave her with a statutory right to 50% of nothing. Once it's all said and done and the monley's off your back you can pick up OT trips at the airline to make up for it.

Depends on the state but it can be almost impossible for the ex to access money that you might or might not earn in the future, assuming you force a fixed settlement.

A guy showed up in my reserve unit. He had 15-ish years AD and wife divorced him unexpectedly. So he resigned from AD and went into the IRR, and got a job as a regional FO (he probably could have gone directly to a major with a little effort and time). The ex, who was counting on reaping a big share of AD pay followed by AD retirement was suddenly left with essentially nothing after child support which was all that was possible on regional pay. They owned a couple houses, which she had put money into, so he let her have his equity in the houses in exchange for minimal future obligations (including child support). Soon as that was settled, he took a job at a legacy and joined the drilling reserves.