TBoneF15

Max days of leave you can sell back is 60.

I completely disagree with the dudes telling you to take all of that terminal leave. Taking terminal only makes sense if you have another job that you will start WHILE ON TERMINAL...thereby getting paid by two employers at the same time. If you do not have another job, then you are just taking leave...and missing out on a LOT of money to do it. If you feel that you really, really need 60 days off in a row, then I guess that's one thing, but I'll bet that you'll be bored silly after 2 weeks.

I'll tell you what you are really going to need after getting out...MONEY. Dude, have you done the math on what you'll really make? Last month I grossed $3500 as a first year DAL guy with no AF reserve days, just a little less than you'll make at SWA. Last month hurt the checking account something fierce, as has every month where I didn't get a good chunk of mil leave in. This month I started a long stint of mil leave. This month I'll gross $9000, much of which is not taxed. The difference is not chump change. Are you ready for that? Holy chowder, man, do you have that much saved up that you can scoff the $11,000 (or whatever selling 60 days of leave is worth) without cashing out stuff you shouldn't? I'm telling you, that money mine as well have been a million bucks to me this year...it would have been very difficult to get by without it, unless I started cashing out accounts that I don't want to touch. No matter how much you think you can cut back your lifestyle, look at those numbers carefully. You do pretty OK in the military and you've gotten used to not worrying about money. On the outside, you WILL worry about money. I guarantee it.

Dudes always make the argument that on terminal you get paid BAH, flight pay, etc, but selling back leave you only get basic pay. True dat. But think about it...you will make far MORE total money by NOT taking terminal...you would get the exact same money to go to work that you would have to be home on terminal THEN get paid to sell your leave on top of that. I've had this argument with many dudes who say that terminal makes the most financial sense since you get all the "extra" pays...not so, unless you have another job to double dip.

Again man, unless you will for sure start another job during your terminal or are so burnt out you are about to take a swan dive off a tall building, then I STRONGLY suggest to you (out of very recent experience) that the $11,000 or so they will pay you for your leave will relieve your stress level far more that 60 days off in a row. Take 2 weeks if you need some time off. 2 months is a costly waste.

BDGERJMN

Tbone pretty much shacked this one. I was in the same boat with about 75 days left before I got out. I did this hoping I'd have a training date lined up and could double dip. When hiring froze up, I chose to take two weeks off, then work for two months and sell back the remaining 60. The $10K I got was a nice chunk to pad the checking account until I started my contractor job a month after I got out. I drilled the month after I got out and my net gain was 50 hours of flight time, 9K in the savings account and no deployments ever again!

liftr92

Too each their own - has anyone who's been in for more than a decade really ever taken real leave. A week or two doesn't really do it, listen to all the airline types talk about 6 - 8 weeks off and what is does for their psyche. I took 68 days, grew a full beard (wife thought I was someone else), and drove the family across country stopping at every tourist trap I could find and it was one of the most rewarding times of my life. The day terminal ended, I shaved the beard (wife said I looked 12 years old). Signed up for unemployment and swore into the reserves. Now 6 years later I'm going to finally get 6 weeks off again next summer and can't wait for the detune process - no watch, no check-ins, just hanging with the family and veggin' out. To me the best thing about terminal is you get to feel like a trust fund kid, no work and every two weeks a ton of cash is dropped into the account to keep the party rolling - what a way to live. Sounds like both the selling and taking options have merit to me - hope it all works out.

SaltyDog

or a Burp! <g>Basic Unemployed Reserve Pilot

letsfly

It never ceases to amaze me how much guys are willing to help people through the forums on this website - thank you guys so much for all your inputs.

As tomorrow is my my last day to 7 day opt I think I will choose a separation date of 1 Aug 09 (original ADSC 7 Jun 09). With almost 90 days of leave stored up and only able to sell back 60 I will still get a full month off and get to sell back 60 days of 0-4 leave. This will put me available 1 July 09 and if by some crazy chance I get called for an earlier date I will beg and plead with my Sq/CC to let me take all of my leave making me available 1 May. You never know the AF might make me get out on my 7 Jun 09 ADSC date and all of this will not matter. Either way I am looking forward to something new and the next part of my life no matter how crazy things are.

Starlifter

One thing to keep in mind, is that if you sell all 60 days back now (as an 0-4), you'll NEVER be able to sell leave back again in your military career. I learned this lesson the hard way. Sold back 60 days of leave early in my career and I had accrued an additional 60 days of leave much later in my career and was unable to sell it back nor was I able to take it. If you are firm on selling leave back, perhaps it would be better to sell back only 30 days and take the additional 30 days. This gives you an option later in your reserve career should you get activated, long deployment, unplanned return to active duty etc.
never say never, it was an expensive lesson for me 20 years later...

Lifter

CheyDogFlies

Agree w/ TBone. Day one of my 71 days of terminal began the day I started class. Dumb luck--I didn't plan it that way, but that's what I was hoping for.