HydroHarley Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Hello, I'm getting ready to retire after 20 years of service... Any advice? Suggestions on what pitfalls I can avoid? With everything being on virtal MPF, it's a pain. How does the VA come in to play? Do I get my medical exam while my on active duty with the VA? I'll be leaving Moldy Hole in Jul with a retirement date of 01 Nov 09. Retiring overseas is a pain, I'm going to be at Little Rock. A new process to streamline the retirement process won't let me final out at Little Rock AFB, I've got to do every thing at Mildenhall. Thanks for all the advice, Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrkaegi Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 The way things are on the outside,you should think about two more years. And re-up. 22 years in the Air Force and 20 years with the FAA. I can retire but i live in N.J. and things are hard right now. Every where. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muff Millen Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Eric, congrats on your 20 years of service to this great country,and thank you. I have been retired since 1985. I was in a small plane crash in 1962, was banged up pretty bad. Navy hospital patched me up and after a year of light duty I went back to full duty, spent the next 22 years maintaining airplanes, scuba diving, and went on to be an IFE on the Herk. Three years after I retired I went to the VA to get my name on the "Agent Orange" roster. The VA did a look back at my medical records and gave me a 30% disability for the injuries I had in 1962. I resently had that upgraded to a 50% disability. I do all of my medical care at a VA hospital...My point is this....if you have any type of injury that happened during service time make sure it is in your records. As soon as you get back here to the states go to a VA medical center/hospital and get enrolled in the VA svstem. If you are an OIF/OEF veteran you will be given five years of free care. Right now the VA is signing up Cat 8 veterans that is folks with no disabilities.... The VA care is excellent, sometime have to wait, and parking at the facilitties is always tough but the price is right. Lastly I would suggest looking at staying in a few more years...you will never find a job with better folks thatn those you are with right now or even at your next base. Life is short and passes fast. Eat up those great days we all enjoyed and bitched about when in. I sure miss those days and all the people I served with...even the few assholes that I ran into once in awhile. Muff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LC130LOAD1 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Get yourself an advocate, the DAV, AMVETS and let those guys do the hard work for you when dealing the initial VA stuff. Make sure you have everything documented from your medical record to your initial .mil screening and don't worry too much about the disability rating from the .mil, the VA rates higher. Have you done your pre-separation screening yet? TAP class (or whatever they are calling it these days)? Get it all done while on active duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Check into Benefits Delivery at Discharge. I'm not sure how it will work for you since you are actually doing all the processing overseas. At worst, you would have to wait until you get back to Little Rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EClark Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Eric thanks alot for severing this great nation if you are planning a second career times are hard and they are talking about cutting the defence budget so that means the civil service jobs are going to be hard to find maybe muff is right a few more years might be the best bet best wishes in your future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Davenport Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Stay in if you can -- the jobs out in the civilian market are slim to none! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Sir, If you can in the Service, I would suggest you do so. As a civilian who lost his job after 27 years, it wasn't easy finding another one. However, I id. I personally think that Service personnel should be given preference over civvies, myself included. I wish you nothing but success. I salute you, Sir. Respectfully Sam. BTW, I'm 50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1685FCC Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Eric, I think you need to stay in as well man, besides if you make it to Little Rock you'll have to keep this young FE in check. You know, when I call out Hydro for a bullshit write up (never would happen, lol) and you can tell me to shut up and color and fly the damn airplane! I do agree though that times are really tuff right now and to get out w/o any guarantee jobs would be pretty scary in my book, especially after so many years of service. I know we've put up with some B.S. here, but at least we have a DEROS and can press on to try it again. I wish you luck though buddy in what ever decision you make. See ya around man! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airnav Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Eric, I wish you all the best in your endeavors (damn....I sound like some Wing King writing a "thank's for comming" letter of appreciation). Seriously Eric, I really do! Please be very careful, and do some stringent planning; things are so bad out here that there is very little room for error, and any fund's/time spent will be a one way course with little room for a point of personal return. The government and so called "financial experts" want americans to spend, but then again hold the hope of any recovery being a year or two away. Survival is the key. Make that a plan of action and you will fall into place like the rest of us, and play the waiting game. Loading up fishing gear, Kurt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleagle Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Dang! Forgot to mention - the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) are definitely someone you want to speak with. A few days back I got a letter from the DAV talking about the "DAV National Service on Wheels". Turns out the good folks at the Harley-Davidson Foundation poney'd up the $$$ for the vehicle. Take a look at: www,dav.org - the schedule for the vehicles rounds of the states is there as well as how to locate the nearest DAV to you. Another Org' out there is "Veterans for America" at: veteransforamerica.org - they had a "survival guide" in PDF format available earlier this year, not sure if its still avail. I did save a copy of the thing so if anybody wants it lemme' know and I'll get it moving your way. Bert "Rowdy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mongo Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) Dont go! like some here are saying, the jobs in aviation are rare and more cuts are coming for sure. Been working as a mechanic for a major carrier for 23 years and my job certainly is not safe. The retirement I was promised is nothing but a pipe dream for me now. There are literally thousands of Pilots, mechanics and any other ground support people waiting to be recalled or hired by someone else. SO, If there is no real good reason to get out, whats a couple more years? I only did 4 years. I got out when things were good and now wish I would have stayed the course for 20+. Hindsight is a bitch you cant bite back. Good luck whatever you do. John Edited March 21, 2009 by mongo my spelling sux Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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