Should I separate from the military?

Can you be re-assigned to a different responsibility or maybe a change of scenery? My sis went from the Missile Silos of Idaho to Hawaii to Saudi Arabia, to Colorado and finally Biloxi. Each time she said the exact same things and wanted to not re-up, she requested a transferred and had a whole new set of adventures.

Yes, I imagine they would not keep me in the same state for another four years. I tried to re-train into Photography and was denied for fiscal year 2012, so now I am down in the dumps since it’s the only job I know I would enjoy. I just don’t want to leave and regret it, but I also don’t want to re-up and regret it.

Re up for another tour. Switch your MOS in 2012. What do you have to lose? You are probably young. What is the hurry?

@josie I guess I’m thinking of lost time. I know it’s my fault I did not save money and finish more classes I should have. I just feel like I might do the same thing again this time and need to just begin the new life I wanted to start. Or maybe I’m looking at it as the grass being greener on the other side.

Ideally I would like to re-enlist for only two years, but it seems no one knows how to do that.

I separated from service after 6 years. I didn’t really have a plan, but just wanted to escape from a military lifestyle. For four years I floundered and scraped by at jobs I didn’t enjoy just to make ends meet. I attended college but ended up having to work more to get by which made college difficult. All said and done I am back in the military having wasted four years that would have gone toward my retirement at the age of 39.

The military was not my first choice and to this day I know that there are other things I would rather do. However, I can feel comfortable and safe knowing that my family will be taken care of.

It’s a really tough choice and I wish you the best of luck. The only thing I can tell you is that if you do decide to get out, have a rock solid plan in place and stick to it. Without one you may end up following in my footsteps.

@Kokoro Re up. Times are tough right now. You can’t lose.

Why not go for life and enlist in the reserves or the National Guard so you’ll have some guaranteed income coming in.

These days, staying in is the only way to make sure you will have a paycheck. When I got out of the Navy, I had no problems finding work, so it was a good time for me to bail; the same is not true today.

I don’t regret moving from a ship’s berthing where I was stacked three high sharing a room with 400 other guys and working >70 hours a week to a full apartment and only working 40 hours a week though. Part of it depends on how bad your current station and situation really is. Most jobs are trying in their own way but if a little stress is your only issue, stay; you have it better than those of us who have to pay rent and insurance. If your situation is totally untenable like mine was, you have nothing to lose by leaving, but I would wager that your current living arrangements and work schedule are better than mine ever were the whole time I was in.

Would the Peace Corps be interested in you? Several family members of mine signed with them and have ended up with training, jobs, travel, spouses, families and a lot of gratification.

You could always go reserves see how you do in out of military life some don’t like the change so well and you can always go back in if you find you don’t like it but give it a chance.

I don’t have any faith that the employment situation is going to improve much for many many years now. I found that when I got out, the fact that I was a veteran didn’t do squat to give me a leg up with employers. It just doesn’t work that way. A business will hire who they want. Being a vet won’t hurt your chances but it won’t put you above the other candidates either. It might help but it’s no guarantee. Right now you have it pretty good as far as a paycheck unless the tea party decides to shut the govt down but that is a long shot we hope.

oh god yes.

The military does offer considerable security, and especially right now it would be very easy to stay in. However… it sounds to me as if your personal development and opportunity for growth almost demand that you launch out on your own and sink or swim on your own merits. Whatever you decide, God bless you and make all your dreams come true. : )