Should I stay or should I go now?

[Fat Charlie]

As long as we're giving advice, Miracle Max, avoid the two classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never buy into an HOA!"

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

As long as we're giving advice, Miracle Max, avoid the two classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never buy into an HOA!"

Inconceivable!

[Xist]

Now they are looking for Soldiers of my MOS to fill in for six weeks in Tucson. There are a great many reasons this would be better suited for someone counting retirement points, but it is tempting.

[freebeard]

Put on your skepticals and read the fine print.

If it is only six weeks, it's down to opportunity cost. What else could/would you do with those six weeks.

[Xist]

I am not sure how the pay would compare with my civilian job, but believe there are more long-term benefits to pursuing my chosen career, which pays me pretty well.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by Xist

Now they are looking for Soldiers of my MOS to fill in for six weeks in Tucson. There are a great many reasons this would be better suited for someone counting retirement points, but it is tempting.

Two military service points to remember: (1) NEVER volunteer. (2) NEVER "stand out" (good or bad) to draw attention to yourself.

Of course, these points are EXACTLY opposite in CIVILIAN employment (wink,wink)!

[Fat Charlie]

No, the rule is always volunteer, it makes things more interesting and can open up a lot of opportunities. Only doing what you're told sucks- grabbing opportunities that come along breaks things up. Where it breaks down is in the reserve components, where outside life does that.

If you're not sure how the money would break down, it's not worth doing it for the money. I wouldn't want to toss my life to do full time for six weeks unless I were coming out squarely ahead moneywise or it were some really cool job that would be worth the experience no matter what you make on the outside.

Don't do it. You're already halfway checked out, focus on your real goals.

[Xist]

So, it felt like it was time to leave. Was it the right decision? I don't know. I miss serving, but there are some nice aspects of being out. I just wish that I had thought about staying in until I actually got into grad school.

[Fat Charlie]

Once you're out, the benefits look almost as good as they did before you went in. But when you were in, how easy was it to actually get any of the good things you were due?

The Army isn't set up for your benefit- even the units that exist for your benefit aren't set up for that: I've got a picture from 2005 of the door to Finance's trailer at our base. It said "Closed Today- Happy New Year!" To the slugs actually working it wasn't a holiday, it was just another day on the duty roster. If that was when they had half a down day and could get to Finance, they were SOL- those guys were on a pass in Kuwait. Probably telling stories about how tough it was up north.

It was a lot of fun, but it's over. Unless you're seriously considering going back in, it was the right decision.