27 Years To The Day

[thomas91169]

Congrats and thanks for serving!

FYI, im just turning 27. Youve been in the military since ive been on this planet. Good job man!

 

[cobrkilrl]

Congrats Chief! I'm retired Air Force MSgt of 21 yrs. Couldn't hang any longer than that. Retired in 1990 as a Medic. Greatest 21 years of my life. We had a great GI bill back then, don't know what it is now. Went back to school courtesy of the US Government and got my RN. Have been a Surgical/Trauma ICU Nurse for the last 20 years. I'm miss the people I've meet, the places I have traveled and the duty assignment's I have had the most. If I could do it all over again, I would. I miss my Air Force family. You will enjoy retirement if you stay busy. That's what kept my wife and I going. She is retired Air Force also. Good luck. I have enjoyed your post and the pictures from your travels. I salute you Sir!

 

[Marc]

Thanks again everyone for your kind words!

 

[carrrnuttt]

Congrats Chief!

I saw a plate today [on the back of a Miata, no less] that made me think of you. It read: "CHIEFAF". I guess you won't get that one if you ever moved to AZ.

 

[RDJ]

congrats man. My father retired as an E9 out of the Air Force. He spent the first part of his career in SAC and then moved over to the OSI to finish it up. Well done.

My nephew is in the AF now, started out as a bomb loader on an A-10 crew and now is a door gunner. He just got back from a search and rescue deployment in afghanistan.

Let me tell you, along the way almost got out a couple of times:

As a E4 my job sucked! I didn't like the people I worked for. Long hours and even weekends while my buddies were having fun and enjoying their weekends.

I put in for world-wide remote, extended long and got a great assignment to Germany. Otherwise, I would of punched at 4 years.

My goal was to make MSgt (E7) and retire at 20 years. I made SMSgt (E8) at 18 years. I signed a 3 year commitment...which put me at 21 years.

I was going to get out after that and I had a few Chiefs talk me into staying in. They said my records would get me Chief (E9). I listened to them, made it at 22 years and signed another 3 year commitment.

Now, I figured I might as well do 30 years and get my 75% base pay for the family at retirement time. Bad thing is that my next job is probably going to deploy me once or twice to Afghanistan before I retire.

 

[stangaholic280]

Congrats! That is a very amazing accomplishment and one that is an inspiration to less experienced troops such as myself.

I've done 5 so far and I plan on doing 30 either as a Chief or a Colonel...we'll see how the commissioning attempts go. :beer:

 

[SVT4ME]

Me too, did my twenty and got out. Good to see you still enjoy it. I really enjoyed my time but I wanted to stay in Vegas and never move again otherwise I'd still be in.