How did you finish out your last couple years of service before you retired?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:28:19 -0500

I am coming up on 18 years. I finally PCSed to my final duty station and in a matter of time I will start my final transition. I know about getting your medical records in order but what other advice would you give to someone that is nearing their 20 years?

Response by CSM Chuck Stafford made Dec 10 at 2024 8:39 AM

CSM Chuck Stafford — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:39:31 -0500

a few off the top of my head...

Even if the body part doesn't "hurt", it "hurts" -- get xrays and create the baseline for future healthcare. -- lesson learned the difficult way

Start crafting your resume -- a basic skeleton that can be tweaked for different jobs opportunities easily is a force multiplier

There are no pay scales on the outside -- take the time to determine your worth, but don't be the 1st to offer the number in job negotiations
good luck

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2024 9:32 AM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 09:32:49 -0500

Don't assume anything.

Right up to the last day I was being told, by my S1 section, my paperwork was in order. When I reported to my retirement section, my paperwork was a complete mess. The most frustrating part is, I caught some of the errors and was promised they were fixed.

I'm over two months retired and still working out paperwork issues.

Keep copies of all medical records. The VA is telling me I have no evidence of hearing loss. I have multiple military records to prove it. It seems my hearing problems never were filed in my official medical record.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Dec 10 at 2024 9:39 AM

SGM Mikel Dawson — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 09:39:14 -0500

Got my ducks in a row, then did the IRR thing. Did 22yrs, 4m, 18 d for retirement.

Response by Maj Robert Thornton made Dec 10 at 2024 12:10 PM

Maj Robert Thornton — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 12:10:51 -0500

6 months prior to my retirement at 17 1/2 years, I was passed over for LtCol and told I would retire early within 6 months. The following day I received a call from the head of the Anesthesia group at the local hospital. He was trying to see if my partner and I could help them on Wednesdays. Unfortunately, Fridays were the only days we could. I told holiness I would be retired at the end of June but would be on terminal leave 1 June. He asked me to send my resume to the office and to not accept any job offers before talking to him.
I called my wife and told her we wouldn’t have to move, her job was secure, and the boys could finish school in Warner Robins.
Sometimes things work out well. I was ready to possibly take a remote, since I was on station at 4 years and didn’t want to uproot the family again.

Response by COL Randall C. made Dec 10 at 2024 12:37 PM

COL Randall C. — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 12:37:22 -0500

The best advice I give to retiring servicemembers is to completely embrace the concept that retirement is a process and not just an event.

Starting the transition two years out is actually on the low-end of the suggested transition timeline for RA retirees. However, you're still in great shape timewise and are in a significantly better situation than those that see it as a "check the block" exercise to get out of the military.

My advice is to start with the retirement section of the Soldier For Life* website with a specific emphasis on kicking off your retirement planning*. Additionally, now (24 months out) is when you should attend your Retirement Planning Seminar (RPS) if your local Retirement Services Office (RSO) gives one.

Check the RSO website* and follow the link provide to your local RSO's website. If they aren't giving an interactive RPS (some still haven't started them back up again after shutting down during the pandemic), you can get most of the same information from the Army's RPS briefing*.

If you want to start with more of an overview of everything, I would look over the Army's latest Information Retirement Planning briefing*.
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* Soldier For Life (Retirement) - https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Retirement/
* Army Retirement Planning Guide (2025) - https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Documents/Retirement/USArmy_RetirementPlanningGuide.pdf
* Retirement Service Office location - https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Retirement/rso
* HQDA Retirement Planning Seminar - https://soldierforlife.army.mil/documents/static/Pre/DA_Retirement_Planning_Seminar.pdf
* Informational Retirement Planning Briefing (3 October 2024) - https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Documents/static/Pre/HQDA_MilRetPlan_InfoBrfg.pdf

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Response by SSG Dave Johnston made Dec 10 at 2024 9:16 PM

SSG Dave Johnston — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:16:07 -0500

In 1992, I took the VSI option [10 U.S.C. 1175a] during the 'Force Reduction" post "Desert Storm"; at the time I had 16 yrs, 8 mo. & 29 days... I'd been QMPed twice, needed civilian ed for promotion points... Joined the IRR for a bit and was mobilized once for two weeks for a "Rapid Train-up" exercise in July of '96, then was assigned to the 5025th GSU at Ft. Carson. MOBed for 9/11 for 6 months then spent time again with the IRR. I then was assigned to the 5502 USAR Hospital thinking I'd avoid an individual MOB to back fill a deployed unit manning requirement, that lasted until bodies were needed by Det 12, 7215th who were mobilizing to man a MOB platform at Ft. Bliss, Tx. for 18 months, hadn't realized I'd been collecting retirement points on the reserve side of the house... That's when I found out I would qualify under 10 U.S.C. 1176, for "Sanctuary" while being mobilized...
There were some hurdles to overcome created by ineptitude, won't speak about it, at all.... Received orders under 10 U.S.C.1176 in May of 2006 to report to U.S. Army H.R.C. 200 Stoval Ave. Alexandria Va. in June. for 369 days... with movement of dependents and household goods authorized. Great; 1 year and 4 days at our Nation's capital, movement of dependents and household goods wasn't "Cost Beneficial" to the Army so I went as a Geo Bachelor and carried marbles for my entire 10 months assigned to U.S. Army's HRC, accumulated leave and 20 days permissive TDY don't you know... for reasons beyond my comprehension, they, US Army's HRC couldn't assign me close to Ft Carson where I'd been residing since 1990
I hadn't planned on retiring, the VSI was to be paid out over 32 years as long as I remained a Reservist, IRR or Ready Reserve, just keep healthy and re-enlist as needed, I'd have been 62 yrs old... but events occurred that aligned and allowed my military retirement to fall in place. The bite in the schwartz has been paying back the VSI @ 40 of retirement pay till paid in full... and I've asked, including having a my congressman look into it... I just don't get it they paid us to leave; over strength MOS, or "...too many skink'n GI's".. the they whine and cry like a "Life Alert" commercial "'... hep us we've fall'n and we can't get up' but you'll have to repay the bonus monies you've collected if you retire; Medical retirement excluded."'.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Dec 10 at 2024 10:25 PM

SGM Erik Marquez — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 22:25:10 -0500

"How did you finish out your last couple years of service before you retired?"

OCT 2013 with an approved retirement date I was at NTC certifying the 1st CAV Div Jump TOC, being asked if we were ready to deploy to Africa in an "Austrier hostile environment" To provide organizational and leadership support to Joint forces. I said yes, If I was allowed to go with.

Task fell away, December 31 2013 I drove away from Fort Hood for the last time

Response by SFC Kelly Fuerhoff made Dec 11 at 2024 9:11 AM

SFC Kelly Fuerhoff — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 09:11:20 -0500

Well I definitely shound have started at 2 year mark. I started TAP at 18 months I think. I was told to get your medical records first get them all 6 months or so put. Then go request them again like a month out especially if you add more stuff. Also go to the doctor as much as you can. I had to keep pushing off appointments because of work or my kid. However, I did start out at 80% VA, a month after I retired. Then last month they bumped it up to 100%. (My C&P exam got delayed until after I retired because VA had my maiden name listed for some weird reason).

Go see a VSO on or near base. I was at JBLM so they had VSOs at the career center. That was helpful. You can file your claim like 6 months from retirement I think?

Make sure you focus on your transition especially once you start TAP. Go to career fairs if you're staying there. Make an Indeed and LinkedIn if you haven't. Wait until you're closer to terminal leave to get the free premium version. You get a year free as active duty or something.

Get your resume together. TAP should go over this too.

(I just retired 1 Sept. Terminal leave started 6 June).