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What's better: Reenlist for another 4 years, or get out and become a DOD civilian? Just thinking not too far into the future. wondering what I should do. By the way, I have a wife and toddler to consider in this decision. My only experience outside the Army is Wendy's, seeing that I joined straight out of high school.
Re-enlistment
DoD
Future
Transition
Decisions
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 16
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Please tell me if I am wrong here:
-You are an 11X (just saw that you are a 25C but your profile said rifleman which confused me)
-You have not completed a degree, certifications, etc
-You have a family to support
Think about how this translates to the civlian World. The jobs that you will qualify for will likely not pay as well as you would like. The benefits are likely to cost you much more than what it takes to cover you and your family now.
Let's say you land a job out there paying $14 an hour (which would probably be a bit of a reach in most locales). Your monthly take home for 40 hours a week (with a 20% tax rate attempting to factor income tax, SS, etc that will be withdrawn) would be approximtaley $1,792 a month. Take out the cost of your medical benefits which will probably be between $200-300/month with coverages that are lower than what you have now. You might be able to get a cheaper plan, but it will be coming from your pay to afford it. Take rent, groceries, diapers, etc. out and you can see how slim the net income becomes after expenses. DOD civilian jobs can be a challenge to land and many people have to start off taking the lower paying ones just to get their foot in the door. This could reduce this. I know many who have taken DOD civlian jobs paying around $10 and hour just to land something and get their foot in the door. The positions that pay the big bucks require education, experience, and/or certifications.
You are young and have tons of time to move forward in your life. I would strongly consider staying in the Army, getting a solid education, and then seeing where you sit in a few years. Education does not have to be college if that is not your interest. IT certifications, technical certifications, etc can be just as lucrative in the long run. You may also look at MOSs which would help you gain some skillsets that your MOS does not offer. 12P is always looking for solid Soldiers to apply. 35Q is becoming very hot if you are into comptuers and networks. The Army is huge and there are opportunities for you to expand your experience and skills through potential reclassification into another MOS IF...IF...that is what would interest you.
This is just my $.02. You have to make the decision which is best for you and your young family.
-You are an 11X (just saw that you are a 25C but your profile said rifleman which confused me)
-You have not completed a degree, certifications, etc
-You have a family to support
Think about how this translates to the civlian World. The jobs that you will qualify for will likely not pay as well as you would like. The benefits are likely to cost you much more than what it takes to cover you and your family now.
Let's say you land a job out there paying $14 an hour (which would probably be a bit of a reach in most locales). Your monthly take home for 40 hours a week (with a 20% tax rate attempting to factor income tax, SS, etc that will be withdrawn) would be approximtaley $1,792 a month. Take out the cost of your medical benefits which will probably be between $200-300/month with coverages that are lower than what you have now. You might be able to get a cheaper plan, but it will be coming from your pay to afford it. Take rent, groceries, diapers, etc. out and you can see how slim the net income becomes after expenses. DOD civilian jobs can be a challenge to land and many people have to start off taking the lower paying ones just to get their foot in the door. This could reduce this. I know many who have taken DOD civlian jobs paying around $10 and hour just to land something and get their foot in the door. The positions that pay the big bucks require education, experience, and/or certifications.
You are young and have tons of time to move forward in your life. I would strongly consider staying in the Army, getting a solid education, and then seeing where you sit in a few years. Education does not have to be college if that is not your interest. IT certifications, technical certifications, etc can be just as lucrative in the long run. You may also look at MOSs which would help you gain some skillsets that your MOS does not offer. 12P is always looking for solid Soldiers to apply. 35Q is becoming very hot if you are into comptuers and networks. The Army is huge and there are opportunities for you to expand your experience and skills through potential reclassification into another MOS IF...IF...that is what would interest you.
This is just my $.02. You have to make the decision which is best for you and your young family.
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MAJ (Join to see)
What the LT said. I would stick in the military until you at least finish your bachelor's degree. Even with an advanced degree, it's not easy finding jobs these days. I know very competent PhDs who are now living in Australia or other parts of the world because they couldn't find jobs here.
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PFC (Join to see)
LT Oakley, you're completely right. It does seem more beneficial to stay in until I get on my feet.
I'm a 25C, but I'm in a LRS company and for some fucked reason you have to be an E5 to be an RTO. So my position in a wedge would be Rifleman, for example.
MAJ Dews, that's insane. In the words of the Joker, this place needs an Enema.
I'm a 25C, but I'm in a LRS company and for some fucked reason you have to be an E5 to be an RTO. So my position in a wedge would be Rifleman, for example.
MAJ Dews, that's insane. In the words of the Joker, this place needs an Enema.
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About DoD Civilians and Contractors - they are NOT the same thing at all. I have a Masters degree and I am a triple minority with Veteran's preference who currently works on an Army base and after 2 years of efforts, I have not been able to be picked up as a DoD civilian. I was completely unemployed for 8 months. Despite all the "hire vets" talk, do not expect the civilian world to welcome you will open arms. It will be the opposite. Add that to the hiring freeze which pre-dated the sequester and the draw down. I am a contractor and those jobs are drying up too. The office were I work handles the College Internship Program - we cannot even get those people jobs. We have cut the number of interns allowed to start the program for the two cycles I have been here.
Stay in or get out, but please don't do it imagining that there is a government or contracting job waiting for you. It will be a battle to get one, especially if you do not have any degrees, certifications, or other special qualifications to put you ahead of the thousands of other vets out of work right now.
Stay in or get out, but please don't do it imagining that there is a government or contracting job waiting for you. It will be a battle to get one, especially if you do not have any degrees, certifications, or other special qualifications to put you ahead of the thousands of other vets out of work right now.
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SFC William Swartz Jr
Well said maam, retired last October and still job hunting outside of Ft. Benning. With the drawdown, even my experiences as an Instructor that 3-4 years ago would have pretty much guaranteed me either a GS or Contractor position, have me applying and waiting for even a call back. Guess I waited 3 years too long before retiring...lol!
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PFC (Join to see)
Wow. Ma'am, that's sad, really.
I asked this out of lack of knowledge in that area, and now I see it's just as bad or even worse than the civilian world at the moment! Thanks for enlightening me, ma'am.
I asked this out of lack of knowledge in that area, and now I see it's just as bad or even worse than the civilian world at the moment! Thanks for enlightening me, ma'am.
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CPT (Join to see)
Keep your chin up! One thing I thought of to say after the fact is you should be thinking about how you would want the next 5 - 10 years to play out. Key word: career. What career do you want? The Army lays out a path for you. Putting aside any gripes about other Soldiers, PT, and the daily grind, when you look at the Army career path, is it going anywhere for you? Is it even a stepping stone you could see using? If the answer is no, then getting out is the right thing to do, but make sure you can answer the career question about your civilian-side plans. Until you can, you have a paycheck and a support network that is not going to be guaranteed to you on "the outside." GOOD LUCK!
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I would re-up. Having a family, the benefits of the military, what they are now at least, is way better than trying to find a new job and getting decent medical for the toddler and mother would be difficult. If you could get a contracting job with the military, that might make it better, but I would re-up.
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SFC (Join to see)
Also remember that as a DOD civilian you can still go through lay-offs and furloughs, as we saw over this last year. A lot of them didn't even get much of a notice. I have an 8 month old right now and job security is my number 1 priority.
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SSG (Join to see)
There is nothing "out there" that is safer (job security) than staying in. It is the "safe" route. You won't get rich but you won't be poor. But there are LOTS of jobs out there. I know many long term soldiers believe otherwise but I have found hundreds of companies hiring. Many for more money than I was making in the Army. Hiring vets is the HOT thing right now. Everyone wants to be the most "Military Friendly" company in town. I always told my soldiers "Fill out a few applications, send your resume to a few companies, maybe even go to a job fair or two. THEN decide if you want to stay or go."
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PV2 (Join to see)
Re-up, take advantage of the training that's offered and get to know some of the civilian contractors that may work around you if that's the case and start to learn the system. There are many ups and downs to being a contractor. Also research civil service. Your military time will count towards retirement and potentially give you preferential treatment in terms of being hired. Think about what you currently do in the military and would you would like to see that translate to in the civilian world. Go on USAJOBS.GOV and research the jobs there too.
I'm Civil Service and was furloughed last year and I work for USDA. Many DoD and Defense colleagues of mine still had to work with no pay during that time. There are pros and cons to each side, and you will have to do what you feel is best for you and your family. There's no crime in playing it safe and staying in. In my humble opinion.
I'm Civil Service and was furloughed last year and I work for USDA. Many DoD and Defense colleagues of mine still had to work with no pay during that time. There are pros and cons to each side, and you will have to do what you feel is best for you and your family. There's no crime in playing it safe and staying in. In my humble opinion.
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MSG Timothy Smith
SSG Stuckart, I would agree that it is "safer" staying in than looking for a position on the outside. That being said, it is just a tad safer. With the pull out of Afghanistan, draw downs (both AC and NG/RES), it's still the proverbial crapshoot. 25C ha something to do with computers, right? Then re-up, and if possible, seek a degree at either a local Community College, or maybe an accredited on line program, like South University on line. That way, you'd have more experience, and with the degree in hand, you would have a better shot at at least an opening position in the private sector. And if you decide to make a career of the military, if that would still be an option for you, then degree's turn into promotional points. But never stop learning. Go through Army U and Skillsoft, pick up certifications, whi;le you still have this opportunity. Become invaluable.
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