Get your A&P, get on at UPS. You'll have to move, probably more than once, may have to start part time, but in 5 years or so you could be pushing $50/hr. with amazing benefits.
I'm certainly no expert, but there's lots of good advice here...
Learn a trade that you can take with you - one that can find you a job anywhere.
SERIOUSLY consider getting 20 years in military service. Where else can you get life-long medical benefits and retirement pay after a measly 20 years on the job? (you're already 20% there!)
... AND THEN ...after retirement you have the training/education to double the income with a good outside job - or even come back as a contractor working for the .gov doing the same job you left.
I work with a lot guys that fit this - and I'm super jealous.
I wish someone would have clued me in when I was young. ...but life goes on.
Learn a trade that you can take with you - one that can find you a job anywhere.
SERIOUSLY consider getting 20 years in military service. Where else can you get life-long medical benefits and retirement pay after a measly 20 years on the job? (you're already 20% there!)
... AND THEN ...after retirement you have the training/education to double the income with a good outside job - or even come back as a contractor working for the .gov doing the same job you left.
I work with a lot guys that fit this - and I'm super jealous.
I wish someone would have clued me in when I was young. ...but life goes on.
Yes, there are a lot of retired or EOS vets that get back into contracting right back into the job they left.
I did that at my last duty station, but met an ultimatum that I move back to Ponca with the kids and wife, or stay there by myself, so the decision was clear.
Had I known what would have happened a couple of years later, I would have fought to have custody and stayed there.
True words.
I had a couple of cousins that enlisted with the big ol bonus of 20K or so to be a machine gunner on a tank or what ever, spent on girls and junk before they got out. Honorable choices for sure, but they don't prepare you for life after the service if your looking in that direction.
My daughter re-upped in the Navy. My boy is still on his first hitch with the Army. Since you asked, I'll offer you my opinion, based on what I did. I got out of the Marine Corps after six years, and went straight into the National Guard and wrapped up my 20 there. When I turn 60, I'll start getting a military retirement. So, I say if you decide to get out - join a Reserve component so that you'll get a pension.
Tinker AFB is looking for you.
My vote is also for making the military a career, the bennies are considerably better now than when I was in.
I went in the Army at 17 (1967) and would have had my twenty completed and a monthly retirement check coming in at the young age of 37 but I didn't.
I still would have had plenty of time left to get another twenty years in at another local govt. job like Tinker, full time National Guard etc.
I went in the Army at 17 (1967) and would have had my twenty completed and a monthly retirement check coming in at the young age of 37 but I didn't.
I still would have had plenty of time left to get another twenty years in at another local govt. job like Tinker, full time National Guard etc.
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Get out and get into an aviation specialty in OKC. Tinker or at Will Rogers. At Tinker, the military retirees didn't get promotions when I was there. (retired in 2004).
Do you like being in the Navy? Do you enjoy doing what you do? Can you go to school; college/vo-tech while you're in? I bet if you will carry yourself over to Rose State and see an Admissions Advisor, you will find out that you can get a nice chunk of college credit applied from your military schools towards a degree of some useful type.
I asked myself the above questions when I was coming up on a "re-up or get out" decision too. The answer to all was YES, so I stuck it out, finished my degree, and got commissioned. I retired from the USMC (was a Grunt; not a Squidley - see post#8) after 21 years, and started drawing that check. I got into my second career, Higher Ed Administration, and retired from that 2 1/2 years ago. My wife also retired from Cox Communication's. We were then getting 3 retirement checks. We then made the decision to apply for Social Security as early as possible. Five retirement checks coming in now. Kids all grown and gone, very few bills left. Life is good and me no more worky. There are lots of worse things you can do in life besides a Navy Career...even if it means ya have to be a squid... (see post#8 again).
I asked myself the above questions when I was coming up on a "re-up or get out" decision too. The answer to all was YES, so I stuck it out, finished my degree, and got commissioned. I retired from the USMC (was a Grunt; not a Squidley - see post#8) after 21 years, and started drawing that check. I got into my second career, Higher Ed Administration, and retired from that 2 1/2 years ago. My wife also retired from Cox Communication's. We were then getting 3 retirement checks. We then made the decision to apply for Social Security as early as possible. Five retirement checks coming in now. Kids all grown and gone, very few bills left. Life is good and me no more worky. There are lots of worse things you can do in life besides a Navy Career...even if it means ya have to be a squid... (see post#8 again).
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