I am in the USAF and signed up for 6 years. Now before I get hate on how I’m a quitter and how I raised my right hand and made a pledge let me explain why I have been feeling the need to get out.
Firstly I joined the reserves for the education. I first wanted to do ROTC in college and become an officer but I didn’t have money to go to school and at the time was still a dependent of my parents who make really good money so I got barely any student aid and I racked up a pretty good student loan debt in two semesters.
So in my two years that I’ve been in the reserves about 1.5 of it was active duty. Basic, tech, ojt, annual tours and then I had a 6 month deployment.
I have two babies at home and 1 one the way due in November 2013, the only one Ill have had while in.
My husband is about to commission as an officer in about a year and these are just added reasons that make me want to get out. He has watched the kids grow and since he is commissioning I feel like they need someone who will be home without being deployed or going off to training. I realize I’m only reserve but my unit deploys every year.
A girl in my unit is trying to transfer bases and she started the process four months ago. Idk if she is doing something wrong or what but when my husband gets stationed my main objective is going to be getting the kids there and moving not jumping through hoops to get transferred or do what she does which is fly down to this base every drill weekend on her own money.
I also feel lifeless in the military. I want to finish school and do what I love and be with my kids. I’m sorry if I sound like a selfish mother I know I made an oath but i feel like I’m being pulled in four different directions; my husbands career, my children, college, and my career in the air force.
One of his officer buddies told me I can get out after 3 years and get all my education benefits but that was before my husband got accepted to go to training for special forces and I found out I was pregnant again so I really didn’t listen to him. So has anyone heard of this?
If you haven’t does anyone have any suggestions on how two military personnel can make life a little easier with three kids? Also I’m going on another deployment at the end of February which I think is an ok amount of time between having a kid and going back to work but it still makes me really sad knowing I’ll miss 3-6 months of their life.
Does the USAF have an Involuntary Separation Due to Parenthood? When your husband becomes commissioned, your dual military status may require a Family Care plan. Lack of a care plan is cause for seperation in the Army. Perhaps there is something similar in the USAF? If you are both military, and nobody is available to take care of your children in the event that both of you are deployed at the same time, it is in their best interest to force one of you out.
I’ll tell you what an old friend of mine told me about his experience in the Vietnam era USAF. I was never in the military, so I can’t personally vouch for this.
He said an officer can resign any time. He was an NCO, so he couldn’t do that. However, he declared himself to be unqualified to be a turboprop mechanic (too shaky,) and he spent the rest of his time working in the parts crib.
I got out a few months early back in 1992, after I’d been accepted to law school. I think it was part of a RIF (reduction in force) due to budget concerns. Given the current budget problems, it is possible the Air Force may offer something like that again. Might want to talk to your senior enlisted adviser about it.
Yes, look for something like that. I know someone who graduated from the Air Force Academy but didn’t really have his heart into military duty. He wasn’t a pilot and had stupid, useless assignments. The AF was doing a RIF and he took it in a heartbeat. With the wars winding down and budget constraints there may be a way for you to take advantage of an RIF. Investigate it thoroughly. They actually may be happy that you want out. Win-win.
First off, the OP stated that she is not a commissioned officer.
Secondly, officers certainly can not “resign at any time.” More specifically, officers cannot resign during their initial required commitment (typically 4-5 years). Beyond that, officers do not reenlist (because they are not enlisted); they just continue their service, and may resign if they wish. However, if there is a “stop-loss” policy in effect, they cannot resign. They also cannot resign during certain time frames (such as the first year after a permanent change in station, or after receipt of orders to a new duty station). Finally, the military requires sufficient notice of intent to resign (typically 6-9 months).
My experience was as a Navy officer, but I’m sure the policies for USAF officers are similar.
I knew a character who resigned. The gave him his discharge. Post-Dated. And then, since they knew he wasn’t staying anyway, they gave him 2 years of boring pointless meaningless jobs that nobody wanted while he served his time out. (Not USAF)
It should have read “Have you thought about going IRR?” I’ve known a lot of Reservists who’ve gone that route when their spouse PCS’d and there weren’t any reserve units nearby with any decent vacancies. I don’t know what the requirements are, so it may not be an option if you’r a first-termer, but its worth looking in to.
Why bother giving him important career building assignments? And they might have been routine and boring, but they probably weren’t pointless or meaningless. Probably whatever branch of service he was in was as glad to get rid of him as he was to leave.
What did your recruiter tell you?!? I can’t imagine being married to another military member, and certainly not to anyone with anything to do with special forces - you do know he can get stationed where you can’t even go visit, right?!?
Requests for special treatment take a long time. Thats just the way it is.
This is another example why enlisted military needs to unionize. Military people sacrafice SOOO much!
Realistically, you don’t have a ‘valid’ reason for breaking your enlistment commitment.
If your job performance doesn’t meet the standards required, the AF will discharge you, eventually…
USAF Msgt(ret) MasterEnlistedAircrew
I know he can get stationed places I can’t go but it’s his dream so I’m being supportive. He might not make the cut in training anyway but that’s really what kind of opened my eyes about the situation.
My job performance will never get me kicked out. Even if my heart isn’t in to things I still do them 110%
I’ll talk to mpf and my first shirt and see what they know thanks everyone for the responses.