Career Path > Navy:Staying In

Stay in or Get out

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nukewifeymomof2:
So my Hubby has 1.5 years left in the navy. He is an E-6 ELT on a sub. He will be getting out after 12 years. I was wondering what yalll thought about staying in and trying to do LDO or staying in and seaman to officer or just say hell with it and get out cause the quality of life would be better. What is holding me back from saying forget this navy life is the retirement at the age of 38. Well someone please give me some opinions before he signs on the dotted line again.

Gamecock:
From someone who will be retirement eligible next year at age 37.....

STAY

Tell your husband to apply for every officer program there is...Seaman to Admiral, LDO, etc.  Just know that you have to serve ten years as an officer before you can retire....even if that means you are over 20.

However, the navy needs good CPO's also, so I would recommend staying even if he does not get an officer program

In my opinion, 12 years is too much time to throw away a guaranteed income and health care for life.

Just my opinion.

GC

co60slr:

--- Quote from: nukewifeymomof2 on Oct 30, 2009, 08:45 ---So my Hubby has 1.5 years left in the navy. He is an E-6 ELT on a sub. He will be getting out after 12 years. I was wondering what yalll thought about staying in and trying to do LDO or staying in and seaman to officer or just say hell with it and get out cause the quality of life would be better. What is holding me back from saying forget this navy life is the retirement at the age of 38. Well someone please give me some opinions before he signs on the dotted line again.

--- End quote ---
It depends.   Is he happy?  Does he come home miserable from the sub and that rubs off on the family?

1.  Officer Program normally means "college education program".   He can start working on college now, also apply to an officer program now, and see how far each path gets over the 1.5 years.   If he's going to get out, he's late if he didn't start some kind of college program...soon.   In any event, doing nothing is the wrong answer for a future technical career.

2.  Navy Retirement.  It's not an insignificant amount of money when you add up the paycheck, COLA, and benefits....for life.   (In the millions).   Would he like to do another 8 years for...lets say...$2M?    (https://staynavytools.bol.navy.mil/RetCalc/Default.aspx has good income estimation calculators) Also, the Tricare for Retirees is not a trivial benefit either.   Many people who leave the Navy without retiring are finding the cost of an equivalent civilian health care program can run about $900/month just for the employee's share.   The Tricare Dental for Retirees is among the best available.   So, you have some significant benefits to consider for another 8 years.

3. Loss of Federal Tax Advantage, State Taxes.  Also on the StayNavy website...calculate how much he will have to make before taxes to bring home the same paycheck.   Then, can he make that amount if he were to write a resume today?

4.  How can he make the most of the next 8 years?   Is he EOOW/EWS qualified?  (Many people consider that too late and then try to get into a commercial SRO program...only to find they're not eligible).   What does he want his resume to say one day in 1.5 years, or in 10 years?   Then, how can the Navy help him achieve his long-term goals?   During a prototype tour at KAPL, he can get a RPI full engineering degree.   Radiation Protection post-Navy?  Then, maybe a CHP certification and/or RCTQS/RCT at an NRMD (with still enough time for an engineering technology degree).   

4.  LDO puts him into being a technical manager (not into shooting torpedoes or being a CO some day).   Getting that experience as a Project Manager, QA Officer, RADCON Officer, etc can add opportunities that are otherwise unavailable as an enlisted.   CPO/SCPO/MCPO...all offer increasing amount of responsibility through CSS and TYCOM jobs as well.   

Don't assume that life is a garden of eden in the civilian world though either.   It all depends on what you want as a family, and what he wants/needs to do for his own self-worth.   I've seen many that LOVE going out to sea, and some that are completely miserable the whole time.  Therefore, the fundamental question is for his family to decide.   In any event, the day will come when he'll have to prepare the resume.  He does need to decide...today what he wants it to say when he separates.   This Forum is filled with questions about "HELP....getting out in 3 months"; however, it's too late to change much on your resume at that point.   

Excellent time to ask some good questions!  Good Luck!

Co60

kp88:
The decision as to whether or not to consider a Navy career should be made in the first enlistment.  After twelve years of service, at least a couple of re-enlistments have happened, so, you've got a level of comfort in the Navy.
A lot of benefits will be thrown away should you be willing to start over, and you will be starting over.  That level of comfort and support gets thrown away too.
But, then again, nobody takes a commercial nuclear plant to sea for nine months at a time either.  That's hard on the family, to say the least.
Good luck with your decision.

Fermi2:

--- Quote from: Gamecock on Oct 30, 2009, 08:55 ---From someone who will be retirement eligible next year at age 37.....

STAY

Tell your husband to apply for every officer program there is...Seaman to Admiral, LDO, etc.  Just know that you have to serve ten years as an officer before you can retire....even if that means you are over 20.

However, the navy needs good CPO's also, so I would recommend staying even if he does not get an officer program

In my opinion, 12 years is too much time to throw away a guaranteed income and health care for life.

Just my opinion.

GC



--- End quote ---


Agreed. My guess is if he's any good he'll make the money back he might lose within 6 years but that's NOT the same as having it guaranteed in 8 years.

Mike

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