Retention

[l3it3r]

:confused:

My ETS from my initial eight year obligation is in May 2009. I've had SFC and MSG and even CSM and my Major telling me to get this and that packet in and do this or that school or signup to be warrant, OCS, etc...

Right now, I'm a network engineer for the Department of State. I have a decent life and three beautiful girls that love me. My wife and my two daughters hate when I'm gone on drill, and my wife REALLY hated when I was away for weeks when I was active. The peeps at Retention gave me the benefits speech which I actually disproved this time. :cool: But they threw that 'almost half way there' bone at me... damnit. I'm not sure. What do you guys think, and Chief Red-Snake... what's the transition like from enlisted to WO?

[Red Snake]

Going to drill and the frequent (for ARNG SF) OCONUS deployments really sucked for me too. I was SO glad when I retired.

My situation was a little different because I had 13 yrs active. That was just too much time invested to give it up. If I were 8 years in I am not sure if I would have made it or not. That's a tough call.

As for the transition to WO, it was absolutely great for me. I know SF is different from the rest of the Army but it still pretty seamless.

The greatest benefit was that I got to be in charge. :D We rarely had O-3s qualified on the scuba teams so I was detachment cdr for most of my active duty time as a WO. I didn't make any more coin than an E-7 or E-8 but I have heard that the WO pay has been increased since I retired. :rolleyes:

I really appreciated that a W-2 gets Company grade bene's and a W-3 gets field grade bene's (such as BOQ accomodations, etc..)

I didn't find WOCS to be very challenging but then I had already been thru SFs most challenging schools at that point.

I would definitely make the same decision if I had to do it all over again.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about the process. I went thru in 1992 so my info will be dated but I'll tell you whatever I can remember.:cool:

[l3it3r]

I'm not exactly happy with the unit I'm currently with. Coming from the Old Guard to a reserve unit that can't even have a formation on time is painful. We can't ever seem to have a real mission or goal, no one knows seems to know what an 'M16' is or how to use it, and the leadership never knows what's going on with the soldiers. I feel like I get treated differently as well. Being combat arms, they see my EIB and Airborne wings and immediately assume that I can (and I do) push out a class on such and such and ensure that I cover their asses while they run through the same class and 95% get first time no gos... That's not a big deal though, because if I do re-up, I'd be going through my MOS-Q school for 96B (now 35F) and would likely move to a different, more active unit. I've really conisdered WOC in the past as I like the lifestyle that WO have vs. Senior enlisted or Officer. I don't know what I'll do, and like you said, 8 isn't really that big of an investment especially since so few of those were really 'active' (5 of 8). So with only 5 to roll on, I'd need 15 more which would put me at 41 years old. I want to be sending my girls off to college by then and will be more than happy to have the time to spend WITH them rather than writing or calling from abroad. We'll see...