Advice Needed: Re-enlist or Get Out?

I haven't transitioned yet but I have one year and six months left before my major decision of re-enlisting or using my GI Bill and going to school.

I'm on my first tour. I've been in since February 2006. I'm a corpsman stationed in CP at the moment. The only thing I can really think of is getting out, going to school full-time and just being out of the military already.

I'm a little bit apprehensive at the moment. I don't hate the Navy, it just gets tiring sometime -- as does everything else, I'm sure. Overall I like it. I never experienced civilian life in a mature state or college because I came in straight from high school.

I would just like some advice from those that have been through or are going through the same decisions. Maybe there are others in my shoes as well that may benefit from any of your advice.

Here's the stuff I think about that I need some advice on:

I often think of getting out using the GI Bill and going to school full time. Possibly re entering as an officer. I was motivated to be accepted to the enlisted to officer programs like STA-21 but for that I have to stay within my enlisted field and I have no desire to become a medical officer.

I've only been in three and a half years. I feel it's too early to shoot for the 20-year mark.

If I stay in it will take very long to reach a bachelor's or master's degree in anything, compared to going to school full time.

As of late I've been hearing plenty of stories of people who have degrees not being able to find jobs due to our economy.

So, I'm a little lost.

Get out, go to school, get my degree and hopefully our economy is better enough to get a job a few years down the road or go to OCS.

Stay in, continue being okay and comfortable with my current life situation and security that being in the military gives.

Thank you for any of the help, good luck to everyone.

(Submitted by Danny Rodriiguez)

Comments

[Jeff T]

First off try applying for a medical Hospital job as a E/R
orderly or CNA or one of those LVN
Positions in as many locally
known hospitals medical centers,
local health care support clinics
and maybe even county medical facility in as many counties you can around the base where you are then determine your number of
call ins for a job interveiw.
If you base your replies from these
local facilities base your number of interveiws and go to one or two
I went to five for computer information systems then found in California where I came from I was offered in North carolina 24k a year which I could live on and go to school living with my parents
or skimping in a shared dorm until I got my degrees When I got back to california I got a job during the 1979 recession right away
cause the recession was waining
and everyone was hiring so my prospects inproved so dont be affraid I bet if you put in as many as twenty job resumes and get three interviews call them back set up the interview and find out what the salary will be per yr.
then use your home town for example
like I did I found I had nothing to fear and would never be in fear for I had proved I was marketable and I was worth way more than I ever dreamed and was able to make a grand career of my life. Reply with questions if you like.
Or ifyou would have more information wanted Id be glad to help with your quest. I made it and I felt the very same position
the marines was my military duty and I had been in for four years.
I ended my career in computers after my tenure of over 22 years
and am now retired able to start a fun career and am in my early
50's I will be a triple dipper
once I fully retire thats social security , my pension from this career, then my last jobs 401k
and roth so its reep reep reep.
cheers katnjeff2001@yahoo.com
cheers.

[Mike C]

Danny,
I found myself in your same postion back in '06. I started to like the Navy as I gained rank my third year and was able to move out into my own apt.(on my own penny), but similar to you, I didn't see much of a future considering I didn't care for my rate and the next duty station offers I had, so naturally I decided to try my hand at getting out and going to school.

Getting out and seeing the world in different shoes, I miss the camraderie I experienced in the Navy which is something very rare as far as civilian careers are concerned in my experience, since many people don't have the military bearing we do. That being said, I felt it was a wise decision getting out and using my G.I. Bill, so long as you have some support from family to keep you on your feet when you first get out. Here are a few tips:

1. Save, save, save!
Even if you haven't saved up much money, putting away 200-300 dollars a month your last year will make a big difference when you get out.

2. File for unemployment.
There is no shame in taking advantage of this benefit, as it is money you've paid for with your taxes and can ring in a good penny for some months.

3. Join the reserves!
When I got out, I wanted nothing to do with the military, but three months later, reserve recruiters came a knockin' and I answered their call after three months of interrogating them. It was the best decision I've made so far. You enjoy many benifits with very few of the setbacks you experience on active duty.

4. Do your homework on schools before getting out!
Start applying for schools before getting out or at least look into what they have to offer in the fields you might be interested, it's a lot easier than I had imagined. If you wait till you get out, time will pass you by before you even know it!

5. Apply for your G.I. Bill three months before school starts!
Yes, you read that right. You probably paid for your G.I. Bill, but there are still forms to be filled out before you can collect your benifits and this can be strangely time consuming (as far as waiting is concerned), so plan in advance.

Finally: Ensure that you've made an informed decision and not an impulsive one. The military isn't as bad as it seems sometimes. There are plenty of benifits and perks of being active military that you can't get as a civilian (but maybe as a reservist ;). All in all, I must say that it was the best decision for me getting out after my first four, leaving a window of opportunities for career growth out of the military, or maybe opportunities to join back up with a better understanding of both worlds and in a better position (rank). Any further questions, e-mail me at sublime_dude84@yahoo.com
or
cerdam@navsoc.socom.mil
and I will be very happy to answer them. Good luck shipmate!

[Anna M.]

Danny,
I have to say I agree with Mike C. for the most part.
I was a corpsman for one tour and left the service, but my husband stayed in and we are now on our last tour.
If you choose not to get out after your first tour and you might end up married in your second and then you will feel stuck as we did. Of course after marriage, kids come along and the fear grows as to whether to get out of not. The risk is much higher once you have responsibilities. My husband and I have have discussed many times about how we wish we would have walked away after our first tour.

The benefits of getting out completely outweigh the benefits of staying in, of course that's our opinion.
My advice for right now, would be save, save, save (agreeing with Mike)
Also if you want to go to school, start now. Using TA (tuition assistance). The Navy pays for you to go to school and you don't touch your GI Bill while still in service.
Your smartest move right now, since you're not sure. Start going to school, knocking out all the basics that everyone needs in order to get a Bachelors. Go anywhere, community colleges are usually the cheapest, are extremely military friendly, and offer a great education (in my experience).
Also you don't have to re-up for another full 4 years, you could choose to stay in another 2 instead and complete your Bachelors, if you're really motivated it can be done.
As for the reserves, be careful. I know Mike says they are great, but if you're an 8404 and you sign up for the reserves, you are more likely to be deployed (in many cases) than other rates. 8404 corpsman are in such short supply, all of our friends that left the active-duty life and went the reservist route ended up serving more overseas, than they had being active-duty.
Finally, make sure whereever you end up, to have the registrar at your college look over your Navy transcripts, as soon as your accepted. You will be amazed by how many college credit you can get from serving in the Navy.
Whatever do, good luck!! Make sure to follow your head and heart, not letting one have more of a weighing factor than the other.
I will offer my email if you should have anymore questions, I can forward them onto my husband, he's been around the block more than a few times and has been around the Navy his entire life (his dad was a corpsman for 22 years also). ajchicago2823@yahoo.com
Anna J.

[Former Air Force]

I would say that with the economy, stay in for a while to see what happens. Make use of your tuition assistance and you don't have to exhaust your GI bill. Get as much schooling done while in.......Online programs are great...then use your GI bill for graduate school it will launch you further with salary and positions in the civilian workforce. When you come out of the service with a degree you have it and job experience under your belt. Other college graduates have a degree but mostly no experience......think about that

[Joy]

Have you ever considered taking classes on-line? It is great!!! You can stay in the military and pursue your education at the same time. There are many colleges and universities that offer on-line courses. Just make sure that the university or college that you pick is accredited.

[el duke']

Be honest with yourself and your abilities. Do you need the structure that the navy provides to be successfull or are you self motivated? If you've been successfull in your military career and would honestly rate yourself above your peers you are the type of person that will be successful anywhere. If not maybe your best bet is to "stay blue". Be assured that when you transition to the civilian world you will miss many things you may not even know are important to you (honor, courage, commitment. Military awards and certifications matter very little in the civilian world in most cases. Weigh your options and strengths and make an educated decision not based on your feelings. Good luck shipmate!

[Alicia]

I would say make sure this is something you've really evaluated. I got out because I felt similar to you. What I didn't realize was how little my "college credits" from the military really meant in the civilian world. GO to colleges you are interested in with your transcript and your intended major and find out how many they are actually willing to take. Mine didn't take ANY! I have considered reenlisting many times since I got out in 2006 because of the security I had while in. The comraderie is definitely something you don't see in the civilian workforce. Make sure you have the correct reenlistment codes on your disharge papers if you decide to seperate so if you change your mind in the future it won't be hard to reenlist. Try to get into a different career field and improve the things you don't like FIRST. You may find that after you find your true calling it is really so much better. Talk to your supervisors and let them know how you feel and tell them what you WANT to be doing and they will probably try to help you get that security. I have been told more times then I can count when I have gone to interviews that I am "overqualified" and they aren't looking for someone with my abilities. I was even told by one that they couldn't pay me what I was worth and even though I protested and said I didn't care about the pay they still didn't hire me. Make sure before you get out you have a job in place and enough money in the bank to support yourself for several months. The transition is tough. Make sure your new employer has health insurance. As much as TriCare is a pain in the butt, it is an amazingly better system than most civilian plans! If you have a family to care for, make sure you take this next year to weigh all your options and how they will impact each of them as well!

[George]

I agree with Alicia but would add that when you check w/admissions also check w/the Dept Head of the field you're interested in. I got out as HM1 after 21 yrs and was at first told I could get several scholarships but when I checked in was told the scholarships were for AD only & the Health Services Dept Head said none of my Navy life skills counted toward a nursing degree or toward a CNA II certificate. So before you decide to leave check & double check with the school (a lot are cutting back funding & raising tuition because of the economy) & what jobs are available in the school area to cover expenses. If you stay in take classes in general core subjects using TA & correspondance courses (some colleges offer distance learning for AD).

[George]

I agree with Alicia but would add that when you check w/admissions also check w/the Dept Head of the field you're interested in. I got out as HM1 after 21 yrs and was at first told I could get several scholarships but when I checked in was told the scholarships were for AD only & the Health Services Dept Head said none of my Navy life skills counted toward a nursing degree or toward a CNA II certificate. So before you decide to leave check & double check with the school (a lot are cutting back funding & raising tuition because of the economy) & what jobs are available in the school area to cover expenses. If you stay in take classes in general core subjects using TA & correspondance courses (some colleges offer distance learning for AD).

[HMC Hedi Cermak]

I am also a corpsman. I went into the reserves after active duty and got recalled 3 times. Go to the school while you are in and take classess uses TA and then use your post 911 GI bill. If you don't like health care, then do something else.

[Big AL]

Doc, take it from a retired Marine who used to train you guys at Field Med School.
If you're burned out and fed up then get out. It doesn't get less challenging as you go on. So if you're not getting the satisfaction you seek in life due to your military committment then you already know what you've got to do. Fair warning though: The economy sucks right now. A doc, even FMF qualified means little in the civilian world unless you've passed local EMT exams or something else really rightous. If you want to go to college now is the time. Consider a NROTC program and go back in as an officer perhaps. Some of the best Naval Officers I've met were former corpsmen (including one Marine Officer). Good luck doc and thank you for your service to our country. Now do the right thing. By the way, 3.5 years time in service is NOT TOO EARLY to plan a 20 year career. If you stay in start thinking career moves now if you want to be a the top secret khaki club.

[Jerry]

You seem to be most worried about getting a degree, but I wouldn't put so much emphasis on that. A traditional degree just doesn't carry the weight it did 20-30 years ago. I'd focus on converting whatever training and experience you've gotten in the Navy into a degree or certification and just add to it as you have the time. As you've noted, plenty of people with degrees are out of work. And, an AASc degree will often earn as much as a BSc anyway.

You don't seem to mind the Navy at all. If that's true, you might want to just stick with it. I got out of the Army because I absolutely hated it, but almost any civilian job has its share of stupidity and morons. There's no escaping that - especially if you get out and then get a job where most of the employees are retired NCOs or officers!

Right now, if you don't have a very specific goal in mind that requires you to get out, I think I'd recommend staying in. When you start feeling like you just can't face one more day of it, then get out.

[Dr Ronald Shultz]

Stay in! I have often regretted leaving the military. I also got out to go to school and graduated in the middle of a recession. The career I wanted supposedly had a shortage but by the time I graduated it was overflowing with candidates. I was unemployed for a year before I got a job for seven months and was laid off and it took 14 months to find another minimum wage job though I was a college grad. It would have been good to go through such a time with a retirement check. Yes, I finally retired from the reserves but after waiting 14 years I will get a check three years from now. Unless you just absolutely hate military life stay in. You can get all the education you want while you are in. You will retire before 40 with all your papers and a check. That is a good foundation for finding another 20-30 year career. By the way, I never did get into that career field except for PT and volunteer work. I will retire from a career I never went to school for but learned by OJT. Best wishes!

[Dr Ronald Shultz]

PS

I did try to get back into the Service after college and they were not taking prior service personnel so that is also a risk. Reserve duty also screws up your life and depending on your employer's attitude you may get all the harassment he/she can get by with and still stay in the framework of the law. Somewhere along the line he/she will find a way to lay you off or fire you if you PT military duty impacts his business or is against his personal opinion.

[Jim]

I wholeheartedly advocate going to school full time regardless of any economic concerns. Nobody will ever know at any time what the job market will be like in 3 or 4 years down the line. It's worth the risk, believe me.