Contemplation

Contemplate; gather facts, review then plan. Here I sit contemplating retirement. It’s exciting and scary! I’ve had some really good conversation in the last few weeks and have heard some real different mentalities of how to look at it. So I’m still gathering facts and reviewing but starting to see the light reveal itself.
I will have my Bachelors of Science in Organizational Management sometime in early 2010. 20 years in January 2011. Thought process is 61 days of terminal leave with a target retirement date of 19Nov10. It’s a Friday morning the week before thanksgiving.

If I get out, I would start my Masters in Environmental Science at UNLV in Jan 2011 and my GI Bill would pay for everything. Go to class at night so I can do my research and smooze during the day. I’m trying to get an internship with the department of Energy or the Environmental research division, both at Nellis AFB. That’s plan A.

Plan B. Stay in, Uncle makes my house payment, pays for my Masters and I could possible advance to E-8. I would have to make 1 or 2 deployments. Then use my GI Bill to get a doctorate when I get out. My retirement check would go up slightly each year.

The question is if I’m going to go after a second retirement with the federal government the window of opportunity is small. The latest I would need to get in there is by the time I’m 45. That is 2 retirements at 65 and at least 20 years to enjoy them. Or 10 good years at Masters or Doctorate pay and I wouldn’t need a second retirement. What’s your 2 cents?