Hi
I guess I have been hoping for my DS a good and productive 20 year run and then possible flying for a major airline 2 or 3 days a week and having a good life. I guess we will all see how it works out in the end.
Regards
John
And that is quite possible. I have quite a few friends who flew in the air force and are now, after retiring 20 years later, are flying for major airlines like United, Delta, Southwest, and American. But there are going to be some that don't want to fly any longer. They don't want to be away from home 2-3 days a week.
Again; this is where skills come in to play. A pilot is an excellent example. If you want to continue flying after 20+ years of flying skills in the air force, then that's great. What if you don't want to fly. You have a degree from a great school. You have a lot of management experience. But depending on what you want to do when you get out of the military, that may not be enough. What if you were a medical surgeon for 20 years and wanted to start a NEW career. Your education and experience will get you so far.
The point is, in the military, there are many "Military Specific" type jobs and experiences. If you can find a job in the civilian world that is similar and requires the same experiences, then you'll have no problem. If the job you do is military specific, or you don't want to have anything to do with that job when you get out of the military, then you better develop more and different skills. That's why when people ask: "What should I major in at the academy". I always say: "It should be in something you want to do when you get out of the military". Remember; to become an air force pilot, it DOESN'T MATTER what your degree is in. It can be english, engineering, behavioral science, chemistry, history, military studies, etc.... So, how will this degree help you when you are no longer flying for uncle same. Same if you get a business or economics degree and are a supply, financial, personnel, etc... officer. If you want that similar career when you get out; great. What if you want to get into computers, telecommunications, hotel management, physical fitness, mechanical, etc... You better learn new skills while you're in the military.
Here's a small example. One of my degrees when I was in the military, which was related to my job, was a degree in electronics. However; in my 20 year career, my minor was Psychology. I learned computers from scratch to hardware, software, networking, etc... (Eventually, I received a 2nd degree in computer science/IT networking); I learned how to drive Tractor Trailers and even got a CDL license; learned AUTOCAD and how to draw and design blue prints. Learned how to write contracts, proposals, etc...; Got an NEC electrical license; got an RF FCC license; learned how to do construction; took classes in Quality Control; and many other skills. All of this was done WHILE I was still in the military. When I was ready to retire from the air force, I only had to decide WHAT AREA I wanted to get a job in. Take any/all of the skills and then add the various college degrees; management experience; personnel experience; financial experience; technical experience; etc.... and qualifying for a good paying job was not ever a problem.