Today is my last day on my current job, I'm leaving with very miced feelings. Been doing the job for 8 years now (I'm in the US Army).
Anyway, I start my terminal leave tommorrow, and i have until January 5th to decide if I want to stay. I was offered a nice job in the local community
doing similar work to what I do now. It really didn't hit me until last weekend when I started to bring personal items home from the office.
Honestly this is all I have known proffesionally, and to not be a "green suiter" anymore scares me.
I am seriously considering joining again for a few more years. Don't go to the whole Iraq thing, It's part of the job, I already understand
that.
Any one else go through something similar to this, have any insight to share?
quote:
Originally posted by derf
I was offered a nice job in the local community doing similar work to what I do now. It really didn't hit me until last weekend when I started to bring personal items home from the office. Honestly this is all I have known proffesionally, and to not be a "green suiter" anymore scares me.
I am seriously considering joining again for a few more years. Don't go to the whole Iraq thing, It's part of the job, I already understand that.
It depends how far ahead you want to think Derf.
None of us are getting any younger - it depends on your employment prospects and your ability to adapt to change when you come out of the army.
Just bear in mind that however difficult you will find it now, it will be more so later.
EDIT: stu16v beat me to it - seconded! and good luck
[Edited on 9/12/04 by Dave Ashurst]
Derf you have a U2U but Stu and Dave have beaten me to it!
ATB fozzie
my Dad stayed in 26+ years. retired with nice pension. went to work "doing similar" and retired, again. another nice pension.
I got out after 3. if I had stayed in, I would have more time in than my dad. I, too, could be retired.
somehow, I think he made the wiser decision.
dave
My dad worked for Racal/Vodapage/Vodafone for 20 odd years. now works for siemens for the past 2 years and will be leaving and starting in NEC in
January. I think he learn't that spending too much time in one place isn't always good.
Adam
Perhaps I've got a unique perspective. I've been with my company for 10 years at christmas. This is my second stint. I left when we
relocated, things didn't work out so joined again......
At the time, leaving and re-joining where the right things to do for me. Looking back with hindsight I shouldn't have rejoined as i think i would
have been better off with another company.
The point is tho, i made the decisions that where right for me. I knew in my heart what I had to do and why i'd made the decisions I had. The
leaving and rejoining where difficult......but its not that difficult.
Good luck with your decision and remember, above all else, the only important thing is .......... no not the wife, kids, mortgage, health, career
........ the locost 
most jobs go to a lot of trouble to enforce health and safety.
being in the forces must be one of the only jobs where death is a part of the job.
'storm that machine gun post soldier' cant be refused on the grounds of health and safety!
atb
steve
A little history about my illustrious career, which I should have mentioned...
I've been overseas 2 times, Bosnia (9 months in 98) and afganistan (4 months in 2002), neither was as bad as news reports make it out to be.
Ive been promoted 6 times, I have enough rank to stay in as long as I want. I am 6 years ahead of my peer group, and well on the way to what my
supervisors say could be a long and meaningful career.
I still have some time (a mandatory 2 years) that I have to serve in an inactive status where my name is on a list, and I have to call in 1 time a
year. I also have the option of being in the reserves, which is almost a definate, I don't know of any other part time job that will give a
pension.
I can function in the real world fine, I'm just not sure I want to. Proffesionally, except for some seasonal side work I really don't know
anything else. They have given me all the keys to success, education (bachelors degree winter 06), proffesional experience, management experience
etc...
I left the British army two and a half years ago now and have not really looked back. I realise that the US Army are by no means any where near to
being as overcomitted as the British (I spent two thirds of my 16 years overseas Includiong several tours of the middle east, Bosnia and Northern
Ireland). But anyway that was my reason for getting out - pure overstretch.
I found that there was a lot of respect for the man management skills and project co-ordination skills I have developed and feel that my career made
me more able to deal with a second career in a proffessional manner (something which i tend to despise in my colleagues!)
In short - go for it - there is a 'real' life out there.
Only real regrets? I feel a little left out of it in a way (if I had stayed in I would have server at least two 6 month tours in Iraq by now) and also
the social side of things....
I know this is contrary to what you are trying to achive with your post BUT don't listen to any opinions on here.
Make up your own mind and live with your decision rather than thinking later 'I wish I hadn't listened to them'
This is not said as harsh, please don't read it as such.
Life changing decisions that are discussed widely can lead to a sense of frustration when no clear cut answer comes through.
It's a bit like the couples that are going through a very personal breakup. They discuss/deride it far and wide. Then they make up and wished
they had kept quiet and made their own decisions.
Now, contradiction.
One thing I would say, in all my dealings with anyone who has been in the forces, is that they all wished they were back there after a taste of
'civvy' life. It's a cocooned, protected environment compared to out in the 'real world' (Again don't take offence at
terminology)
Ask yourself this. Is it a way of life you would really, really miss?
[Edited on 10/12/04 by Rob Lane]
another way to look at it is
are you more concerned with missing the job you have had all those years
or
purely staying on cos you dont want the uncertainty of the outside world, even thou you would really like to do something else...
atb
steve
Actually I have to agree with Rob, I was only trying to relate my experience and motivation.
And yes it is a scary decision, bloody scary. 
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRThe point is tho, i made the decisions that where right for me. I knew in my heart what I had to do and why i'd made the decisions I had.
The good thing about this all is that whatever descision you take Derf you will never be able to tell if the "other descision" would have
been better.
So any descision you take is the right one.
Dunno if you guy's work on the same principle but if I leave the royal navy, I can rejoin and pick up where I left off without any loss, within a
year of leaving.
Don't think I will leave though, what other job will pay me plenty to "blow s**t up"?
Chris
Derf, you have a u2u
Im about to start a new job as a wind farm technician on the 1st January 2005. I.m finally leaving the coal fired power station that i've worked
at for the last 18 years since beginning my apprenticeship. Its a scary thought for me too movin on to something new, somewhere new!!!Looking forward
to fresh challenges though...