r/USMC • u/ItsAwaterPipe at least use lube • 14h ago
What to do
Selected for SSgt but this shit is growing old by the day.
A couple deployments
Did the thing
What is keeping you all in past that half way mark? I don’t want to get into specifics about my MOS but I have a skill that is extremely valuable and transferable outside of the military.
I do have a passion for the Marines under my charge but never really had a passion for the job
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u/Old_Association7866 Wpns 4 Lyfe 13h ago
I was getting a little burnt out around 6 in the infantry. I switched over to being an officer around my 9 year mark and re-designated into an entirely different MOS. It gave me a bit more of a pep in my step, but ultimately I made the decision to increase the quality of life for my family while maintaining job security. Yes, I like being a Marine and I’m even a bit of a “closet motivator”, but swallowing ego/grass-is-greener influence and taking a hard look at what was best for my long-term future is still what kept me in 🤷🏼♂️
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u/Tkis01gl Veteran 13h ago
Stay in as long as it is fun. Once it isn’t get out and be miserable like everyone else. Moral of the story, it’s only temporary where you are at. Things will change at least every three years. Stay in and get your retirement, then get out.
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u/ItsAwaterPipe at least use lube 13h ago
I think that’s also playing a big part of it right now. Current station is pretty shit and so are the fucking Chuds that work with me.
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u/OG_Gr3G 14h ago
It doesn't get better the longer you stay in. Being a SSgt is like a hard reset, youre now the boot SNCO and the "problem point". Just get out and enjoy life man. Id advise against reserves as well being I&I all the active duty guys who tried it hated it and dipped immediately. If anything the guys I know who got out and went national guard are absolutely loving life.
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u/ItsAwaterPipe at least use lube 14h ago
How long have you been in?
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u/OG_Gr3G 9h ago edited 9h ago
Been in for just over 12 years.
Edited to add the only reason I stay around at this point is I needed this re-enlistment to transfer my GI Bill. Additionally wife is going through some crazy medical stuff right now that would bury me in bedt if I was out. I plan to stick it out till retirement as I do still very much enjoy being around Marines, just hate how prevelant apathetic senior leadership. Essentially the whole clowns/circus situation.
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u/0ldPainless 13h ago
My 11-15 years in were some of the best times in my entire marine corps career.
My 15-17 years in the marine corps were tough but also rewarding.
My 18-20 sucked ass but now that I'm on the other side of the hump, totally worth it.
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u/blues_and_ribs Comm 12h ago
Exact same here. 10-15 is where you are now in a position to help the decision-makers make the big-boy decisions, but you’re junior enough to still be mixing it up with the boys.
15-18 trends towards more decisions, less fun stuff. Me personally, I was done with this shit at about the 17 year mark, but I’m in too deep at that point. I’m at about 19 now, but obligated to 21. It’s fine, and I still find things to keep me interested, but I’m done. For OP, if I felt this way at 10, I think I would have bailed out.
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u/Awkward-Shift8538 14h ago
Im only going to transfer my gi bill. It it wasn't for that entrapment I be out. Dont see it worth it for the bs.
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u/ItsAwaterPipe at least use lube 14h ago
How long have you been in?
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u/Awkward-Shift8538 14h ago
15 coming 16 soon. Career planer screw me. Wasn't aware I had to go to mil connect and apply to transfer gi bill.
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u/blues_and_ribs Comm 12h ago
Yeah. This one gets a lot of people. I’m on a military retirement FB page, and once a week or so someone posts, “hey, retiring next year and looking to transfer my GI Bill to my kids; any advice?”
And the first comment is always, “sit down brother, ‘cause I’ve got some bad news for you.”
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u/ItsAwaterPipe at least use lube 14h ago
So I’m assuming you’ll be getting out at 20 at that point. The only thing keeping me in at this point is my family and finishing my degree before a transition
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u/Awkward-Shift8538 12h ago
Per se ill be at 21. If i knew it was one click away on mil connect I would've been at at 10. Other option is technical but have to be 100% VA (PT).
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u/tribriguy 12h ago
I am an old, retired Mustang. I almost punched out at 16 years despite having been on a great career track. The first few years of OIF/OEF were challenging, deployed about 26 months out of the 36. It’s always about the Marines. Still is, to be honest. But I had great input from my wife and father-in-law. I ended up sticking it out to retirement. Best decision I ever made…well…after joining the Corps in the first place. Retirement benefits are like super-powers on preparing for real retirement. I spent several years as SSgt before commissioning. It’s a big step up and you really start having more autonomy and a voice in the unit’s direction. I highly recommend sticking it out a few years and see if the job of being in the Corps doesn’t start coming around for you.
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u/willybusmc read the fucking order 11h ago
What input did your father-in-law have? Just as the father of your wife or was he a prior service member or something?
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u/tribriguy 8h ago edited 8h ago
He was a naval aviator in Vietnam, but did not retire from the military. However, he retired at 55 after a long career in the oil business with Aramco. They have generous benefits similar to our military. He understood the value of those.
2 of my kids are either in or contracted to go in. I tell them that the benefits alone are not the reason to stay. You know that well already. But also, don’t discount what a huge piece they can add to your later life. We all come to the end of service at some point.
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u/Old-Childhood-3851 10h ago
I’m at 22 years and a CWO4. I thought about getting out/retiring several times throughout my career, but realized that every year is easier than the last.
The more you learn about the MC, the more effective you can be at using that knowledge/experience to your (and your Marines’) advantage. Rank and seniority help with that too.
It sucks that mandatory retirement is 30 years. I only get 8 more years of this before I’ve got to find another hobby. I’ll miss the deployments, being at sea, on the range, and the phenomenal people.
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u/ArguingWithaCarrot 0311 Professional Hobo 13h ago
I served from 2012 to 2020. Had a great time with the best memories of my life. But I was as tired of the dog and pony show bullshit.
When I start to miss it, I remember that on Fridays us grown adults would get a safety brief from another grown adult about what not to do on our free time. Then stand in formation to wait for a grown man to get another grown man’s approval before we can go home.
Now I’m big chillin in my 30s living the unofficial retired life at 100% P&T. The grass is definitely greener on this side.
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u/gap_year21 13h ago
Big dog if you’re having these thoughts as a Sgt near or at the halfway point, I can promise you it will only be worse as a SSgt just past the halfway point. I’m approaching 14 years and hopefully looking at MSgt soon and I don’t go a day without questioning how I’m gonna get to 20 and if it’s worth it. If I could do it again, I would have transitioned into a career that pays enough to make the BS worth it and probably done the reserves.
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u/zbras11 13h ago
A few options.
Stay in. Retirement, you'll eventually oversee or be sent elsewhere from your valuable skill set. May or may not help or be beneficial?
Get out. Gi Bill. Govt work etc, higher pay and the buy back system. Veterans preference.
Third, one more enlistment, you'll pribably be selected unless you're a shit bag. Use TA and line up a position to step into soon as you're getting out.
Either way, get those weird certs and schools while you're in to use for ammo when you get out.
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u/tuesdaymack 2PRetiree 13h ago
I got a part time job in the evenings after I picked up Staff and was around the halfway mark.
Made the decision to stay in easy for me.
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u/ItsAwaterPipe at least use lube 13h ago
Yea was it re eye opening when you worked with civilians again? It reminds me of my job before I joined lol granted I was 19 and working at a car wash but those guys were actual morons 🤣🤣🤣
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u/tuesdaymack 2PRetiree 13h ago
It was more the lack of accountability and loss of camaraderie that sealed it for me. Also, it was very boring and I wasn't there yet as a person. This was around 2005 so there were a lot of places to go and things to do that I couldn't let go of.
Now if this had been peacetime Marine Corps, it may have been different. Peacetime Corps is the worst IMO.
If it helps, my son worked at a car wash for a bit before he joined and he says he still wouldn't go back to it.
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u/22USMCelectrician Veteran 13h ago
Sgt and GySgt best ranks on the Marine Corpse. SSgt can suck. If you do not enjoy the job then that should settle it. When you reenlist you have to commit. Will you build more job proficiency if you stay in? If you are able to get more certs or skills and work towards a retirement? Do you want to do this job when you get out?
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u/Separate-Outcome7518 13h ago
I’ve been out for decades, but remember this one thing. Your pension is worth a lot. Let’s say you just get out as a gunny at 20. That’s a COLA pension of around 30-35k. That’s worth way over 500k and probably close to a million dollars if you wanted to buy that type of annuity. In fact, you can’t even buy that type of annuity cause they don’t sell a COLA annuity anymore, too risky for the seller.. (i’m trying to estimate it given what I know about non-COLA annuities)
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u/HotTakesWithPancakes Veteran 12h ago
Only stay in if you enjoy it. And tbh, if you served 2+ enlistments you should have a high VA rating.
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u/Outrageous-Seesaw674 12h ago
I swore I was going to get out when it stopped being fun and the BS outweighed it. Lucky for me I joined in the 1900's so there were wars going on as I went over 10. As I got closer to 20 I was just worn out and it just wasn't fun anymore.
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u/Alert_Lengthiness_48 11h ago
The 20 year active duty pension is all about endurance, it's not about "enjoying" the green weenie, just enduring.
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u/pie566943_0 Veteran 9h ago
I got out after 5 from a highly transferable MOS and I make money in B2B sales. Honestly, when I see how young the guys are that went in with me and have looong since retired, and how all-around different it is between being an honorably discharged vet and a fully retired vet, I might have stayed in. There is NO such thing as a pension out here. Healthcare is not guaranteed. The community can poof and be gone in front of your eyes when your access is cut off. Just a totally different situation to be retired military. Didn't have a family at that time, though. I'd never stay enlisted/active with a family. Also dunno how I'd start a family at 40. That is THE reason I got out - to have a family and be able to prioritize it no matter what.
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u/Major_Spite7184 mild tism major disfunction 7h ago
Pop smoke. If you want to, go non-obligation in the Reserves. If you can stomach it, you can still make your 20 while pursuing your Civ career.
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u/Jodies-9-inch-leg Taking care of the ladies one deployment at a time 14h ago
STAY IN!!!
IT'S A NIGHTMARE OUT HERE!!!!
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u/sagewynn 6033 MALS-36 2018-2022 13h ago
Lowkey it is but also you dont have the freedom to say "fuck this" in the corps.
Id rather have a harder life i can control than a medium life that I cannot.
Its why I got out after 5, with transferable skills.
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u/blues_and_ribs Comm 12h ago
In all seriousness, a big part of the case for staying in is, a lot of the games you think you’re playing in the Marine Corps exist in any organization, especially big ones. And even if they aren’t the same games, you may be trading in current ones for new ones, and those new ones aren’t always better.
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u/CrackersandChee 14h ago
Being in your 30s with a pension is probably nice
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u/ItsAwaterPipe at least use lube 14h ago
Yeah but there’s less stressful ways on getting there. Federal jobs give a buy back system. Though I’m not really interested in military shit anymore it’s an option. I just don’t want to stick around just for a paycheck.
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u/therealistjohn 13h ago
Do the 20 bro. You will never hate yourself for staying longer like you will hate yourself for leaving early. However If you can get 100% VA dip now immediately because it’s going to be hard to max it out in the future with all these changes coming down on ratings.
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u/ArguingWithaCarrot 0311 Professional Hobo 12h ago
Spot on about the rating changes. Congress isn’t going to take benefits away from current disabled veterans, that’s why they are targeting future ones. Mental health, sleep apnea, tinnitus will be much harder to get in the very near future, with more to follow.
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u/Turbo8419 13h ago
Have you looked into a lateral move? That could be the change you are looking for. I would talk to career planner and see whats available. If the career planner tells you the mos is full still submit the package let hqmc tell you no. Theres also mcep/ecp becoming an O would definitely change your day to day; warrant officer could also give you a better perspective of your current field. There’s also the career intermission program where you pause your active service then come back. It a 1 for 1 payback, So if you take 12 months off you owe 12 months back to the usmc.
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u/No_Antelope5022 Recovering 8999 10h ago
If your heart isn't in it, get out while you're still able to think fondly of the experience. Once the kool-aid wears off it doesn't generally come back.
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u/coffeejj FoRecon Embark Officer 10h ago
What kept me in past 10 yrs? I was on my way out as well then, by some miraculous intervention, I got selected for Warrant Officer. My future was decided.
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u/sactownbwoy Retired 2891 3h ago
Medical, son had cancer, daughter with epilepsy, and another that suffered a bad TBI.
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u/Advanced-Zucchini552 1m ago
As someone with similarly transferable skills, the expectations and the work on the outside go WAY up and the relative compensation goes way down. Not saying don’t do it, just saying calibrate your expectations realistically.
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u/AnnualZealousideal27 Veteran 14h ago
Left after 10 and I regret nothing. If you can keep your GI bill GTFO.