12 ms·

I know a lot of people who "retired" before 40. They joined the military and stayed in.

justaguy88 5y ago
How does that work out, mechanically, does the military provide a pension at 40? Is it just that you have very little costs when living on-base?
- dylan604 5y ago
  20 year mark is key. Sign up when you're 18, do 20 years, you're now only 38 which is < 40. Edit: if you're super ambitious, you take the skills from your military specialization (pilot, nuke engineer, etc) to the civilian world and work another 20 years. you're now 58 which is still younger than the typical 65 for retirement, but now on 2 pensions or 1 gov't pension plus a really nice portfolio.
  - ipaddr 5y ago
    Does signing up at 50 work?
    - dylan604 5y ago
      depends on if we're in an entrenched shooting war on the ground needing frontline infrantry. usually, that type of service doesn't come with a sign-up bonus
    - peter303 5y ago
      Usually not over 35 unless special circumstances such as active war or rare skill, e.g. doctor. Plenty of middle aged signed up for 911 war.
  - Pokepokalypse 5y ago
    The most marketable skills are going to be in logistics, or procurement. Then - the corps (corporations) come looking for you.
  - aj7 5y ago
    At the national labs, you can basically walk out with proprietary technology, as long as it’s not classified, with many modules and processes dual use, where the civilian use has yet to be exploited. I’ve seen this done many times. Proof of concept is extremely expensive for the gov’t: rack mounted heavy-duty modules, premium subsystems bought from market leaders. A good engineering team can whittle costs by 90%.
- Rebelgecko 5y ago
  You can start drawing a DOD pension after you've worked for 20 years (so potentially as young as 37). That also gets you tricare (health insurance for you and your family). It's not rare for people to double-dip: do your 20 in the military, then go work as a teacher or DOD civilian or something that'll give you a second pension. If you don't blow all your expendable income on a sports car financed at 30% APR, it's also possible to build up a good nest egg by the time you retire. You can also take advantage of other veterans benefits. A friend of mine got more money from his GI bill benefits (tuition + stipend) than from the actual salary he made during his army years. Quick edit: the military has a mishmash of different retirement plans depending on when you signed up. I think the most recent one is more defined contribution focused and makes it harder to get money before you're in your 60s
  - teclordphrack2 5y ago
    But then there is the baby killing.
  - throwaway0a5e 5y ago
    >If you don't blow all your expendable income on a sports car financed at 30% APR Or knock up a stripper, or lose half your net worth when you divorce your dependa, or all the other bad life decisions that tend to plague people in that line of work. If you can get through the first 4yr unscathed you're probably on a good path.
    - amanaplanacanal 5y ago
      There's also the risk you could get sent to a war zone and get your legs or other parts blown off. Though i have the impression that's national guard work now.
      - hunter-gatherer 5y ago
        This. Of course, you can mitigate the danger by choosing an appropriate job. I did four years as a Grunt and fortunately didnt sustain any injuries, but I've been in a truck and watched the guy in front of me lose three limbs. I've watched a friend who was next to me on patrol take a few rounds and die while we tried to get him out of there, and I've seen a truck roll over in a shit trench and the gunner drown in feces. Fast forward 11 years, 10 people from my company have committed suicide. So, for anyone just chasing DoD pensions and GI bill benefits, make sure you end up as a lithographer or some shit.
- Bedon292 5y ago
  It used to. As soon as you retired you started getting paid every month for the rest of your life. At 20 years you make 50% of your base pay, so you say you join at 18, 20 years is 38. You make it to E-8 and now you retire. That's currently around $2750 a month. If you join now there is an age it kicks in I think, rather than immediate. Plus you still have access to things like the commissary if you live near a base. As well as medical insurance for life.
TrackerFF 5y ago
Having been in the military myself (albeit a short stint) it's absolutely a viable option, but just be sure you choose the right path for yourself. And be aware of the obvious downsides.
deleted 5y ago
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topkai22 5y ago
Military retirement is worth like a minimum of ~$700k for an E-7, before tricare. It's worth like $1.3M for an O-5. People who seperate from service at like 12 years astound me. Edit- People who seperate thinking they can earn more money on the outside. People who seperate for family, mental health, or similar reasons make total sense.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- RobRivera 5y ago
  RPA / Drone flying community is the exception. literally doubled income overnight trading a uniform for polo and khakis, same job, same trailer, same airframe, different airspace
  - aj7 5y ago
    And you’re out at 50, replaced by a 22-year-old.
  - bostonvaulter2 5y ago
    Wait, so are you saying there's non-military people flying drones that are flying in other countries? Although I suppose that last bit is an assumption.
    - RobRivera 5y ago
      no, nonmilitary actions. think ferry operators, they pilot within friendly airspace in a non-military mode.
- pram 5y ago
  Yes I always considered reenlistment to be committing to 20 years minimum. I got out after 4 years, but some of my friends stayed in because they were lazy and institutionalized lol. Then of course they decide to get out later because they hate it. Two of the worst decisions they’ll make.
- 5y ago
jimt1234 5y ago
A friend of mine "retired" from the military at 38. She joined right out of high school. The Navy put her through med school, then she served as a ship doctor for over 10 years, traveling to dozens of countries. She "retired" with a military pension and an MD, having never spent a penny on med school. She works basically part-time now at a local healthcare provider. Did that come across as jealous? Well, I am. We all told her she was stupid to join the military, and now we're all still paying off student debt, and she's livin' her best life. :(
- ampdepolymerase 5y ago
  If you are a decently talented software engineer and you can't match or exceed a non-specialist MD in earning power then you are doing something wrong. Especially in the current market.
  - RobRivera 5y ago
    the NPV of a Commander in the Navy is 1.3M dollars at 38...no risk
    - aj7 5y ago
      Excellent comment. I’m now 70 and well-to-do. But I was a fool to go into private enterprise with all its interpersonal dishonesty. Government jobs at the national labs had superior NPV’s— the pensions are absurdly expensive taxes on struggling workers when carried out to the 85-year typical lifespans of workers. There were layoffs, true. But I understand the psychology and passivity of persons who managed to get themselves laid off.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - washclothjr 5y ago
      > no risk
    - angry_octet 5y ago
CobaltFire 5y ago
About to execute this right now and I see some interesting numbers being thrown around for the NPV of my pension. The numbers you are seeing are really the top of the iceberg; my actual take home as a retired E7 is likely to be about twice what the pay numbers would tell you due to VA disability. So after a take home of around $72k/year and essentially free medical for my family for life, as well as my children’s college paid for (my degree was paid while on AD so they get my GI Bill), we still need to factor in Space A flights, tax free shopping, cheaper gas, gym access, beach accesses, cheaper groceries, etc. etc. The most recent numbers I saw were something north of 2 million for anyone E6+ who gets 100% VA disability, which is pretty common. That said, I rarely recommend the career to people. The costs incurred really aren’t worth it unless you get the equivalent of a lottery ticket.
- WalterBright 5y ago
  > free medical for my family for life, as well as my children’s college paid My dad was career Air Force. The free family medical ended when I was 18. PX privileges ended at 21. No money at all for college.
  - CobaltFire 5y ago
    All of that is conditional of course; you are correct in suggesting that those benefits end at those times typically. Some situations change that; one of my children is special needs and may never be independent so would stay in my healthcare for life. The transfer of GI Bill is relatively recent but if your father was even 0% disabled (I don’t think there’s a vet that isn’t) California would have waived your tuition to any state school after you became a resident. There are other situations that result in free college.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]

How does that work out, mechanically, does the military provide a pension at 40? Is it just that you have very little costs when living on-base?

dylan604 5y ago
20 year mark is key. Sign up when you're 18, do 20 years, you're now only 38 which is < 40. Edit: if you're super ambitious, you take the skills from your military specialization (pilot, nuke engineer, etc) to the civilian world and work another 20 years. you're now 58 which is still younger than the typical 65 for retirement, but now on 2 pensions or 1 gov't pension plus a really nice portfolio.
- ipaddr 5y ago
  Does signing up at 50 work?
  - dylan604 5y ago
    depends on if we're in an entrenched shooting war on the ground needing frontline infrantry. usually, that type of service doesn't come with a sign-up bonus
  - peter303 5y ago
    Usually not over 35 unless special circumstances such as active war or rare skill, e.g. doctor. Plenty of middle aged signed up for 911 war.
- Pokepokalypse 5y ago
  The most marketable skills are going to be in logistics, or procurement. Then - the corps (corporations) come looking for you.
- aj7 5y ago
  At the national labs, you can basically walk out with proprietary technology, as long as it’s not classified, with many modules and processes dual use, where the civilian use has yet to be exploited. I’ve seen this done many times. Proof of concept is extremely expensive for the gov’t: rack mounted heavy-duty modules, premium subsystems bought from market leaders. A good engineering team can whittle costs by 90%.
Rebelgecko 5y ago
You can start drawing a DOD pension after you've worked for 20 years (so potentially as young as 37). That also gets you tricare (health insurance for you and your family). It's not rare for people to double-dip: do your 20 in the military, then go work as a teacher or DOD civilian or something that'll give you a second pension. If you don't blow all your expendable income on a sports car financed at 30% APR, it's also possible to build up a good nest egg by the time you retire. You can also take advantage of other veterans benefits. A friend of mine got more money from his GI bill benefits (tuition + stipend) than from the actual salary he made during his army years. Quick edit: the military has a mishmash of different retirement plans depending on when you signed up. I think the most recent one is more defined contribution focused and makes it harder to get money before you're in your 60s
- teclordphrack2 5y ago
  But then there is the baby killing.
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  >If you don't blow all your expendable income on a sports car financed at 30% APR Or knock up a stripper, or lose half your net worth when you divorce your dependa, or all the other bad life decisions that tend to plague people in that line of work. If you can get through the first 4yr unscathed you're probably on a good path.
  - amanaplanacanal 5y ago
    There's also the risk you could get sent to a war zone and get your legs or other parts blown off. Though i have the impression that's national guard work now.
    - hunter-gatherer 5y ago
      This. Of course, you can mitigate the danger by choosing an appropriate job. I did four years as a Grunt and fortunately didnt sustain any injuries, but I've been in a truck and watched the guy in front of me lose three limbs. I've watched a friend who was next to me on patrol take a few rounds and die while we tried to get him out of there, and I've seen a truck roll over in a shit trench and the gunner drown in feces. Fast forward 11 years, 10 people from my company have committed suicide. So, for anyone just chasing DoD pensions and GI bill benefits, make sure you end up as a lithographer or some shit.
Bedon292 5y ago
It used to. As soon as you retired you started getting paid every month for the rest of your life. At 20 years you make 50% of your base pay, so you say you join at 18, 20 years is 38. You make it to E-8 and now you retire. That's currently around $2750 a month. If you join now there is an age it kicks in I think, rather than immediate. Plus you still have access to things like the commissary if you live near a base. As well as medical insurance for life.

TrackerFF 5y ago

Having been in the military myself (albeit a short stint) it's absolutely a viable option, but just be sure you choose the right path for yourself. And be aware of the obvious downsides.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

topkai22 5y ago

Military retirement is worth like a minimum of ~$700k for an E-7, before tricare. It's worth like $1.3M for an O-5. People who seperate from service at like 12 years astound me. Edit- People who seperate thinking they can earn more money on the outside. People who seperate for family, mental health, or similar reasons make total sense.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
RobRivera 5y ago
RPA / Drone flying community is the exception. literally doubled income overnight trading a uniform for polo and khakis, same job, same trailer, same airframe, different airspace
- aj7 5y ago
  And you’re out at 50, replaced by a 22-year-old.
- bostonvaulter2 5y ago
  Wait, so are you saying there's non-military people flying drones that are flying in other countries? Although I suppose that last bit is an assumption.
  - RobRivera 5y ago
    no, nonmilitary actions. think ferry operators, they pilot within friendly airspace in a non-military mode.
pram 5y ago
Yes I always considered reenlistment to be committing to 20 years minimum. I got out after 4 years, but some of my friends stayed in because they were lazy and institutionalized lol. Then of course they decide to get out later because they hate it. Two of the worst decisions they’ll make.
5y ago

jimt1234 5y ago

A friend of mine "retired" from the military at 38. She joined right out of high school. The Navy put her through med school, then she served as a ship doctor for over 10 years, traveling to dozens of countries. She "retired" with a military pension and an MD, having never spent a penny on med school. She works basically part-time now at a local healthcare provider. Did that come across as jealous? Well, I am. We all told her she was stupid to join the military, and now we're all still paying off student debt, and she's livin' her best life. :(

ampdepolymerase 5y ago
If you are a decently talented software engineer and you can't match or exceed a non-specialist MD in earning power then you are doing something wrong. Especially in the current market.
- RobRivera 5y ago
  the NPV of a Commander in the Navy is 1.3M dollars at 38...no risk
  - aj7 5y ago
    Excellent comment. I’m now 70 and well-to-do. But I was a fool to go into private enterprise with all its interpersonal dishonesty. Government jobs at the national labs had superior NPV’s— the pensions are absurdly expensive taxes on struggling workers when carried out to the 85-year typical lifespans of workers. There were layoffs, true. But I understand the psychology and passivity of persons who managed to get themselves laid off.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - washclothjr 5y ago
    > no risk
  - angry_octet 5y ago

CobaltFire 5y ago

About to execute this right now and I see some interesting numbers being thrown around for the NPV of my pension. The numbers you are seeing are really the top of the iceberg; my actual take home as a retired E7 is likely to be about twice what the pay numbers would tell you due to VA disability. So after a take home of around $72k/year and essentially free medical for my family for life, as well as my children’s college paid for (my degree was paid while on AD so they get my GI Bill), we still need to factor in Space A flights, tax free shopping, cheaper gas, gym access, beach accesses, cheaper groceries, etc. etc. The most recent numbers I saw were something north of 2 million for anyone E6+ who gets 100% VA disability, which is pretty common. That said, I rarely recommend the career to people. The costs incurred really aren’t worth it unless you get the equivalent of a lottery ticket.

WalterBright 5y ago
> free medical for my family for life, as well as my children’s college paid My dad was career Air Force. The free family medical ended when I was 18. PX privileges ended at 21. No money at all for college.
- CobaltFire 5y ago
  All of that is conditional of course; you are correct in suggesting that those benefits end at those times typically. Some situations change that; one of my children is special needs and may never be independent so would stay in my healthcare for life. The transfer of GI Bill is relatively recent but if your father was even 0% disabled (I don’t think there’s a vet that isn’t) California would have waived your tuition to any state school after you became a resident. There are other situations that result in free college.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]