I am wondering why we are in such a hurry to retire from the Coast Guard. I always said I was going to do 20 and out. now that 20 is real close I don't think I want out. maybe I am not seeing all the sides to the picture. would like other peoples thoughts on this matter.

IMHO:

I think its a combination of "fear of the unknown" combined with "greener pastures" syndrome.

Enlisting at 17 or 18 yoa, people end up doing 20 years, and at now 37 or 38, are concerned on what may lie beyond "retirement".

Its a long way until true retirement at this point. Adding another ten years in service will also add possible advancement or promotion, along with longevity, increasing retirement salary. And push "true retirement" by ten years.

Some people want to do the quick "twenty and out" to gain a second career doing something else and then double dip by finishing the 2nd career by 57 or 58 years old.

I have a former partner who finished a lucrative local LE career, just finished a CGR 20-year career, and was just picked up for an extremely lucrative civilian CGIS career. He's still got years to give, but will be triple dipping in just five years.

This is why some will do 20 and out, IMHO. BTW, I have 27 years and counting...

Often it comes down to what your family desires. I've seen many successful spouses land a good job and the kids want to put down roots for their high school years.

We had to leave at 26 due to a family illness, but had planned to go to 30.

It all depends on what you want to do when you get out. I always liked the line, "the first 20 are for the Guard, and the last 10 are for you."

I sat in a couple of TAPS session with the Navy in Norfolk. Great program, even how to dress like a civilian! Quite a bit of sweating over landing a high paying job on the outside and still remaining in a Navy town. A pretty hard uphill battle for some. For me, I'll gladly drive a bus (love that GG qual code)

Active duty is a great deal, just ask all the guys and gals trying to get back in. Enjoy it while you can.

I too choose to retire due to a family illness... The CG doesn't consider it important for members to take care of their elderly parents when no one else is available to do it. In my case there was an E-8 billet available, I had been stationed at that station for 3 years (many years ago), but in the CG's infinate wisdom they disapproved my humanitarian transfer request & put someone else there who was later relieved.

Anyhow, I think in many cases the choice for retirement is based on family needs... Once again, in my case, my kids did much of their schooling in the same geographic area. I think this has been very good for them. I was able to take care of my Mother during her remaining years when no one else was available to do do...

Another reason, not mine, the job market is much better to those that retire at an earlier age.. Despite the fact that no one wants to admit it, age discrimination is running wild out there.

There are pros and cons for staying in and retiring.. I will say the retired live is WONDERFUL... Jobs are not that hard to get either... I had one while I was on termanal leave... and kept it for 5 years until my Mother took a turn for the worse. I didn't do anything for 3 years, and now I am a government employee (VA) for 'possibly' the next two years.. and a part time Captain on a 88' Broward....... You can bet when I hit 62 I'm taking my social security check and quiting all work... I've seen too many people that don't fully enjoy their "golden years"... then they drop dead. Like the saying goes.. "ya can't take it with you....."

Wray...

I left just as soon as my two year requirement for E-8 was up. We had just come under the detailer system and my first detailer would not tell me my next duty station until orders were cut. However, at that time there were so few billets for E-7,8,9 that you could pretty well figure it out. The only duty I had not had in my rate was instructor duty and there was no chance for that and I could see nothing else I cared to do. I knew by the time I hit 20 this would happen, so I worked to obtain a degree, which in those days was rare among the enlisted force.

My first Master's degree was in library science and I have never had a problem obtaining a position. Like Wray, I was running a library while on terminal leave. And like Wray, I applied for SS at age 62. I had already quit working for a paycheck and had started writing full time, which I continue to do.

I suppose to put it simply, the USCG was no longer "enjoyable" and why stay in any longer than 20 if you do not care for your assignments? (My last tour in the USCG also had a lot to do with the reason.)

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I suppose to put it simply, the USCG was no longer "enjoyable" and why stay in any longer than 20 if you do not care for your assignments?

Sums it up right there. A few more years to for 30, but the CG had lost "something". Going to work was no longer "fun". Turned down W-4, put in the letter, and closed that chapter. Theres a whole lot more out here once you drop your lines.

I think the one thing I have noticed is that the military somewhat brainwashes you into thinking there is nothing else out there for you.

I think that leads to the fear many have of getting out or retiring. There are so many high paying jobs out there for Coasties its unbelievable. Colleges are now designing "Homeland Security" degrees to fill the need for a brand new field that every single coastie has been a part of since the beginning. If you want to hang around the CG after retirement, thats your call, but in my opinion, the opportunities are passing you by in doing so.

T

I, like everyone else, could not wait to get my 20 in. I made E9 right at the 20 yr mark and had full intentions of retiring as soon as I had my required time in.
Just before I was ready to submit my letter, I got a call from one of my old (retired) buddies. He ask me; Dave why are you retiring? He said you have worked for 20 years to make it to the top. Now that you are there, why dont you stick around and enjoy it for a while?
The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I stayed for 8 more years. It was by far the most enjoyable years of my career.
My recommendation is this: Unless you have a specific reason to get out, why retire just because you can? Stick around and have some fun. Dave

The Coast Guard was very good to me and I look back at my 25 years with fond memories.I had 3 OIC jobs and 3 CO jobs, all afloat. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more, but it came to the point that there were no other assignments or challenges the Coast Guard had available that I desired. Do I regret not staying for 30? Not in the least. When I retired, the Oil Patch was crying for licenses. They had bigger ships with new challenges and the money was good. Those two careers allowed me to retire comfortably at age 55 and travel while we were still young and healthy enough to enjoy it.

When you cease to enjoy your job, it’s probably time to look elsewhere. Life is too short.

like my dad tells me " if your hate your job no amount of money is worth it". So far I have been very lucky I have been able to find something I like in every job ,so far, but it seems to take a lot more looking to find it now than when I was younger. hope to find that little thing I like 2 more times we will see

My husband did 28 years, He was in Cleveland and Admiral Smith was going to transfer him to DC. Floyd refused, Smith was adament Floyd told him he was retired. He had moved his family too many times. He loved the Coast Guard he was a CWO3 when he retired but found a job right away, with Enterprise Engine company Then he went to Fairbanks Morse Engine company He quit when they wanted him to move to San Diego. We then proceeded to buy a 24 ft fifth wheel and we traveled til he got sick in died in 1999

When my wife finished school and obtained her advanced degree plus her state special education teaching credential, she accepted a teaching position in northeastern California, in a small town located at about 4,000 feet above mean sea level - not too condusive to continue a Coast Guard career.

Also, for the 4 1/2 years previous to my 21 year mark, I had been working in the ground floor of Information Technology (IT), which then, was controlled largely by the Radioman rating.

The frustrating part of the later years was spending (or rather wasting) too many hours attending meetings in order to make the command seem that it was onboard with the Total Quality Management program. It was a real downer to spend hours as a member of a Quality Action Team (QAT) in order to come up with a solution to a problem only to find out that the old man had already made up his mind and our actions as a QAT was only a façade to make the command look good for Buzzards Point.

To make the story short, I found that there was a market for someone with IT skills as a private consultant at the town where my wife accepted her teaching position and submitted my retirement letter.

In his book, Yeager-An Autobiography, former Army Air Corps/Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager made the point that if the job is no longer fun any more, then it is probably time to find another vocation.

So it was with the Coast Guard of the early 1990s when the business management model was usurping the military leadership model, the miserable experiment in TQM was going nowhere and I had the opportunity to start my own small business in a town where other small businesses were automating their office structures.

To be sure, I did enjoy my time in the Coast Guard begining in 1970 until 1993 (with a three year hiatus where I got out and found work as an engineering technician). I worked with a lot of great people and a few not so great ones. I was able to see many great places during my career and for balance, a few dead end hole-in-the-walls.

Would I do it again if I had to?

You bet your a$$!

However, everyone should know that there IS life after the Coast Guard. The better you plan for the future, the better that life will be.

Just remember one thing. Nothing lasts forever. Those who can adapt to changes will survive. Those who can't or won't will go extinct.

mw

Who's in a rush? I hit 20 years this month, on the first. When I put on the uniform one day and say to myself I can't believe I have to do this again then I'll retire. As long as I enjoy the job and nothing comes up with the family they will have to kick me out.

The decision has to be made by each individual, but the general rule of "if it ain't fun anymore, it's time to more on" probably is a good starting point. I did over 28 but would have stayed longer if the system would have allowed it.

For me there are three elements to each job. First, is the compensation reasonable. Next, is the job challenging. Finally, are the people with whom you work enjoyable.

You can be disatisfied with any ONE of those three elements and it's probably still okay job and/or career. For example, the compensation might be less than you could get elsewhere... but you love the job and the people you work with. So you stay. Or the compenstation is great and the job is great but the people are not so great. So you put up with it and stay.

BUT if TWO or more of the three elements are not there... than you probably should move on to something you love, pays reasonable money, and has people you enjoy being around. All the money in the world isn't worth hating what you do and the people you work with and likely leads to the equivalent of the Post Office Syndrome when you blow up.

What was nice about the Coast Guard... was the transfers... because if you had a bad unit (people, job elements) you knew it was a short period until you COULD go some place else with better folks and/or more challenging job. And compenstation increased with promotion that you could earn by your own efforts.

Would I have liked more money for my luxuries and toys and retirement - you betcha. But it ain't everything.

My thoughts... and best wishes

I had 25 years in when I got transferred to my "dream" billet. After one year in that job I decided it was more of a night mare than a dream job so I put in my retirement letter. When I went to the local TAPS class, therewere lots of CDR's & CAPT's looking to land a job with a Fortune 500 company. The TAPS people put the fear of 6-12 months un-employment in everybody. I was on terminal leave and applied for a job at the local hobby shop; and started working there a few days after my retirement was final. I'm much happier making almost $10 an hour as a manger at the hobby shop than I was as a CWO4 in my last billet. I was hired for the hobby shop job because I've been building and operating radio control boat models for 30+ years. I was able to turn my hobby into gainful employment. Don't necessarily believe all the gloom and doom speech at the TAPS seminar.

Interesting comment about TAPS. I didn't go to a TAPS class prior to retirement, it seemed to me to be one last shot at military folks to tell them they really weren't prepared to live life in the real world. I did miss some of the VA benefits info by not going to TAPS, but I'm able to read, and since I'm also a Legionaire I'll get help with that when I need it.

I've discussed why I retired on a different board and won't revisit it here....I just had nothing left to give. Definitely the right decision for me.

30+ years AD, while most of it was a "hoot" there were other times when it just wasn't fun. Had a couple of Surf Stations with the best crews you could ever ask for. Unfortunately it seemed that the support from above was sorely lacking. One Group supported every award recommendation I submitted for the crew while the next made it a fight to get only three approved of many submitted. I just didn't have the patience I needed to continue with the Coast Guard. I could say that the Coast Guard changed but so did I. The Coast Guard has many opportunities and all you have to do is position yourself for them, a wonderful organization with the greatest missions. I've still got some great friends in the CG and wish them all the best. Thanks for the ride. R

I just did,nt like it anymore..and i believed i could do better..and i did.

2 shore stations in 20 years and even on those 2 i was pulled to go T.A.D u/w for someone even as the ss1/fso of station gulfport..enough already.

Besides what's that saying you,re working for half pay over 20 anyways...Don't get me wrong ..i am glad i join..but i am equally glad i left.

IT DOES FEELS WIERD BEING IN ONE LOCATION THOUGH..FOR GOING ON 8YRS NOW..I LIKE IT.

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IT DOES FEELS WIERD BEING IN ONE LOCATION THOUGH..FOR GOING ON 8YRS NOW..I LIKE IT.

I agree, but ya know what... My family & I LOVE the stability.

Wray...

My reasons were simple and similar to many here. First, if you pay me not to show up, I’ll take the money. Second, the longer the wait, the more you are susceptible to age discrimination…it’s real. Third, I have daughters in college and CG retirement for an O-3E is not enough (I can’t imagine what a retired E-6 or E-7 is taking home). Last but not least, by taking a GS-14 position w/ the CG, I’m still within the organization and by age 56, I’ll have a 2nd retirement check, over $1/2M in TSP, and by 62 (if anything is left) a social security check. But to do this, you need to plan ahead and stick to it. If I would have stayed beyond 20, none of this would be possible...or perhaps much difficult.