Crossing the finish line... running, walking or crawling... (Reserve Retirement Process)

[nittany03]

Beard or ponytail?

My last unit was 2 months on, one month off; I'm already well-practiced at the beard. Even better, now that they changed the regs, if I even do have an occasion to wear the uniform again, I wouldn't have to shave it. ?

I don't know if I can pull off any longer hair. I've considered letting it grow a little on the sides and back but the hippie ponytail is right out.

 

[wink]

Congrats man. I went out under almost the exact circumstances and for the same reasons. It's all good.

 

[AllAmerican75]

And that's all she wrote. Today is technically my last day as a SELRES, but the RAPIDS labs aren't open on weekends, so I dropped off my CAC at the NOAA office in Seattle, and picked up my retired ID. At this point I have to say I'm just glad to be done. It was a tough choice, because after all the screwiness that was my career, I had somehow stumbled my way back onto the Golden Path. I turned down what would have been a 15-month XO ride which would have been a basically-guaranteed-if-you-don't-screw-up #1 EP, which would have set me up well to buck for command and O-6 if I'd stayed in.

But I looked at the path ahead if I'd wanted to make O-6 and flag, and realized my life wouldn't have been my own, my parents aren't getting any younger, and what would I get at the end by holding down essentially a second full-time job? Statistically probably not stars, and so it was a choice to not kneecap my career in tech for an extra $15K on my pension. There's other places and ways to earn money. So in that case, rip the Band-Aid off and be done, because every hour more I put in is an hour I'm not putting into either caring for myself or becoming a more proficient geek.

Here's to 20+ more years in the tech sector . . .

Congratulations ?

 

[taxi1]

My last unit was 2 months on, one month off; I'm already well-practiced at the beard. Even better, now that they changed the regs, if I even do have an occasion to wear the uniform again, I wouldn't have to shave it. ?

I don't know if I can pull off any longer hair. I've considered letting it grow a little on the sides and back but the hippie ponytail is right out.

Well, I guess that leaves tats and piercings.

Congrats on a successful career!

 

[Uncle Fester]

Welcome to the club! This way to select your “veteran” ball cap with appropriate ribbons. That said, I think you have to wait for 48 hours before you can say “Back in my day…”

Congrats!

Now, now…don’t hate. I joked about getting the Retiree hat with Mrs Fester and she had one ready for me the day I was officially done.


….actually it’s a really comfy hat…

 

[taxi1]

Now, now…don’t hate. I joked about getting the Retiree hat with Mrs Fester and she had one ready for me the day I was officially done.

View attachment 38316
….actually it’s a really comfy hat…

It’d be funny to remove the “Re” on “Retired”

 

[Griz882]

Now, now…don’t hate. I joked about getting the Retiree hat with Mrs Fester and she had one ready for me the day I was officially done.

View attachment 38316
….actually it’s a really comfy hat…

This has always been my favorite…

 

[SynixMan]

It’d be funny to remove the “Re” on “Retired”

Saw someone modify the sticker you can buy at the NEX with exactly that

 

[snake020]

I finally gave in and transferred to the local VTU. Got tired of the ever growing absurdity of SELRES, particularly the "local" NRC.

16 months to go... and I am counting.

 

[vxc961]

I finally gave in and transferred to the local VTU. Got tired of the ever growing absurdity of SELRES, particularly the "local" NRC.

16 months to go... and I am counting.

Good luck Snake…I feel you brother! I loved the reserves, but dealing with the NRC sucked the life out of me and made me happy to punch out as soon as I could.

 

[Flash]

I finally gave in and transferred to the local VTU. Got tired of the ever growing absurdity of SELRES, particularly the "local" NRC.

16 months to go... and I am counting.

Yeah, it was definitely worth it to me to keep going 'til the end but can fully understand if in a different situation just saying 'fuck it' and volunteering to finish out.

It is a great comfort though to see how much I'll get for my retirement.

 

[ChuckMK23]

How easy is it in Navy land these days to get a Good Year points-wise in IRR/VTU?

 

[SynixMan]

How easy is it in Navy land these days to get a Good Year points-wise in IRR/VTU?

VTU isn't hard. Just keep an eye on AAs and ensure you make the numbers work. I don't know about the IRR these days. I think the days of doing classes for points is over.

 

[wink]

I finally gave in and transferred to the local VTU. Got tired of the ever growing absurdity of SELRES, particularly the "local" NRC.

16 months to go... and I am counting.

As a selres, I picked up a gig as a staff officer for NAVEUR in London. There was no NRC. We dealt with a single Admin OFFICER and his assistent on the Admiral's staff. It was incredibly refreshing and proved how you could, In fact, manage over one hundred reserves without all the NRC bullshit.

 

[vxc961]

Man...that sounds like a dream job. I sort of get why NOSCs/NRCs have to be that way, but it was GLORIOUS the few times I could actually just take care of myself and do decent work in the reserves.

VTU was sort of a pain for me, but I was doing a TON of funerals at the time, so I maxed out my AAs and still got lots of points and decent pay.