Archives for November 2010

Let's wrap up the "Six months before retirement" series of posts with a few odds & ends on how to spend your last days around the office. Various groups at your command will want to say their goodbyes separately from your retirement ceremony. This usually involves a lunch or even a dinner party. Since they're doing all the work (and you're … [Read more...] about The command’s farewell and saying “See you later” to everyone else

You've been waiting years for this exit interview!  It's finally time to tell your chain of command exactly what you think of them!!  All of your weapons are ready to fire, the missiles are ready for launch, and you have tons of bombs to drop. You've been holding back far too long and the military can't possibly survive without your opinion of … [Read more...] about Exit Interviews, Last-Minute Questions, and the Retirement Ceremony

Next time you're chatting with a bunch of veterans, ask them how their discharge physicals went-- and listen to their groans of pain. But seriously, take a few minutes to ask these people what they wish they'd done differently during their physicals. Heed their advice and don't repeat their oversights! The basic advice hasn't changed:  start … [Read more...] about Medical and dental exams

It shouldn't be so complicated in a paperless electronic military, but after you leave you're going to need a number of different pieces of paper for your own personal records. You'll have to keep track of some of them for the rest of your life, and they're almost impossible to correct or replace after you leave the service. Regardless of the … [Read more...] about Military Retirement and Discharge Paperwork

Ideally by six months before retirement the big decisions have been made. The rest is "just" a matter of executing your plans and handling the surprises. Before you start into your checklist details, take a moment to review your progress. By now you and your family have discussed the complicated issues. While there may not be perfectly … [Read more...] about Six Months Before Retirement… Preparing for a Military Retirement

The first part of this post discussed when to file your retirement request and the big-picture items to consider for your finances, departure date, and medical/dental checks.  It also discussed how to spread the news among co-workers, friends, & family. Neither one of these posts is a detailed checklist-- your command already has one of … [Read more...] about I’m going to retire. Now what? (part 2 of 2)

I'd like to dedicate this post to Tomcat98 from Early-Retirement.org, a good friend who's let his service know that they'll only be enjoying his services for another 11+ months. He's been planning this one for a long time, folks, and he has all sorts of ideas on what he's going to do all day. Enjoy yourself, Tomcat-- you've earned it! This … [Read more...] about I’m Going to Retire from the Military. Now What? (part 1 of 2)