Archives for May 2012

Sea story: “Swim call!”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 Leave a Comment

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Here's a frivolous topic for Thursday morning before the weekend. A few weeks ago a shipmate asked a seemingly innocuous question: Are there any rules or guidance on having a swim call on a sub? Can the CO take a swim? The Corpsman? Submarines on local operations or doing exercises on weapons ranges occasionally have a few free hours before their … [Read more...] about Sea story: “Swim call!”

Lifestyles in Early Retirement: Habits and getting things done

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 5 Comments

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Charles Duhigg's new book, "The Power of Habit", already has 120 people on the waiting list at the Hawaii State Library system. (That means it's popular!) As part of his book marketing, last week he put up a guest post about spending habits on Get Rich Slowly. So while I'm waiting to read the book, I thought I'd blog about retirement habits. One … [Read more...] about Lifestyles in Early Retirement: Habits and getting things done

Marine Corps Offers Early Retirement – Details on the Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA)

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: February 5, 2019 8 Comments

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Let me interrupt Memorial Day with some late-breaking news: Stars and Stripes reported last week that the Marine Corps will be offering a 15-year retirement. The program is expected to begin this fall for Marines and officers, but the actual program details and start date haven't been released yet. Both the Marines and the Army experienced … [Read more...] about Marine Corps Offers Early Retirement – Details on the Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA)

Retire at 17 years of service or 20?

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 3 Comments

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I read another good question on a Linkedin group: I am a Marine O-4 who has been passed for promotion and is looking for some advice on early retirement. I will have 17 years of active duty by the time I am eligible for the early retirement next year. I am a pilot with experience in operations and safety. I will also be close to … [Read more...] about Retire at 17 years of service or 20?

Retirement planning: “Just tell me what to do!”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 2 Comments

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Thanks to my spouse, we've always been do-it-yourself investors. We had no debt when we got married in 1986 and we lived a fairly frugal life, so we started investing right away. She already knew the basics from her family, and my Dad gave me a "how to" guide. After that it was all reading and research, and I gobbled it up. When the … [Read more...] about Retirement planning: “Just tell me what to do!”

Book review: “Why We Buy”

I came across this classic while reading about frugal lifestyles and debt payoff. The author talks about retail stores and merchandising and marketing, but he unintentionally offers another benefit. If you understand how the stores are marketing to you, then you can understand why you buy. You'll have more control over … [Read more...] about Book review: “Why We Buy”

Military Drawdown Brings New Career, Pay, and Benefits Changes

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: February 5, 2019 1 Comment

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

I try to avoid posting breathless blow-by-blow accounts of every little detail of the legislative negotiations that go into the military drawdown and budget debates. However, there's recently been some movement in these discussions, along with changes to guidance and benefits. First, the House Armed Services Committee has started a bipartisan … [Read more...] about Military Drawdown Brings New Career, Pay, and Benefits Changes

Buying a used car on a cash advance in a new town

It seemed like such a simple question: "How do I get a cashier's check in a city where I don't have a bank account?" Our daughter's car shopping coincided with a family wedding invitation in Texas near her college. My cousin the Army Ranger got married last week to the woman of his dreams, and it was an impressive ceremony. The open-bar reception … [Read more...] about Buying a used car on a cash advance in a new town

529 college savings for military families

Thanks to Brandi for her comments on an earlier post, and her question: My favorite part of the book was all of the personal stories. I can understand how the math works – I’ve calculated all of my future pay raises, estimated rate of savings, and projected retirement benefits to figure out how much I should have saved and how much … [Read more...] about 529 college savings for military families

Book report: “The 36-Hour Day”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: August 6, 2019 3 Comments

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Thank goodness this isn't a book about the military. I'd sure hate to write that mission description! For those who are reading this topic for the first time here, my father is in a care facility with mid-stage Alzheimer's. He lived independently for as long as he could, but just over a year ago he ended up in the hospital with a perforated … [Read more...] about Book report: “The 36-Hour Day”