Touched by an Uncle.

[Kornman00]

Uncle Sam that is.

(Note2Mods: this may belong in the community subforum. leaving it up to you)

So, today was a rather pleasent day. This week has been rather pleasent. Aside from being cold (pretty sure it was below freezing as puddles on the pavement were frozen) and a little windy. I saw some very dark clouds but thankfully no snow (I was on another post and didn't want to drive in fucking snow and ice). Pretty lax week, I've been attending various appointments for most of the it.

Lax until around probably 3pm. When I got word that I'm heading for a dilemma. As some of you may be aware, I'm due to get out of the military here soon and I'm quite happy of that fucking fact. Happy. Life is a roughly straight line at this phase. Well, imagine someone sticking a fucking space tether in your roughly straight road causing a rather ugly fork to spawn in it. Oh, and that at any moment, that space tether will come crashing down possibly destroying one or both of those roads, or damaging them causing a temporary road block.

You see, I came up on orders for Ft. Lewis (Washington state). However, I don't have to follow them since I'm getting out soon (not enough time left to change duty stations). HOWEVER, if I did want to make the rather heart attack inducing choice of re-upping to go to Washington I would be stuck for another 2 years (get out in Dec 2011). Plus a deployment in 2010. Whether or not I get stuck on that trip is up in the air...but I'm more than certain of it. Plus plus (sic), I only have until roughly the end of the year to re-enlist before my window closes.

"Why is this such an issue?", you ask. I want to get out. Don't want to play Soldier no more. Rather like my hair and not having to shave my face or work out all the goddamn time (you don't get to pick when and where you work out. cold weather at 5am...not fun). Rather like the freedoms that I've helped support the fight for these past four years. Tired of seeing, first hand, shitty military men/women who ruin the status and other's lives plus seeing wasted tax dollars. Oh hell, the wasted tax dollars :\.

"So...why even consider staying in until almost 2012?", you continue. Well, because Washington is the state I was looking to move to after I got out. There is a rather pretty well known company out there that I was hoping to work for. However, nothing is ever set in stone...until it's actually engraved. I can't know for sure if I'll hold a job with said company or even make it the interview until it actually happens. I've of course made plans to do part time school had it came down to this even before this news came about.

If I stay in, the Army will pay for all my shit to be shipped out there (car, porn, computers, clothes, porn, etc). Plus I can find a place while I'm out there living on the Army's dime and then have that residence come my new return-to-sender address where the Army will then pay again to have my shit shipped to when I get out.

As it stands, I just can't exactly see the "pros" out weighing the "cons". Waiting on some feedback from various people IRL. Even with the shotty medical/dental/optics the military provides for free-ish and the possible additional 40k+ that I will have to my name before I get out in Dec 2011 (more/less assuming a deployment).

Comment if you like, just keep the shit posts out. At least stop loss becomes a voluntary basis Jan 1 2010. Unless Obama-mama says Yes to Change on that :downs:.

[Limited]

So right now your stationed in Germany, you want to get out the Army and get a "regular" job?

If I was you I'd wait it out, go to Washington and get settled, then quit and then you've got things setup to move your life along.

This company, is it a technology company?

[Cojafoji]

possible deployment & surrendering your personal freedoms for another two years vs. taking a risk by driving out to Washington hoping for that job.

get out, hop on welfare for a month, get your shit settled and move to Washington. it sounds as if military life does not agree with you.

edit: fuck i forgot you're in germany. my bad.

[Kornman00]

So right now your stationed in Germany, you want to get out the Army and get a "regular" job?

If I was you I'd wait it out, go to Washington and get settled, then quit and then you've got things setup to move your life along.

This company, is it a technology company?
Less consuming job. At least, "consuming" my motivation of life over all. I work as a Network Admin/IT support right now. If I stayed in, I'd more than like be put back in Finance Support. A waste of my talents.

You can't quit the Army. You either finish your Contract or get chaptered out. Typically, the latter is not a good thing.

The company is tech related, yes.


possible deployment & surrendering your personal freedoms for another two years vs. taking a risk by driving out to Washington hoping for that job.

get out, hop on welfare for a month, get your shit settled and move to Washington. it sounds as if military life does not agree with you.

edit: fuck i forgot you're in germany. my bad.
Yes, is another major issue. Some people have safer deployments than others. I doubt any future missions out of there (Washington) will see the likes of Iraq, but more so Afghan instead.

I believe vets are allowed up to 6 to 12 months of unemployment after their separation date. I'd still be getting paid for another 2 months after I escape Germany as I'll be using the leave (or vacation days) that I have saved up. Then after that, if I still haven't landed a job, unemployment benefits.

Army life...or at least the majority of the people in it, aren't much in the way of compatible, no. Can't speak so much on other branches. Why do you think I've continued such an internet presence (sp)? I'm in a foreign land, on a pretty remote post with a unit on the road to deactivation. The people in said unit aren't much in the way of tech-savvy or fun gamers. There used to be one, but he left over a year ago. RIP LAN parties :smith:.

[Ganon]

Id stay in germany with my rich relatives (fulda tire executive) and leech off them

American bakeries just can't compete and we don't have milschnitte ;[

[CrAsHOvErRide]

Milchschnitte sucks :S

Protip: Don't stay in Germany and if you do, stay in Berlin. :P

[ICEE]

Id stay in germany with my rich relatives (fulda tire executive) and leech off them

American bakeries just can't compete and we don't have milschnitte ;[

Because the deciding factor of kornman's choice is which country has better bakeries, right?

[Rob Oplawar]

Playing it safe seems like a way to lead a content life, but I'm a proponent of taking risks in order to lead a more interesting life (but i have trouble practicing what I preach). My instinct says only stay if you're generally happy with life while you're in the military. If not, which it sounds like, I'd say use your leave and veteran status to risk the bad economy and see if you can get the job you want. It sounds like you'll have lots more options that way, and I would like to think that the odds are you'll end up with a generally acceptable option.

[Kornman00]

In either case, I won't be staying in Germany. Either I finish my current contract and leave in May, or re-up and leave here at the start of March, enjoy some leave, and arrive in Washington in April.

Germany has some nice bread tho...after I heat it up a little anyway. Can't eat it plain, the crust is too hard then.

Mmmmm, think I'll pick some up tomorrow

[Ganon]

Because the deciding factor of kornman's choice is which country has better bakeries, right?

you have no fucking clue how much better german bakeries are

pharmacies and bakeries every fucking block

e: Honestly though, I would leave the army. The number one factor in living a happy life is doing something you love.

[Good_Apollo]

Quite a toss up but I don't know how much help anyone here can be. It's your life and I don't think either choice is necessarily the better choice. I think it's just going to come down to what you really want to do without any outside influences.

[Kornman00]

Yeah, I realized as much before posting. Just human to want to discuss important matters...never know what people may say or provide. Useless or not. Could just be a funny remark adding some brighter light to the situtation or helpful insight one's experienced or from someone in the family/friend. 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon after all.

[Cojafoji]

if you don't mind waiting a while to get to america, you could actually book passage on a cargo ship. it's not luxurious, but it's pretty damn cheap, and you could probably get away with stuffing your shit in your bunk with you, and send the rest back via bulk transport.

[Kornman00]

The Army pays for sending me back to my home address. The issue with this was, if I stayed in, I wouldn't have to worry about shipping my own shit to WA if I move there civilian wise, because I would already be stationed there (plus I'd have two years of scoping the area).

When you change duty stations, the Army pays for the transportation of you, your goods, vehicle, pets, and dependents. Assuming those things are on your orders that is. If say, you don't get your wife on your orders before getting there, you either have to wait and do it there, or pay on your own dime.

[Cojafoji]

The Army pays for sending me back to my home address. The issue with this was, if I stayed in, I wouldn't have to worry about shipping my own shit to WA if I move there civilian wise, because I would already be stationed there (plus I'd have two years of scoping the area).

When you change duty stations, the Army pays for the transportation of you, your goods, vehicle, pets, and dependents. Assuming those things are on your orders that is. If say, you don't get your wife on your orders before getting there, you either have to wait and do it there, or pay on your own dime.
Ah. I was uninformed unable to garner these facts from your post. My apologies. :saddowns:

[Atty]

Get out while you still can.

[Amit]

It's an interesting situation indeed. You'd be stationed in Washington, but there's a high chance for deployment to Afghanistan. Hmm, I guess is you stick it through and re-enlist, you will have the said benefits, but there's the possibility of getting wounded or killed too. So...I dunno. Could work the civilian life too.

[=sw=warlord]

So it's a case of either stay in for 2 extra years and get free trnasportation of all your stuff, but risk being shipped out for active duty or leave when your contract ends and pay for the transportation of your stuff yourself, could happen anyways if your stuff wasn't on your orders before you arrive at your new station.

i personaly would get out once your contract ends, you would still be a veteran and get the chance to what you want to do, sooner.
If for what ever reason you didn't make the job you want you could always look into setting up your own business, there are plenty of jobs going about for freelance programmers and other kind of developers.

[Advancebo]

Do you get to keep an M4 if you leave?

:iamafag:

[Gwunty]

:frogout:

[Bodzilla]

as a guy who's got a year left on his 4 year apprenticeship And hating every minute of it... Get out while you can.

Happiness is always more important then coin.

[ICEE]

Happiness is always more important then coin.

^wisdom

[paladin]

Ft. Lewis is so far away from me :( ITs like an hour and a half. I liked it better when you moved to Redmond. Also, theres an Army Reserve and FEMA Station (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=47.790055,-122.237345&num=1&t=h&sll=47.76232,-122.205403&sspn=0.060021,0.128059&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=47.789272,-122.236032&spn=0.012514,0.033023&z=16&iwloc=A) 2 blocks from my home. Work there for the Army.... :allears:

[Kornman00]

No, you don't get a M4. Unless you buy one yourself, but that won't be through the Army in any case.


Happiness is always more important then coin.
Wasn't doing it for the coin really, just the fact that the Army would pay and move all my shit for me, including my car. Plus I'd have time to scope the places out

Ft. Lewis is so far away from me :( ITs like an hour and a half. I liked it better when you moved to Redmond. Also, theres an Army Reserve and FEMA Station (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=47.790055,-122.237345&num=1&t=h&sll=47.76232,-122.205403&sspn=0.060021,0.128059&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=47.789272,-122.236032&spn=0.012514,0.033023&z=16&iwloc=A) 2 blocks from my home. Work there for the Army.... :allears:
If they don't need my MOS but do another, I would have to be trained for the one they need. That is at least 6 months of "active" duty. So probably won't even do the reserves. I was thinking about that Air Reserve base not too far away though a while back.


I decided this morning to just continue getting out. The current route is looking to be the best.

[paladin]

Well, if you find some place interesting and need a pair of eyes to scope it out, just let me know and I can do what ever. ITs cool that youll be moving up here, hopefully.

[Corndogman]

Aren't you originally from Florida, Korn?

If so, move back!

[Bastinka]

In either case, I won't be staying in Germany. ...
Aufwiedersehen, mein freundliche nachbarschaft Mais-mensch. :(

[Dwood]

Aren't you originally from Florida, Korn?

If so, move back!

If Korn moves to FL I am so putting a sign in his lawn.

[FRain]

No, you don't get a M4. Unless you buy one yourself, but that won't be through the Army in any case.

Wasn't doing it for the coin really, just the fact that the Army would pay and move all my shit for me, including my car. Plus I'd have time to scope the places out

If they don't need my MOS but do another, I would have to be trained for the one they need. That is at least 6 months of "active" duty. So probably won't even do the reserves. I was thinking about that Air Reserve base not too far away though a while back.


I decided this morning to just continue getting out. The current route is looking to be the best.

you dont need to scope it out.

just come out here

its awesome here

[Kornman00]

Florida is not an option

unless I start living the my life like Dexter's


But yeah, don't really ever want to move back to florida. Funny that WA is just about the furthest north west I can go from there without subjecting myself to the likes of Palin in Alaska. Instead I subject myself to Paladin :realsmug: