Would I be a fool to get out of the military?

[thedaye]

I think you should stay in. My husband left the military in 2013 and regretted it ever since. Before he left, he was complaining about the military for months. Said he hated all the restrictions and that he wants to be free again.

After he went out we went on a looooooooong vacation together. It was awesome! Really! Best time of our lives! However, reality hit hard when we came back and my husband tried to find a job. Not that he could not find one (he was in logistics and had several opportunities). The problem was that the pay was not the same and even if it was, taxes hit us so hard we never managed to make the same!
Now he is working for a company with no paid leave for the first year (one week after that), he works about 50-60 hours a week for less than what he got in the military, and he has to put up with a catastrophic, unorganized management that puts all the workload on his shoulders.

The pros of leaving the military:
We received separation pay
He is free to speed again and get a ticket (if he wants to)
He can chose where he wants to work and live
He gets promoted faster if he works hard and an opportunity comes up (might get a management position soon)

I hope I won't burst the freedom bubble here, but you will NOT gain back a lot of freedom after you leave the military. Unless you are rich or start your own business, you will have to work your butt of for somebody else.

Think very carefully about all of this before you jump on the "let's get out" train. I know several people who jumped on this train enthusiastically screaming "FREEDOOOOOOOM," and know they cannot find a job or work shitty jobs. My husband was lucky because he was in logistics, a career field that is always hiring, but if you are doing something that is not a very "wanted" career filed outside the military, STAY IN and finish your degree first! You have a wife and a child to take care of, and the economy is not good enough to get out and hope to find a better job
Also, spouses cannot take CLEPS for free, no matter if you active, reserves, or a civilian.

Moral of this story...my husband is out and I will join this fall.