# That darn carrot!



## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

Sigh, so...we planned on retiring, finagled our last assignment to be where we wanted to retire, bought our dream house......


Hubby dropped retirement papers, they rejected them until the SGM list came out. His first look...he made the frickin' list.

Now we don't know what to do...the economy is horrible, hubby has a Master's in accounting, but, the economy...

I have a feeling we're in the Army for 5 more years!


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

Take the carrot...keep the accounting stuff current and have it as the fall back in 5 years. Anyway he can squat and still retire from there without you all having to move?


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## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

jessimeredith said:


> Take the carrot...keep the accounting stuff current and have it as the fall back in 5 years. Anyway he can squat and still retire from there without you all having to move?


Technically, we'll have to move. In reality, like all things military, we don't know.

We do know that next year he would have to attend a 9 month long school, that is a PCS move, however we have already decided the kids and I will not go. He will likely take our travel trailer and live in the RV park for the duration.

"Problem" is that it's at least another 5 year commitment, maybe more, depending on when his promotion number comes up after the course is done. He will get a new duty station once he's done with the course, and it's doubtful it would be back to here, as we are at a TRADOC (training) post, and people are known to try to hide out here to avoid deployment.

For us, the ideal would be stay in, go to the course, and then get stationed here, and just retire when he got orders for a new duty station, OR, go to the course, do a tour in Korea, and then come back here. The kids and I wouldn't go to Korea.

I can live without my husband for deployments, and we both agree a 9 month school isn't worth the effort to move. I cannot, however, live without my husband while he is on US soil, so having him go alone to the next duty station is not an option. While he is in school, we would drive and meet "in the middle" on any 4-day weekends, hopefully they would get a Christmas break, so he would come home then, and then the kids and I would go every other month or so and hang out with him at the school.

We do have a lot of frequent flyer miles banked, so we can tap those, too.

But....our dream home. Our animals, our homestead, our plans. Sigh.

He's going to talk to people when he goes back to work on Monday and then make a decision. (He's on leave this week)

I support him completely whatever he decides, and until he decides, I'm not going to post what I want him to do. I will say this decision has to be his, and though he is asking for my input, I am only giving the pros and cons, and trying to be objective, as if we were discussing someone else's life.

I cannot help him with this decision because I know he is tired, his knees are going, he's in pain a good portion of the time. I cannot ask him to stay in the military any longer. Nor can I guarantee him a good enough paying job when he gets out to encourage that route, either.

It's a tough decision to make, and I really feel bad for not giving him my true feelings, but he understands why i won't.


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

ugh...it would be so much easier if they would let him squat. We have squatters here that have been in the EU for 10+ years!

I wish you all luck, regardless of the path...I know how hard it is to make those choices.


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## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

jessimeredith said:


> ugh...it would be so much easier if they would let him squat. We have squatters here that have been in the EU for 10+ years!
> 
> I wish you all luck, regardless of the path...I know how hard it is to make those choices.


Thanks Jessi!

He's made up his mind, he will be staying in and accepting the promotion.

::: pause for a brief moment to cry about the house and livestock :::

I'm glad he accepted it, I wanted to him to accept it. It will be tough to leave our house, and even tougher to have to live in housing again, but he's worked really hard in his career and very much deserves this promotion. I'm very proud of him :goodjob:


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

I'm glad you're happy with the decision! CSM housing is way better than the other stuff but I'm sad that you're giving up the house. Anyway you could rent it out instead of giving it up completely?


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

I am retired USAF. I did 20 years 10 months. Study up on CFR38 for VA disability and learn what a couple months makes in your retirement. If I would have gone another 14 months, I would get another $160 a month retirement. I was stationed in NC and really, really hated the place.


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## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

lonelytree said:


> I am retired USAF. I did 20 years 10 months. Study up on CFR38 for VA disability and learn what a couple months makes in your retirement. If I would have gone another 14 months, I would get another $160 a month retirement. I was stationed in NC and really, really hated the place.


Yeah, DH has always talked about maybe 22 years, because of the pay difference, but decided against it. I KNEW if he made the list, he would change his mind, but he said there was no way he'd make it, and was told a week ago that he was NOT on the list. We were blindsided with people calling, texting, and emailing congratulations...he hadn't even looked at the list himself when he found out. I suspect now he will go to somewhere around 28, that's when the pay raises and differences stop making it so tempting.



jessimeredith said:


> I'm glad you're happy with the decision! CSM housing is way better than the other stuff but I'm sad that you're giving up the house. Anyway you could rent it out instead of giving it up completely?


We'll definitely try to rent before we gave up the house completely. I just meant having my own place, no neighbors, no one complaining because my yard is knee deep (I'm turning it into pasture for the cow, so we haven't been mowing for that reason), being able to have however many critters I want (instead of oh, this post allows 3 pets, but your next one only allows 2!), etc. Even renting, you're restricted as to what you can do. But, that's the way it goes 

We have some options (we also have a mobile home on the property) we are exploring, possibility of having someone in the mobile home to sort of manage the house for us and do small repairs...they could keep a good eye on the house and property, but hire a property management company for actually renting the house.


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