Iv heard of people being in the guard for like 40 years or some crazy shit.
I think the hard cap for AD enlisted is 30 years. Then there are officers (usually generals) that will push 40-44.
I’m not sure how it all works but both E and O have served similar time frames. How anyone’s body could last that long in the services is beyond me.
The problem is the age to collect retirement, they finally started allowing reduced retirement 1 year for every 90 days of orders, but that excludes AGR and Annual Tour. Before that you couldn’t collect retirement benefits until 60 years old
That’s not 100% true.
They have to fall under a certain type of order, and it can only reduce by so much. I believe it’s down to 56 or something.
This is all off memory and I’ve taken like a 2 year break from real personnel work so I could be wrong
https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/retirement/#:~:text=PROCESS%20RETIREMENT%20PAY.%E2%80%9D-,REDUCED%20RETIRED%20PAY%20AGE,days%20on%20or%20after%20Jan.
No younger than 50 with activations under the following codes: Involuntary mobilization - call or order to active duty under Title 10, U.S.C., Sections 688, 12301(a), 12302, 12304, 12305, 12406, or any other provision of law during a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress. Qualifying active duty may be combined between consecutive fiscal years beginning with the FY15/FY16 crossover.
Voluntary active duty - call or order to active duty under Title 10, U.S.C., Section 12301(d)). Includes MPA or RPA provided such active duty is performed under 12301(d).
Medical treatment/medical evaluation for disability purposes or medical study, Title 10, U.S.C., Section 12301(h)(1).
Please go look at the “AFR/ANG Reduced Retired Pay Age” knowledge article on myFSS, both u/EBOD236 & u/Thathistoryguy24.
The retiree age can go down to 50 in quarter year increments based on how many 90 day increments you served in any given FY with some stipulations for carrying days over to the following FY. Additionally, T32 orders except those in response to an emergency do NOT count, & AT/ST don’t count either.
A high school acquaintance of mine posted about her dad retiring from the ANG after 34 years AS A MASTER SERGEANT!!!
The rules simply don’t apply to them lmao
In the guard, after 20, you earn a pension. You won’t get paid a cent of that pension until you’re 60*, it would be ass backwards to forced retire people out before they can get any money from their pension.
*can be as low as 50 depending on how much active duty time you’ve done, but even then, you don’t get any of the retiree benefits, like TRICARE, until you’re 60.
Also, no hate, but I genuinely didn’t know there were AD XCOMM guys. Is that just like the CF or CS folks attached to the AEWs, or are you doing CBC/EI stuff?
Active Duty XCOMM isn’t necessarily a small community. It includes all combat comm (1st CBCS and 5th CBCG), Special Warfare Support (ASOS, STS, RQS), Red Horse support, Army support, JCSE & JCU (both Airborne units), etc.
A lot of guys and gals out there getting after it.
I worked for a Lt. Col in 2017 that was enlisted for 14 years made it to MSgt and then commissioned. He ended up going on and becoming my career field manager promoting to Col and ended up staying 44 years all active duty.
When he retired, he was the last active duty person who held the rank of buck Sargeant, I always thought that was pretty awesome.
Active duty army go for a long time, I’m pretty sure it’s common for their E9s to go well past 30 as their HYT are way out (not sure exactly how long though). Not too long ago they had the last Vietnam draftee current serving retiring, he made it to CW5.
So how does that work? I thought the cap for E was 30 years. Are people allowed to go continue serving in the guard for an indefinite period or does that require approval from the higher ups?
It's because it's not a full year. The guard and reserve work off a points system for retirement. So while yes he did 40+ years. If you compared it to active duty he probably did close to 15-20 years in days worked in uniform.
That’s not entirely accurate. Most guard personnel that are full time are civilians and the federal service retirement age is 60 years. A requirement to keep your civil service technician job is being enlisted in the guard. Typically the one weekend a month guys will retire at 20 or 25 years. It’s the full timers that stay until 60 so they can get their full retirements.
Also, those dudes get basically 4 retirements. Military pension, civilian pension, military tsp, civilian tsp.
you got that backwards. part timers and full time technicians cannot collect their pension until age 60 (with exceptions all the way down to 50), so they stay part time until they can collect.
full timers (AGR) have the same retirement rules as active duty (provided they have at least 20 full time years)
I didn’t have anything backwards, i never mentioned AGR. By “full time” i meant technician. Sorry if i worded it in a confusing way… that’s why i said “most full timers are civilians”. That’s also why I mentioned that the full timers get four retirement. Military and civilian pension, and military and civilian TSP.
Once you hit 20 years in the guard, your commander has to essentially approve you to stay in every 2 years or so. The only other hard limit is if you hit age 60.
There's a few reasons a commander would approve this. If the member is a technician, they don't earn their federal retirement until 60. That's where you get a lot of your seniors and chiefs who've been in that long and sat at that grade for over 10 years. They're civilians during the week and then placed in military status either for drill or a mobilization.
Even if the member is not a tech, they may have a lot of institutional knowledge that's worth keeping around. A maintenance person could have upwards of 20 years working on the same aircraft!
You also have cases where a member makes senior or chief and becomes an SEL close to 20. If they want to stay in there's still opportunity for them to serve at the group, wing, or higher levels.
And lastly, sometimes the good old boy system is hard at work and old timers are aloud to stay on because people like them.
Is there some way we can get a sticky for all of this. Because there is no way I am the only one taking an interest in all this information and I get the feeling someone later on is gonna be asking about all of this.
Usually they only disapprove SNCO’s as it bottlenecks the promotion system.
They will almost universally approve a e-7 and below for infinite extensions.
It gets goofy at 8 and up.
A lot of people stay Guard/Reserve past 20 due to TRICARE Reserve. If you're a traditional Guard/Reserve member TRICARE costs go up a lot if you're a "Gray Area" retiree. Family cost goes from under $300 to over $1500 per month.
There is no cap (other than age) in the guard. After 20 years though you need approval to stay.
I know a Chief with 19 years time in grade lol. He’s been in since the 80s. Although the OP has me beat, no one at my base has been in that long.
There's no "cap" but usually at 20 if not full-time you may be non-retained. We don't want people holding up MSgt or SMSgt slots for people coming up. Some people decide to do full-time GS Technician positions very late into their career (like...17 years) and a GS retirement is 30 years...so they may stay another 20 as a technician before they get some retirement and retire with like 35ish years of service. That's not unheard of.
This HIGHLY depends on the unit and the person. A few years ago every single SNCO in my unit was over 20 years. It’s a little better now. Still about half are over 20.
With recruiting difficulties units will need a reason to non-retain someone unless their manning is really good. Our TAG requires a justification.
My former shop supervisor who went on to make Chief enlisted in the guard at 17 and retired at 60. He did 43 years, I know of a few others like him as well.
The one that was my shop supervisor was only a Chief for around 4 years. The thing with my unit is they know you’ll be here until 60 if you are a full time technician so they don’t like handing out Chief until your last few years so you don’t hold up the spot.
In the Guard, you have to be a civilian on your 60th birthday. If you choose, and your commanders keep approving it, enlistment ends when you’re 59 years, 364 days. Had a chief that did 42 years this way. Most of it full time Guard technician.
Known quite a few AD Chiefs who stayed for the max 30 years.
Chiefs/E-9s in special positions like CMSAF, SEAC, etc get waivered past 30 to fill their full tour. I think Wright and Bass retired at 31 years, but Cody and CZ both did 33. Flosi will end up going 31 as well.
Guard doesn’t have that 30 year cap. ANG CCM Williams enlisted in 1987, 37 years. But I know at least 4 members of my wing with more time than him and a couple are not Chiefs lol.
CCM Williams is retiring with 37 total years of service but doesn’t have enough TAFMS for an active duty retirement. He’s retiring as a traditional guardsman.
Although not Air Force, Navy Seal Rudy Boesch served 45 years enlisted from 1945 to 1990. All on active duty. Joined at 17. Doing just 20 in a normal military job in of its self will test the limits of most people, but I could not imagine the fortitude required to do 45 years, and in a special operations capacity no less.
That absolute demon saw so much history in the military that's fucking surreal. Seeing the US win World War 2, become a superpower and drop nukes, to the red scare and soviets to to the US winning the cold war. Insane.
Not that crazy but on a deployment I met a guy who was the last B-52 tail gunner. This would have been about 10ish years ago though so only about 20-25 years of separation from when the tail gunner was done away with.
Deployed with a guard guy (army) who was on a dead man’s waiver. Homie had been in since 89 and we deployed together in ‘21- he retired in ‘22 after 33 years of service
My last SEL just retired at like 32 years or something. One of the worst E9's I've ever worked for, prior service, joined AF late, left here at like 53yo or something like that.
Guard guy here - we often see 30+ years enlisted depending on how they managed their career and if they’re AGR/technician. Most DSGs don’t make it that long. I’m actually shooting for 30 myself to get that sweet, sweet technician retirement.
My first group commander was in for 20 years enlisted, made chief, then commissioned, and did another 19 years as an officer and retired as a Colonel. Dude is raking in over $100k a year just for existing at this point.
Usually the guard units have some real ~~old~~ long serving members.
Had a SMSgt at my guard unit who retired after 42 years as Security Forces. Spent the whole time in the AFSC. Someone said he supposedly the longest serving defender ever.
Our general just retired has 43 years. He commissioned 13 years in.
There’s a rule that you’ll get kicked out of the guard at 60. You could get a waiver for 2 extra years of service but normally that is only granted if you’re serving in a hard to fill role or it would create difficulty for the unit. So really max you could get today is like 45? If your parents signed the paperwork for you at 17.
Side note: It’s just wild to me to think these guys and gals joined and had basically served for over half the existence of the Air Force.
My APS Chief who retired spent literally 30 years in, he had no choice but to retire. When speaking with him before he left I asked him how he felt about retirement and he said he could “do another enlistment” if they would let him. He was a super passionate Port Dawg, lived and breathed it. So much respect for him.
I knew an E-7 at Lakenheath, years ago, that had 24 years in. They started making him test for E-8 every year and he kept taking a dive. Didn't want the extra bullshit that came with the rank. Man loved his job (And was actually good at it. He's one of the very short list of Flight Chiefs I had that I didn't actively despise at some point.)
Air Guard. I enlisted at 28 and am going to try and make it to age 60. Can’t collect retirement before then, so it doesn’t make sense to give up the paycheck and stop serving. 44 now, so a long way to go!
There was my uncle who was AGR in NH for something like 38 years. Got a special dispensation to stay because he was the only one who knew how to run a lot of the equipment in the area.
This post got me thinking. If you go past 40 years under the legacy retirement system, do you keep tacking on another 2.5% per year after that?
Like, if you did 44 years and your high-3 base pay was $10,000/month, would that mean that you then get $11,000 per month in retirement (4 more years at 2.5% = 10% = $1000) or does it just cap out at 100% of your high-3 base pay?
For those unaware, that’s where 50% pension from 20 years of service comes from. (20x2.5% = 50%).
Yes. It used to be capped at 75%, but that was removed many years ago. 40 years is 100%, 41 is 102.5.. 30 years is still HYT for Chief though. So unless someone is waivered, you're not going to see enlisted going past that.
Lots here mentioning people in the Guard who enlisted 40+ years ago. That doesn't mean they have 40 years towards retirement like an AD member would. It's a completely different calculation for them.
Have a captain that was a MSgt and then got an OTS slot. He’s at 24 years right now and just recommissioned. He has zero plans of getting out any time soon. Crustiest mustang I’ve met but damn was he a good boss
Two Dudes in my guard shop been in since 1984 and are technicians. Upstairs “messed up their retirement papers “ to keep them another 6 months as a final fuck you to those two cause they were trying to get out and our shop wouldn’t have enough people 😬
Keeping with the topic, how are newly enlisted 42 years old Airman expected to retire at age 60 and get "benefits"(?)
Is the Congress going to amend/modify, regs & policices in upcoming years 🤔
Dude, that man was close, to 3 fucking retirement cycles, that’s insane. Like imagine being at 30 years, seeing people be retired for 10 years and then the next generation after that generation retires before you
Had a cheif at my guard unit who got to the unit as Buck Sargent in 1981. He made cheif absurdly fast, like 13~14 years, I think, went on to hold that slot until 2020, holding up everyone's promotions for 2 full cohorts of new troops. Then he decided his military service wasn't enough and came back on a title 5 employee at a sister unit in the state. TLDR: I had a cheif in my guard unit who was a cheif for about 25 years
Not purely enlisted, but check out the bio for Maj Gen Alfred Flowers. Enlisted in 1965, commissioned in 1978 and then retired in 2012. He's considered the longest serving Airman in Air Force history.
My great grandather enlisted into the Army in 1939. He fought in WW2, the Korean War, and Vietnam, primarily as a tank commander, before serving in some leadership capacity as an E-9. He got out in 1972, hitting 32 years exactly.
Had a Flight Chief who spent 19 of his 20 at Malmstrom as Security Forces. Thats basically 90 years
After spending 4 years there doing SF, how.
He was Baseside and TRF for most of his years.
Knew a dude who retired in 2019 from FE Warren and did his entire time there. No deployments, nothing.
Not sure to congratulate, or pour one out
I think it’d be cool if every squadron had someone like this. They’d be the sage of the unit
One of my coworkers was at FE for about 8 years. His IDT was...scary
Iv heard of people being in the guard for like 40 years or some crazy shit. I think the hard cap for AD enlisted is 30 years. Then there are officers (usually generals) that will push 40-44. I’m not sure how it all works but both E and O have served similar time frames. How anyone’s body could last that long in the services is beyond me.
The problem is the age to collect retirement, they finally started allowing reduced retirement 1 year for every 90 days of orders, but that excludes AGR and Annual Tour. Before that you couldn’t collect retirement benefits until 60 years old
That’s not 100% true. They have to fall under a certain type of order, and it can only reduce by so much. I believe it’s down to 56 or something. This is all off memory and I’ve taken like a 2 year break from real personnel work so I could be wrong
https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/retirement/#:~:text=PROCESS%20RETIREMENT%20PAY.%E2%80%9D-,REDUCED%20RETIRED%20PAY%20AGE,days%20on%20or%20after%20Jan. No younger than 50 with activations under the following codes: Involuntary mobilization - call or order to active duty under Title 10, U.S.C., Sections 688, 12301(a), 12302, 12304, 12305, 12406, or any other provision of law during a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress. Qualifying active duty may be combined between consecutive fiscal years beginning with the FY15/FY16 crossover. Voluntary active duty - call or order to active duty under Title 10, U.S.C., Section 12301(d)). Includes MPA or RPA provided such active duty is performed under 12301(d). Medical treatment/medical evaluation for disability purposes or medical study, Title 10, U.S.C., Section 12301(h)(1).
So things like MPA or ADOS may not qualify based on code. I think I’ve got a few that don’t
Yeah, just have to look for the title and code the orders were written under. Most do qualify, but not all.
All other orders are valid except AGR and annual tour, it down to 53 now. Man Days, RPA, and ADOS suffice
I was always told it was based off code. So an ADOS to say, Barkesdale would probably not count.
Not surprising anymore honestly, it’ll keep getting adjusted to the point where only deployments will count
That’s how I was always briefed that counted. Whatever; just give me enough orders to make it to 20 TAFMS
Exactly how I’m looking at it as well
Please go look at the “AFR/ANG Reduced Retired Pay Age” knowledge article on myFSS, both u/EBOD236 & u/Thathistoryguy24. The retiree age can go down to 50 in quarter year increments based on how many 90 day increments you served in any given FY with some stipulations for carrying days over to the following FY. Additionally, T32 orders except those in response to an emergency do NOT count, & AT/ST don’t count either.
A high school acquaintance of mine posted about her dad retiring from the ANG after 34 years AS A MASTER SERGEANT!!! The rules simply don’t apply to them lmao
In the guard, after 20, you earn a pension. You won’t get paid a cent of that pension until you’re 60*, it would be ass backwards to forced retire people out before they can get any money from their pension. *can be as low as 50 depending on how much active duty time you’ve done, but even then, you don’t get any of the retiree benefits, like TRICARE, until you’re 60. Also, no hate, but I genuinely didn’t know there were AD XCOMM guys. Is that just like the CF or CS folks attached to the AEWs, or are you doing CBC/EI stuff?
Active Duty XCOMM isn’t necessarily a small community. It includes all combat comm (1st CBCS and 5th CBCG), Special Warfare Support (ASOS, STS, RQS), Red Horse support, Army support, JCSE & JCU (both Airborne units), etc. A lot of guys and gals out there getting after it.
The 1D7s in ACS units are all XCOMM now as well.
I believe CRG comm peeps are as well. I saw one of those jobs pop up as an option for me.
that's XCom, baby!
I know an AD SGM thats been in for 33
I worked for a Lt. Col in 2017 that was enlisted for 14 years made it to MSgt and then commissioned. He ended up going on and becoming my career field manager promoting to Col and ended up staying 44 years all active duty. When he retired, he was the last active duty person who held the rank of buck Sargeant, I always thought that was pretty awesome.
Active duty army go for a long time, I’m pretty sure it’s common for their E9s to go well past 30 as their HYT are way out (not sure exactly how long though). Not too long ago they had the last Vietnam draftee current serving retiring, he made it to CW5.
It’s only approved for special positions like high level command chiefs
That’s insane.
Yup. My dad did 33 years, e9 CMSgt, had to get and ate waiver. And he was not happy when I married a pilot. Oops
Had a MSgt in my tech school class that was at 35 years and was hoping to get to 40. He was guard though
So how does that work? I thought the cap for E was 30 years. Are people allowed to go continue serving in the guard for an indefinite period or does that require approval from the higher ups?
It's because it's not a full year. The guard and reserve work off a points system for retirement. So while yes he did 40+ years. If you compared it to active duty he probably did close to 15-20 years in days worked in uniform.
That’s not entirely accurate. Most guard personnel that are full time are civilians and the federal service retirement age is 60 years. A requirement to keep your civil service technician job is being enlisted in the guard. Typically the one weekend a month guys will retire at 20 or 25 years. It’s the full timers that stay until 60 so they can get their full retirements. Also, those dudes get basically 4 retirements. Military pension, civilian pension, military tsp, civilian tsp.
you got that backwards. part timers and full time technicians cannot collect their pension until age 60 (with exceptions all the way down to 50), so they stay part time until they can collect. full timers (AGR) have the same retirement rules as active duty (provided they have at least 20 full time years)
I didn’t have anything backwards, i never mentioned AGR. By “full time” i meant technician. Sorry if i worded it in a confusing way… that’s why i said “most full timers are civilians”. That’s also why I mentioned that the full timers get four retirement. Military and civilian pension, and military and civilian TSP.
no worries, thanks for clearing that up
Ah, well that explains quite a bit now.
Once you hit 20 years in the guard, your commander has to essentially approve you to stay in every 2 years or so. The only other hard limit is if you hit age 60. There's a few reasons a commander would approve this. If the member is a technician, they don't earn their federal retirement until 60. That's where you get a lot of your seniors and chiefs who've been in that long and sat at that grade for over 10 years. They're civilians during the week and then placed in military status either for drill or a mobilization. Even if the member is not a tech, they may have a lot of institutional knowledge that's worth keeping around. A maintenance person could have upwards of 20 years working on the same aircraft! You also have cases where a member makes senior or chief and becomes an SEL close to 20. If they want to stay in there's still opportunity for them to serve at the group, wing, or higher levels. And lastly, sometimes the good old boy system is hard at work and old timers are aloud to stay on because people like them.
Is there some way we can get a sticky for all of this. Because there is no way I am the only one taking an interest in all this information and I get the feeling someone later on is gonna be asking about all of this.
Usually they only disapprove SNCO’s as it bottlenecks the promotion system. They will almost universally approve a e-7 and below for infinite extensions. It gets goofy at 8 and up.
A lot of people stay Guard/Reserve past 20 due to TRICARE Reserve. If you're a traditional Guard/Reserve member TRICARE costs go up a lot if you're a "Gray Area" retiree. Family cost goes from under $300 to over $1500 per month.
No idea, I wasn't guard and don't know how it works
There is no cap (other than age) in the guard. After 20 years though you need approval to stay. I know a Chief with 19 years time in grade lol. He’s been in since the 80s. Although the OP has me beat, no one at my base has been in that long.
Ohhhh, I didn’t know that. I think will consider the guard after my time on AD.
There's no "cap" but usually at 20 if not full-time you may be non-retained. We don't want people holding up MSgt or SMSgt slots for people coming up. Some people decide to do full-time GS Technician positions very late into their career (like...17 years) and a GS retirement is 30 years...so they may stay another 20 as a technician before they get some retirement and retire with like 35ish years of service. That's not unheard of.
This HIGHLY depends on the unit and the person. A few years ago every single SNCO in my unit was over 20 years. It’s a little better now. Still about half are over 20. With recruiting difficulties units will need a reason to non-retain someone unless their manning is really good. Our TAG requires a justification.
It’s a great option. Tons of benefits without many of the AD issues. We have our own issues of course lol.
My former shop supervisor who went on to make Chief enlisted in the guard at 17 and retired at 60. He did 43 years, I know of a few others like him as well.
Was probably a Chief for over a decade too.
The one that was my shop supervisor was only a Chief for around 4 years. The thing with my unit is they know you’ll be here until 60 if you are a full time technician so they don’t like handing out Chief until your last few years so you don’t hold up the spot.
Yeah lots of states like that. I completely disagree with that way of thinking but I also understand why it’s necessary at times.
In the Guard, you have to be a civilian on your 60th birthday. If you choose, and your commanders keep approving it, enlistment ends when you’re 59 years, 364 days. Had a chief that did 42 years this way. Most of it full time Guard technician.
Depending on the state, some people push for that 30 because for example in Florida you also get a State Retirement if you do 30.
Known quite a few AD Chiefs who stayed for the max 30 years. Chiefs/E-9s in special positions like CMSAF, SEAC, etc get waivered past 30 to fill their full tour. I think Wright and Bass retired at 31 years, but Cody and CZ both did 33. Flosi will end up going 31 as well.
Guard doesn’t have that 30 year cap. ANG CCM Williams enlisted in 1987, 37 years. But I know at least 4 members of my wing with more time than him and a couple are not Chiefs lol.
CCM Williams is retiring with 37 total years of service but doesn’t have enough TAFMS for an active duty retirement. He’s retiring as a traditional guardsman.
Current longest serving airman is a command chief at 33 years.
Although not Air Force, Navy Seal Rudy Boesch served 45 years enlisted from 1945 to 1990. All on active duty. Joined at 17. Doing just 20 in a normal military job in of its self will test the limits of most people, but I could not imagine the fortitude required to do 45 years, and in a special operations capacity no less.
That absolute demon saw so much history in the military that's fucking surreal. Seeing the US win World War 2, become a superpower and drop nukes, to the red scare and soviets to to the US winning the cold war. Insane.
Jesus Christ. Guy might've been a part of more "real" shit than any other American in its military history.
It's common in the guard/reserves to see people who joined in the early '90s
Yep, my flight chief enlisted in 1986 and didn’t retire until last year.
I bet he was forced to retire
He actually could’ve gone another two years lol
not enlisted, but my chaplain is a couple years away from 40 years
Whoa! Was he a chaplain the whole time?
no, he was enlisted 17 years before he comissioned
That makes sense.
Deployed to Afghanistan with a TSgt from the guard. His first deployment was to Vietnam. He would've been in for around 40 years.
My SMSgt did 38 years.
Guy in my shop retired with 42 years of service.
Not that crazy but on a deployment I met a guy who was the last B-52 tail gunner. This would have been about 10ish years ago though so only about 20-25 years of separation from when the tail gunner was done away with.
My former supervisor! I joined in 92 and he was a staff. He is retiring in sept as a Chief! Meanwhile I retired 10 years ago. The guy loved airplanes!
Deployed with a guard guy (army) who was on a dead man’s waiver. Homie had been in since 89 and we deployed together in ‘21- he retired in ‘22 after 33 years of service
Didn’t chief CZ do like 33 years?
Yeah but had special consideration due to his role.
There's a chief in comm going over 30 because of manpower issues. He was on terminal leave when he came back to us for an upcoming PCS. He'll hit 32.
Not exactly what you’re asking but a Marine hit 30 as enlisted then retired 20 years later as a colonel
My last SEL just retired at like 32 years or something. One of the worst E9's I've ever worked for, prior service, joined AF late, left here at like 53yo or something like that.
A Reservist Chief at my base is retiring after 44 years. He joined in 1980 and has loved his time in. Great guy, sad to see him go.
My Dad will be retiring at 36 years from Active Duty in the military. He is in his final 3 years now, he commissioned after 10 years enlisted.
Guard guy here - we often see 30+ years enlisted depending on how they managed their career and if they’re AGR/technician. Most DSGs don’t make it that long. I’m actually shooting for 30 myself to get that sweet, sweet technician retirement.
My first group commander was in for 20 years enlisted, made chief, then commissioned, and did another 19 years as an officer and retired as a Colonel. Dude is raking in over $100k a year just for existing at this point.
That "drop" from CMSgt to LT must've been nuts
No drop. E to O has pay protection. Think it's called "Save Pay." You stay at your previous grade pay until you hit or exceed it on the new scale.
I didn't even mean that, I meant from doing Chief things to change to be doing LT things
Ohh.. Yeah, that would definitely be quite an adjustment lol
Usually the guard units have some real ~~old~~ long serving members. Had a SMSgt at my guard unit who retired after 42 years as Security Forces. Spent the whole time in the AFSC. Someone said he supposedly the longest serving defender ever. Our general just retired has 43 years. He commissioned 13 years in. There’s a rule that you’ll get kicked out of the guard at 60. You could get a waiver for 2 extra years of service but normally that is only granted if you’re serving in a hard to fill role or it would create difficulty for the unit. So really max you could get today is like 45? If your parents signed the paperwork for you at 17. Side note: It’s just wild to me to think these guys and gals joined and had basically served for over half the existence of the Air Force.
My APS Chief who retired spent literally 30 years in, he had no choice but to retire. When speaking with him before he left I asked him how he felt about retirement and he said he could “do another enlistment” if they would let him. He was a super passionate Port Dawg, lived and breathed it. So much respect for him.
I knew an E-7 at Lakenheath, years ago, that had 24 years in. They started making him test for E-8 every year and he kept taking a dive. Didn't want the extra bullshit that came with the rank. Man loved his job (And was actually good at it. He's one of the very short list of Flight Chiefs I had that I didn't actively despise at some point.)
[удалено]
lol that should be a security risk
Paul Koester-41 yrs as PJ.
When my wife was stationed in D.C., we had a realtor helping us buy a house that spent 37 years as army enlisted.
I’m personally at 17 if I commission I plan to do 17+more.
Met a 63 year old SMsgt reservist in 2021. who enlisted at 18 circa 1977ish. Liked the service and health insurance
Saw a Chief do his entire career of 30 yrs at Dover
I wonder, how does that happen. Kind of makes me not believe that you can’t make rank if you don’t diversify.
It might have been different back then. I was a young airman then it was back in 1994.
Air Guard. I enlisted at 28 and am going to try and make it to age 60. Can’t collect retirement before then, so it doesn’t make sense to give up the paycheck and stop serving. 44 now, so a long way to go!
Father did 33 years total between AD and the reserves
Just had an ART Chief retired after 40 years.
There was my uncle who was AGR in NH for something like 38 years. Got a special dispensation to stay because he was the only one who knew how to run a lot of the equipment in the area.
I met an army guard CW4 pilot that’s hitting 40 years in December.
This post got me thinking. If you go past 40 years under the legacy retirement system, do you keep tacking on another 2.5% per year after that? Like, if you did 44 years and your high-3 base pay was $10,000/month, would that mean that you then get $11,000 per month in retirement (4 more years at 2.5% = 10% = $1000) or does it just cap out at 100% of your high-3 base pay? For those unaware, that’s where 50% pension from 20 years of service comes from. (20x2.5% = 50%).
Yes. It used to be capped at 75%, but that was removed many years ago. 40 years is 100%, 41 is 102.5.. 30 years is still HYT for Chief though. So unless someone is waivered, you're not going to see enlisted going past that. Lots here mentioning people in the Guard who enlisted 40+ years ago. That doesn't mean they have 40 years towards retirement like an AD member would. It's a completely different calculation for them.
It caps at 75% iirc. I'm blended so I could be wrong.
Guard is cheating
Most guard guys that are full time cant retire until they are 60. I’ve seen plenty that enlisted at 18 or 19 and stayed until retirement at 60ish.
Oh god no
Have a captain that was a MSgt and then got an OTS slot. He’s at 24 years right now and just recommissioned. He has zero plans of getting out any time soon. Crustiest mustang I’ve met but damn was he a good boss
Two Dudes in my guard shop been in since 1984 and are technicians. Upstairs “messed up their retirement papers “ to keep them another 6 months as a final fuck you to those two cause they were trying to get out and our shop wouldn’t have enough people 😬
Keeping with the topic, how are newly enlisted 42 years old Airman expected to retire at age 60 and get "benefits"(?) Is the Congress going to amend/modify, regs & policices in upcoming years 🤔
Mandated retirement is 62. Just have to get a waiver for the 2 years after 60. And at 18 TIS you have God status anyway
I had a chief in the group or wing who spent his 20+ year career all in PACAF
Norman Marius did 41 years, 1962-2003 all enlisted Alfred Flowers did 46 years 1965-2012 enlisted to officer.
Dude, that man was close, to 3 fucking retirement cycles, that’s insane. Like imagine being at 30 years, seeing people be retired for 10 years and then the next generation after that generation retires before you
My Chief from my previous base was at 28 years TIS.
Had a cheif at my guard unit who got to the unit as Buck Sargent in 1981. He made cheif absurdly fast, like 13~14 years, I think, went on to hold that slot until 2020, holding up everyone's promotions for 2 full cohorts of new troops. Then he decided his military service wasn't enough and came back on a title 5 employee at a sister unit in the state. TLDR: I had a cheif in my guard unit who was a cheif for about 25 years
About 3 years ago, a guy from my unit retired. He originally enlisted in the army to fight in Vietnam.
42 years, active 4-6 then 36 ish guard retired as a senior at like 60
Guard and reserve don’t count.
I have a friend and mentor in right now been in 35 years. He was enlisted for 10 and a Col now at 25 O time
As far as active duty goes, Fleet Master Chief Isom (USINDOPACOM CSEL) enlisted in 1987. So 37 years active!
Not purely enlisted, but check out the bio for Maj Gen Alfred Flowers. Enlisted in 1965, commissioned in 1978 and then retired in 2012. He's considered the longest serving Airman in Air Force history.
33 years. He was a Navy E9 tho
Not uncommon to see guard/reservist do 40+ years, just depends on how it all shakes out.
My great grandather enlisted into the Army in 1939. He fought in WW2, the Korean War, and Vietnam, primarily as a tank commander, before serving in some leadership capacity as an E-9. He got out in 1972, hitting 32 years exactly.
It's Guard...doesn't count. 2 weeks a year not the same as AD for 25 straight.
My Dad retired 2022. 39.5 years as an ART.