ElectricRCAircraftGuy

I made it!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAY!!! I wish I would have had a nice tutorial like this when I was figuring things out, as not knowing how to do it also cost me an additional (and undesired/inadvertent) service commitment of > 2 years. Thanks for writing this up, as I think it will help a lot of people make more-informed decisions and more easily navigate the bureaucratic hell that exists all around them. It's hard enough trying to (1) make the decision to get out, (2) prepare for, qualify for, and obtain the skills necessary for a new job, (3) find a new job and, (4) make a new life for yourself outside the military, and yet sometimes the biggest hurdle (and also the FIRST hurdle)--which also feels insurmountable at times, is just figuring out *HOW* to try to get out. Most people don't re...

I made it!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAY!!! I wish I would have had a nice tutorial like this when I was figuring things out, as not knowing how to do it also cost me an additional (and undesired/inadvertent) service commitment of > 2 years. Thanks for writing this up, as I think it will help a lot of people make more-informed decisions and more easily navigate the bureaucratic hell that exists all around them. It's hard enough trying to (1) make the decision to get out, (2) prepare for, qualify for, and obtain the skills necessary for a new job, (3) find a new job and, (4) make a new life for yourself outside the military, and yet sometimes the biggest hurdle (and also the FIRST hurdle)--which also feels insurmountable at times, is just figuring out *HOW* to try to get out. Most people don't realize that getting out of the military is at a MINIMUM a 6-month to 1-year ENDEAVOR, and that 7-day opting is frequently the first step to this long and difficult process. IMPORTANT: if any of you are in a situation where you STILL HAVE A SERVICE COMMITMENT REMAINING, yet they are trying to PCS you (ie: move you via a "Permanent Change of Station"), IF YOU DON'T WANT TO INCUR ADDITIONAL SERVICE COMMITMENT YOU CAN *REJECT* THE ASSIGNMENT AND *7-DAY OPT* EVEN WITH A CURRENT SERVICE COMMITMENT. Simply make your separation date the *first day after* your current service commitment end date and YOU CAN DO THE 7-DAY OPT! If any of your supervisors, commander, etc, tell you otherwise--or indicate you *must* accept the new assignment in order to "become gainfully employed," THEY ARE *WRONG.* You can 7-day opt anyway--even with an outstandign service commitment! Request a separation date as early as the day after your current commitment. In such a case, the Air Force will then do 1 of 2 things: either (1) keep you exactly where you are and find you a new job (or let you continue in your current job) withOUT PCSing you, or (2) they will PCS you anyway BUT SINCE YOU 7-DAY OPTED THEY WILL DO IT WITH*OUT* FORCING another 2-year service commitment onto you for the PCS. Just make sure that's the case. In the end, YOU CAN 7-DAY OPT no matter what your circumstances are. DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR DUMBASS O-6 WHO TELLS YOU OTHERWISE just because he's in your chain of command and you think an O-6 should know what he's talking about. Make sure you speak directly to the person who has "G-series orders" (ie: legal authority) over you, NOT just the person who's highest ranking over you. The first person in your chain of command over you with G-series orders is the person you should be speaking to. In the case of the Air Force Research Lab, for instance, this will be probably a Major (O-4) in the Orderly Room, NOT your day-to-day "commander", who may be an O-5 or O-6. Best of luck out there! If you decide to separate and become a civilian, at least be informed! It's a challenging, but rewarding road for those who truly desire it and work their butts off to make it happen! I wish you all the best no matter what you decide to do! Thanks, urucoug, for helping us do and understand this overly-complicated, time-wasting, bureaucratic idiotic process more clearly!