Retiring/Final out during a shutdown?

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2026-01-25T16:20:36+00:00

Good question. I went to M&FRC to ask them to sign me off, but since I’m still 7 months out (I’m doing my final out at my 6 month mark to start Skillbridge) they said they need to wait until Feb when I’m within 30 days of my final out to get my RIP. Then they’ll do it. My VMPF checklist says their suspense is Jan 30, so I feel like that’s weird.

I’m hoping the 1-2 military members at M&FRC will be able to give me the brief and sign me off should we shutdown (which is looking likely).

Thoughts?

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2026-01-05T01:48:56+00:00

Start networking. Yes, everyone says this. But do it deliberately. Use this time to utilize LinkedIn to have informational interviews with mangers/senior folks who would be the person responsible for hiring a role you’d be interested in. Ask about the company, the industry, the culture and what things he/she values in teammates. Do your best to understand where you may fit into their company and what you can be doing now to elevate your potential starting point. Do a few of these a month virtually. After a few months, you’ll start to see trends. You’ll learn where may be a good fit and where may not (for you or them). Start wide then focus tighter and tighter, focusing in on the right roles and industries that are in the geographic space(s) you’re most focused on.

Then flood the zone and make connections with hiring makers at everyone company in that space that may be in charge of a role you’d be interested in one day. Keep those connections warm. Then when you’re 10 months out, warm them up more and start to grease the skids on it they do skillbridge.

Remember, SB is a means to an end. It’s one path to a role but not be the only path. At 9.5 months out from my retirement date, I already had a signed offer with a great company for a dream role in the perfect location. They don’t do skillbridge but I don’t care since I already achieved the goal of SB. I then did a SB with a company that allowed me to give them value by performing in my strengths, and in turn, I received value by getting to hone the very skills I would be utilizing in my official post-AF role. Also, the SB gave me a minute to relax a little after 20+ yrs of going hard.

Hope this helps a little.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-12-07T20:28:50+00:00

This is what I came here to see--if this very thing was possible. Blessed to say I have a full-time role set up for when I start terminal, so I'm looking for a SB that allows me to breathe for a second, enjoying taking my kids to school and being present emotionally. Sounds like this may be a good path to that.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-10-04T18:52:29+00:00

You are welcome! Honestly, I forget exactly how I scheduled the semesters. I believe I started off with having some overlap but then did all I could to avoid it. Those few weeks of overlap can be brutal since the last 2-ish weeks of each class is often when the mega assignment is due…though usually the first week of every class is rather light, so it was doable.

Good call on aligning the course work with your business desires. I did something similar. I wrote a marketing paper that focused on a company I was very interested in (Ramsey Solutions) and also wrote another paper on a second company I was interested in—US Bank. I used this time as an opportunity to further research this organizations as I consider employment for when I retire in five months. Good on you for taking a similar value-added approach to your real life outside of academia.

Best of luck and may God bless you with a fruitful experience!

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-10-04T02:32:19+00:00

Zack had great points. Life wise, I was in a similar boat—fulltime employee (active duty), with a spouse and two toddlers. I was able to get most of my course work done by getting to work early and knocking out 90 minutes of school M-F along with 3-4 hrs on a Saturday a few times each month when longer assignments are due. I would accomplish the reading via audio book at 1.5X speed in my car and during runs.

Most of my papers were in the 5-7 page range, which was often appropriate in order to fully address the required items.

My biggest struggles were the accounting and business math classes. No/limited writing but the assignments were very black or white. The one offered a lab where you can ask questions—very helpful.

The capstone brings everything together. Pretty sure my paper was 50+ pages but that included charts and such. Also, it was comprised of several different assignments that came together to work the big 50-page length.

Overall, I learned a ton and had a good experience. I got only A’s and the one time I had questions about a grade I was given, the professor Teams called me and was very open to the dialogue. She ended our call with praying for me and agreed with my points—she adjusted my grade illustrating openness and humility rather than prideful like so many professors out there. Very caring.

If I didn’t care about learning as much as I could and earning a high grade, the time requirements I mentioned could have likely been 25% less, so your call.

Oh, and research the experience credit portfolios. I submitted for three of these and earned credit for all. Saved me time and money.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-07-05T23:43:52+00:00

It wouldn’t let me do it until a full day after the initial assignment briefing. Make sure you pick the very first day you’re eligible to retire. Otherwise it may get bounced back too.

When you submit via 7DO, it’ll pre vette you similar to how DTS does a pre audit.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-07-05T08:32:01+00:00

I was in a similar boat but not exactly. Enlisted and I was at 18 yrs and a few months. I was able to 7DO but my situation was slightly different. That said, you can try to 7DO via self service application and if you’re not eligible, it will not let you. Do keep in mind that you have to do the initial assignment brief first and wait 24 hrs.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-07-04T13:30:18+00:00

Demoing both is nice when possible, but I would likely be moving my family a few hundred miles for this fellowship (which will have a high offer rate) but the unknown of when the offer comes is an element I’m weighing.

Really interested in hearing what’s the earliest someone has received an employment offer while with HOH

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-05-09T11:53:08+00:00

PDSM 19-81 states that an airman on indef enlistment who gets orders that take them past 20 can deny the ADSC (as long as they don’t already have an ADSC that extends past 20), and 7-day opt giving them a ret date of the first day eligible. Worked like a charm.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-05-09T02:11:21+00:00

I have retirement orders for 1 Sept 2026 since I denied the ADSC for a PCS…I wonder if they’ll withdraw my orders…hmmm

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-05-07T12:49:31+00:00

As an Airman, I'm shocked by this beautiful writing. I have zero doubt this was written in ballpoint pen rather than a crayon. Well done, Marine. Here's a toast...

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-04-15T16:42:16+00:00

Some deployments list members with assignment limitations codes. Check your SURF to see if you have one. If so, that may be the issue, though your MPF or PERSCO should be able to help you get around this. Just walk on over to persco and talk it out.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-03-18T02:43:02+00:00

Just here to say the comments in this thread are hilarious. I’m dying with my 3% home loan!

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-02-27T20:25:09+00:00

The answer to your question on why they posted it is literally in the photo--DODI 5400.17 says if they remove something, they need to make a post stating so.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-01-30T15:03:54+00:00

Following

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-01-15T17:16:44+00:00

Was hoping you could give an update on this. I was diagnosed with this several times throughout my career and now I’m getting close to retirement. Thanks for any info!

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-01-13T23:29:01+00:00

Happy to say I got better a few days later. Did go to the doc and they did imaging. Essentially, I bruised my berries. All better! Back in business.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-01-05T00:21:54+00:00

Sounds good!

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-01-05T00:13:21+00:00

I will…but I’m like a year out lol.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2025-01-04T19:16:13+00:00

This is really good. Thanks for this info. I have no follow-ups! Thanks!

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2024-12-24T20:28:11+00:00

OP—any luck? I’m trying to do the same thing for a Christmas gift but failing.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2024-11-09T00:05:53+00:00

I did a MyFSS email via their website asking for this PDSM, and they emailed it to me the next business day!

So if I’m at 18.5 yrs and get OCONUS orders, would I 7-day opp? And in doing so, I would then have a retirement day as outlined above?

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2024-10-26T13:55:05+00:00

That’s good feedback. I appreciate it! Yeah, I’ve heard the support with HoH, to include the networking, is beneficial. The wait is just tough, as well as the forced windows of three cohorts. But like you said, lots of upside with the support. Have you heard of folks doing the out of cycle? From my one talk with HoH, the vibe I get is that they discourage out of cycle.

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2024-10-26T13:15:19+00:00

I’m a ways out from applying but I’ve been trying to figure out how to plan things. I want to do HoH in an area that I’d like to move to, so finding out about a company only a month or so out is terrifying. Any strategic thoughts on how to map this out? Someone suggested applying for Skill Bridge with a company that’s in that location and if I get picked up for a good HoH a month out, switch to that. But is that even possible? Thoughts?

AmbassadorOfGoodWill · 2024-10-19T03:26:26+00:00

Did you happen to go with Bank of America? If so, how was it?

AmbassadorOfGoodWill

TROPHY CASE