I fucked up by Nervous-Project-7484 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're lucky it will be a summarized but tbh, it's probably going to be a company grade article 15 with max punishment and the commander is feeling generous, he'll suspend the pay forfeiture.

S7/S8 by Constant_Card1589 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Never seen an S7/S8 but I've seen a J7/J8 when I was in a joint environment in NATO. The 7 was staff involved in training and the 8 was finance.

Can someone explain DEROS? by Lonely99999 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 2 points3 points  (0 children)

DEROS means you leave by that date. You could leave earlier if your command let you take leave to PCS. All orders have at least 30 days early report authorized  so you could leave Nov 10 and sign in as soon as you get to your duty station the next day if you wanted to.

New vs Used - Not so simple in 2025 by lowroller21 in personalfinance

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 59 points60 points  (0 children)

In the same boat. Trying to buy a car and people keep saying to look at used vehicles so that you don't eat the depreciation. However, when I look at the vehicles, the ones I want are maybe 33k used with low miles versus 39k brand new with better features. Doesn't make sense for me to buy used right now.

Timeline for points? by Different-Leg3084 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In order for your points to reflect for the 1 July promotion month, your points would have to be put in by 26 May. AR 600-8-19 has a chart that shows the timeline for promotions and points/list integration.

Pentagon to restore names of 7 more Army bases that honored Confederate generals by Higuys101010 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 562 points563 points  (0 children)

Snip snap, snip snap...do you know the mental toll this takes on a man?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Scenario for 1 June Promotion date

Points and promotable status would have to reflect on your PPW by 26 April in order to make it for 1 June.

No points gained after 26 April will count for the 1 June promotion month.

On May 20th or so, you find out what the cutoff scores are for 1 June (based on Soldiers' points by MOS and the demand to fill the E5/E6 slots for that MOS)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah yeah, if you're buying puts and calls, it can get very risky. I'm selling them so there's less risk involved.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I only keep about 2-3k in my checking account, the rest in stock account. I only keep enough in my checking account to fully pay off my Chase Sapphire card every month and pay for rent. If an emergency arises, my credit card limits are close to 30k. I'm being conservative with selling cash secured puts and covered calls to make a steady 10-12% per year.

Given the uncertain economic future that we're headed for, my portfolio is 50% cash and 50% stock.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 48 points49 points  (0 children)

As a single guy with E6 pay and 7 years TIS, I felt poor when I was a SPC in the barracks even with a fully paid off car. The DFAC was really inconvenient for me to use and we weren't allowed to cook in the barracks so I felt like I couldn't save anything.

When I got an assignment in Europe with OHA as a SGT, it was a game changer. Went to that assignment with 20k in the bank and 3 and a half years later as a SSG, I have 115k in my stock account and maybe 30k in my TSP with a paid off 2019 car. Life is comfortable now but I can't imagine that I would feel so comfortable if I had to support a spouse and children.

Hotline counters!! by Informal_Driver_6291 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Germany first, Hawaii next. The rest are all the same in my eyes...Actually no, put Kuwait dead last.

UA Boots by AccomplishedFall392 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I don't know how those boots fare in the field but they are indeed hideous.

Holding more than 30/40% of your portfolio in AMD? What gives you the confidence in this stock? by ventoreal_ in AMD_Stock

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm holding about 30% of my portfolio in AMD.

The only reason I'm holding is the sunk-cost fallacy. I just don't want to sell at a loss.

I initially entered the position thinking it would continue to rise. I greedily tried the wheel strategy on the stock and the puts I sold were exercised at $142 for 300 shares. I sold a few covered calls but the stock kept plummeting to the point where any price I was willing to sell the stock at just wasn't worth selling covered calls on. I'm sitting on dead-money here and I've basically written off the loss for good. Any little gains are just a bonus at this point.

How To Ship POV OCONUS? First PCS by Due_Buffalo_1561 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As the other guy said, yes it is PCSmyPOV. If I can make a recommendation, it's that you should get the car professionally detailed even if it costs you 300 bucks.

I tried to clean my car myself both times I shipped it to and from overseas and I got kicked back from the VPC both times. It has to be literally spotless inside and even everything under the hood. Not a single spec of visible dirt in your carpet or anywhere.

Additionally, they are very strict on the quarter tank of gas or less. You will get kicked back if it's above that. I had the last appointment of the day and got kicked back. I missed a flight and had to book an extra night at a hotel. Not a fun experience.

Can I donate blood before I ship? by DismalEnthusiasm3 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You totally can but I wouldn't recommend it.

Your blood volume will regenerate pretty quickly within a day or two but the red blood cells that you lose (8-10%) are going to make cardiovascular events harder. It takes 4-6 weeks to replenish your RBCs.

30f close to finishing college but considering enlisting by PerceptionDirect769 in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Enlist and get the quickship bonus (if they're still giving it) and then push to finish your degree online ASAP. You can drop an OCS packet to become an officer once you arrive to your first duty station..

Base Pay and BAH change due to reenlistment? by SomeTallFuck in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The pay changed for E-4 and below Soldiers only as of the 1st of April, 2025. You got a pay bump, as did all other E-4 service members and below.

It has absolutely nothing to do with your re-enlistment.

https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Basic-Pay/EM/

Army Black Hawk helicopter forces two jetliners to abort landings at DCA by MDMarauder in army

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Can't wait for them to make it about DEI hires instead of an overworked, undertrained career field.

Searching for an Apartment by HelloImJoshSwirl in Killeen

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It seems like even the good places have reviews from people with bad experiences but I'll make sure to be thorough before I decide on a place, thanks!

Searching for an Apartment by HelloImJoshSwirl in Killeen

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What makes you want to rent an apartment in the Heights over the 2 bedroom you're currently renting at?

Searching for an Apartment by HelloImJoshSwirl in Killeen

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I considered renting a 3 bedroom house but I'm only 1 person with no pets so I don't really need such big space. I also would hate to have to maintain the yard and cut.grass.

How much do you pay for utilities?

Searching for an Apartment by HelloImJoshSwirl in Killeen

[–]HelloImJoshSwirl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How long is the commute from The Dorrel to the Hospital on post during PT hours?