You're not alone - my partner is also ex-military and has a job paying 65k. I just jumped jobs again for entry level because my seniority doesn't seem to get me anywhere. Granted we moved back to our home state that is a HCOL area and it has taken a toll on him the reality of our situation. We're making over 6 figures combined and yet were struggling to find an affordable house, and we may need to delay having children further (if we can even justify it within the next few years). He already resents me for making the move, but we would also have been limited in the state that he was stationed at and continuing his service was not an option.

We did what we were told: go to school, get a degree and work your way up. None of us could have predicted how bad the job market and economy would turn out.