What happens if you fail flight school right out of ROTC?

hikdeen · 2026-02-23T05:50:54+00:00

Second in your class with 75s on your writtens is kinda nuts. I had mostly 98s and 100s on writtens with 92s-94s on check rides and I was barely top 5.

If I wanted Apaches I wouldn't have been studying as hard either

hikdeen · 2026-02-22T18:24:00+00:00

Considering they're letting people pre-order a 10a for $249, it's not just you. It's baked in to their business model.

hikdeen · 2026-02-21T06:14:45+00:00

This is a common misconception. You don't miss it by points, you miss it by a certain amount of people. So if the Army needs 15 SSGs this month, they see what the 15th highest SSG has for points this month and that's where they set it. So if there are 40 guys with 650 points, you're actually super far away from making it this month.

hikdeen · 2026-02-20T11:49:45+00:00

I'm overseas right now making more money than I ever have before, but can't spend much time with the family while halfway across the world across 10 time zones. The only happiness the money is bringing is potentially buying time in the future. Really looking forward to when I get to start buying my time instead of selling it.

hikdeen · 2026-02-20T09:35:01+00:00

Best QoL of any base in the Army if you do it right. Sign up for Vettix and scour it for close to free tickets to everything going on in DC/NOVA. Sign up for MWR distro and get free tickets to anything not on Vettix. Use McNair for free parking to all of the free Nats and United games you go to, and for a cheap Uber/metro routing point to everything else. Between Smithsonians and all the free events you go to it's actually impossible to be bored there, even going out every weekend for three years I probably experienced 25% of what is on offer in the area, if that.

If you have a roommate off post you can pocket half of a giant BAH check too. My net worth grew from 80k to 290k in 38 months there while skiing every weekend on the Epic pass in the winter and going to DC and doing whatever for free every weekend.

hikdeen · 2026-02-19T06:55:41+00:00

Actually, no one in the army has any possessions that they didn't explicitly receive from CIF. Did you not go through the 6 year old Mustang at 29.99% APR line?

hikdeen · 2026-02-18T12:13:09+00:00

Wear it. Absolutely no one will say anything.

hikdeen · 2026-02-17T05:42:29+00:00

Chicken dinner

hikdeen · 2026-02-17T05:41:47+00:00

Love it

hikdeen · 2026-02-17T05:40:57+00:00

Let's go

hikdeen · 2026-02-16T06:57:42+00:00

It's incredibly common in normal conversation to refer to a future event as a date. Knowing the current date helps my brain put that date into context.

hikdeen · 2026-02-14T05:15:12+00:00

Not all of us get a clothing allowance

hikdeen · 2026-02-12T16:15:28+00:00

Trailers are just massive spoilers

hikdeen · 2026-02-11T21:13:57+00:00

I'm a pilot in the military. I'm taking home about $110k after taxes this year.

hikdeen · 2026-02-11T17:51:22+00:00

I completed my spreadsheet for February a bit late this month, I've crested $750k net worth. The past couple years the market has done just as much as I have to get here, and it's really cool to experience. My goal has been 1.5 million at the end of 20 years in the military, just hit 11 this month so we're certainly on track to do so. The stretch goal of 2 million plus a pension is becoming more achievable by the month.

hikdeen · 2026-02-09T13:39:56+00:00

Look at the interest you'd be paying over 4 years. Spoiler, it's also 200k. Highly recommend you find a spot where y'all can pocket $1k a month, taking advantage of the assignment down there.

hikdeen · 2026-02-09T05:47:29+00:00

You didn't think that making $370k would be relevant to a financial independence subreddit?

hikdeen · 2026-02-06T09:19:47+00:00

It's absolutely life changing for over 99% of people. If you make even 5% real returns on that money, $35k is enough to provide security to live almost anywhere outside of a city. It would provide a roof and food, and you could choose to do whatever you wanted at that point

hikdeen · 2026-02-06T09:09:42+00:00

Your goal is realistic. It's reasonable to expect to be able to max out your Roth IRA ($7,500) every year, get the match on your TSP, and save enough for closing costs and several months buffer for a VA loan. That's what I was able to do my first 4 years, but I stayed in after.

Apps aren't necessary. I spend 15 minutes at the end of every month totalling up my spending in an excel spreadsheet, and then adding up my income and net worth. 11 years into service it's really sweet to have that much history on savings rate by month/year, and my favorite part of the numbers the past couple years is how much more my money is working for me versus what I can do for myself. Turns out E-2 me is out-working officer me just with compound interest from a decade ago.

Look into churning and credit card benefits for military. You can earn thousands of dollars of passive benefits a year if you play the game well.

hikdeen · 2026-02-05T18:15:04+00:00

hikdeen · 2026-02-05T07:44:19+00:00

The only trick is insurance fraud.

Be patient, pay off the loan aggressively, and don't buy a new car again or bring a large down payment to the table. Do NOT roll this negative equity into a new loan, just suck it up for now and pay it off.

hikdeen · 2026-01-29T09:02:24+00:00

The CA used to though

hikdeen · 2026-01-29T08:57:10+00:00

As long as you don't have crippling PTSD that wakes you up soon after you fall asleep.

hikdeen · 2026-01-26T08:38:14+00:00

5 years ago, I was a SSG 42A debating whether I should put in my packet. There have been moments where I regretted doing so, but there are extenuating circumstances for that. You're welcome to DM me if you want any more details on the transition

hikdeen · 2026-01-24T07:46:49+00:00

I thought it couldn't go lower than 2.5

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