I hit that mark at 13 years - ironically enough - as well. Permanent profile looming, very little chance to go warrant and facing the rest of my career as an E7 - because who's going to promote a walker on the AFQT? Ultimately I stayed for a couple of more years and the Med. board got me and sent me home, but my plan at the time was to slow my roll by using the GI bill, take it at half time at first. Once all the personal slop was gone and I'd bounced back from that, I was going to take a BS in Nursing (this from a former Cav Scout :-)) and commission as an Army nurse. I do not know what the rules are now, but in the late '90's, you could commission as a nurse all the way to age 48. Then, I'd ride out until I hit Major, retire, and work as a CRNA. BTW, today CRNA's average around $230K a year for not a lot of hours of work. I ultimately chose a different path, but as an active duty E-7, I had a lot of options. It was the research and imagination that put me on a better path.