Is 20 Years In The Military Worth It

Is 20 Years In The Military Worth It

[jasonlemon]

My level of ambition at 25yrs old is was WAY different than my ambition at 45yrs old. Things change a lot. Do the 20 and have that buffer for things that might happen

[dcuthbertson]

Definitely not bad advice but also depends on if you're an officer vs Enlisted and whether you can leverage your experience. An officer will get paid more and have better outcomes when he or she leaves the military. If you go in and 18 and retire at 38 with multiple degrees, and a game plan then it's totally worth it to get that pension and start a second career

[paulmcpheeters]

Great point! However, as a former infantryman, I’d like to add that, you HAVE the time AND connections to build a system in the military, but it takes a LOT of focus.

I got out after 3 years to build my wealth a different way.

Great video!

[vitaminwater]

Not worth it to many. I’ve seen too many people who do 20, or focus on doing 20 and get out lost and confused. Multiple divorces. Time away from family. Ask yourself is it really worth it? Not for me personally. I’ll gladly work in my civilian job. 40 hours a week. Not 6 12 hour shifts on deployment or what have you and poor leadership. You’ll miss it. But is it really work it

[TheCbone]

I'm 3 years out from retiring as an O-5 with 22 years of service and a solid financial portfolio. I can tell you that 20 years goes by very quick and I'm happy I stuck it out. After I retire, I can roll out of bed and play my trombone every morning and that's quite fine with me. I can also become a plumber, have my own business working on my own or hire others and lead them with the leadership toolkit I've received as an Officer. Ambition levels shouldn't be tied to a dollar amount, that's just my take. And, I don't know where there "stable" life is, maybe that's a Navy thing. I didn't think it was though.

[lowspeed]

depends on individuals like you said. at 15 years I'm making 13k a month as enlisted (side business) i get 8 years of free college split between my kids. health Care.

[ltdhnpy]

My dad has been in the military for 25 and he said it is worth it

[josephmallett]

To the people bashing on doing 20 years - My school in the military was taught by civilians that were majority ex military. We had a mix of retired(enlisted and officers) and people who did 4-6 years and got out. Every single person who did 20 years or more and retired had a certain vibe of true freedom and carelessness because they continued to work because they wanted to. They were noticeably happier and more free than people who worked there because they NEEDED a salary. They even said that it doesn’t matter if they got fired that day because they can live off their pension, which gives you a huge boost in confidence. I get that you can get out and make 10K a month, but let’s be realistic how many service members are going to actually get out and make that. Some people definitely do get out and make that, but a lot more get out and work somewhere that doesn’t pay much and end up working well past the years that they would have otherwise collected a pension from the military.

[devildogus]

Okay you’ll just start a multi million dollar business. That’s the most unrealistic expectation I’ve ever heard. Doing 20 in the military means you will have a guaranteed place to live, food, and steady income no matter what. There is virtually nowhere in the civilian world that can say the same

[TateReggie]

Investing 30 years into a business is cool (until the business fails). I've seen a lot of businesses fail and a lot of millionaires go broke.

My family, friends, and associates thought that I was nuts for making the military a career. I'm now retired with a nice income for the rest of my life while they are tired and still chasing money.

[WSY_FTW_PLOX]

At 18 do something cybersecurity related in military. Get your degrees and certs an Officer and retire. Start 2nd career in your 40s as Cybersecurity and get well over 200k a year.

[terryevans]

I was a military dependent, I enlisted with the idea of doing 20. I worked in a highly skilled MOS, held security clearances, and made Sgt. in a little over three years. I decided to get out which was a very tough decision for me but I quintupled, yes quintupled, my military salary in less than two years. If there would have been a good reserve unit nearby I would have done that but sadly there was not.
A lot depends on your skills and your motivation. I'm extremely proud of my time in the Corps but I do not regret my decision to EAS.

[BarryzClips]

Only do 20 years if you will commission, it isn’t worth it for enlisted. Trust me.

[GreatBlazes]

Depends. Not the 90s anymore. If you don’t have a large family or single doing the three that’s required for post 9/11 getting a quality education at a brick and mortar and making valuable connections you can do a bit better than the hybrid pension plans which are now no different than a civilian 401k . The work life balance is much better as well. You have to weigh your options and have a plan and understand saving and investing and the benefits are what’s worth it. VA loan, Disability, Post 911 VRE if you wanna couple it with a retirement then go officer and live a decent life. However understand the military will come first every time . And it’s a reason why divorce rate is very high. I would rather come home every night sleuth a higher paying job and money saved. And take vacations when I want without doing a class and hoping it gets approved, not getting Red Cross messages and being treated like a child. Sometimes not knowing when the workday is over.

[stonesaucepmo]

🔥it all depends on someone’s mindset and how life works out. In short words to what best for y’all long as ur happy and ur family straight that’s what matters

[morganstone]

With 20 years in the military you leave the military with a military pension and a significant healthcare advantage. With Tricare you get extremely affordable healthcare, as opposed to waiting until 65.

[RKmndo]

I made NCO, got sent to OCS, and completed a 2yr degree in one enlistment. If one has a good spouse, they could start and grow a business with that spouse while serving, then retire at 20yrs of service and continue to grow the business.

Unfortunately, most modern Western women can't be trusted like that.

[cherellemarie]

Would love for you to elaborate! 20 years I think is worth it if your highly motivated and make high rank!

[espinoza-adventure]

I do appreciate your video and perspective and I like your honesty. However time is money but money is not time; we only have one life.
Thanks for sharing!

[TchallaUduku]

Retirement benefits and payoff long term. Let’s say you get out at 40 and live to say 85. Collectively that pay and the benefits afforded to you is in the millions ons category. Let’s not dismiss also VA home loans, GIBill if you were smart and just used the Tuition Assistance to get you through school.

Theres more to the story here. It’s not being weighed fairly. 😮

You can live as comfortable as you want officer or enlisted. You just have to be smart.