Retired Service?

[X-armoured]

I was just wondering if anyone else was finding the adjustment to civilian life difficult.
I joined the military right out of high school. Not exactly sure what I want to do
with the rest of my life. Most employers that I have interviewed with are either
self serving or just plain incompetent. Is it me, or am I just too high strung? Perhaps
I just have a higher sense of self and standards...
I think this is an important subject to discuss here, as we are all going to face retirement
eventually. Any thoughts?
x-armoured

 

[xo31@711ret]

Hi x-armoured; Oh yeah, 'retirement' sounds great until your there:
I retired last summer after +24 years to follow my wife to her last posting on the north shore of Quebec at a reserve unit. I joined up 1 month shy of my 18th birthday. Couldn't find a civvie job here as my french is terrible. Spent a year off being 'stay-at-home-dad. After about a couple of months I was bored out of my freakin' tree! So, put my paperwork in for the reserves here and started last month on a class 'A'. Getting a few days here & there - and lovin' it: helps break up the routine. Plan on doing this until the wife finishes her 20 reg service in '10 and we settle down in northern NB.

 

[sharky]

Didn't come any were near retirement from the military,but yes it was quite an adjustment back to civi street.
Step on my dick quite a few times

 

[Teflon]

well only 3 yrs away from retirement myself and this of course has led to the wife's question of "what are you going to do when you leave the army?" I have already been informed that I am not to be looking too closely at any job requiring me to "go away" for long periods or carry a gun LOL.  Every day we vent alittle to each other about work and I have been convinced from her stories that I will have a hard time adjusting or even surviving in the civi work enviroment. She has often said that she would love to watch my first hour or two working in her office - watching her so called co-workers run and dive for cover but says I wouldn't make it till lunch before being fired  for making it "an uncomfortable work enviroment" LOL

Just remember my friend, they are "only civis" and try to do your best to work with them!

Good luck

 

[Northern Ranger]

I just got out this summer after 21 years. Within the first two weeks I wanted to cancel it and thought that the job I had selected sucked.  Its been 3 months now and I'm very happy, life is easier, don't have a move hanging over my head and when asked, I tell my buddies its the second best thing I have ever done WRT the military, the first was joining, the second was getting out.  I left on my terms and at my choosing.

On a side note, I did happen to take a job with the Public Service, supporting the military, so the guys drop by and say hello all the time and cutting the apron strings has been easier that way.

Can't wait for my first Pension Cheque to show up! ;D.

 

[armyvern]

Can't wait for my first Pension Cheque to show up! ;D.

How long should these reasonably take (I know what they tell you  :-\) to show up ... anybody?? Bueller??

While I was over at the Det clearing out (YAY!!!!) on Thursday, we had a guy come in to see us who's been waiting 15 weeks already for his!! I left him with the Chief Clerk ...

Is that normal?? I certainly don't think so. But, how often is it happening?? It's certainly not the first time I've heard of retirees waiting months and months for it to show up ... finally.

 

[riggermade]

I had mine within a month

 

[xo31@711ret]

Hi Vern, my last paycheck after all my accumulated (or whatever it's called now) was 14 Aug 06. I recieved my first pension check about 25 Sept.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Hi Vern, my last paycheck after all my accumulated (or whatever it's called now) was 14 Aug 06. I recieved my first pension check about 25 Sept.

I think mine was about the same. I retired in June and got my first pension cheque at end July.

By the way, the change (pensions drops/CPP kicks in) at age 65* was just as smooth.

----------

* Some of you, depending upon your financial/tax/employment situation should consider taking your CPP early, at age 60 - consult your accountant and, depending upon your health (consult your doctor) plan for the long term.

 

[EW]

How long should these reasonably take (I know what they tell you  :-\) to show up ... anybody?? Bueller??

While I was over at the Det clearing out (YAY!!!!) on Thursday, we had a guy come in to see us who's been waiting 15 weeks already for his!! I left him with the Chief Clerk ...

Is that normal?? I certainly don't think so. But, how often is it happening?? It's certainly not the first time I've heard of retirees waiting months and months for it to show up ... finally.

Vern, I got out on 30 April 2007, and didn't get my first cheque until 26 August, so it was four-months.  Seems I got caught up in some change in paperwork.  I was told that it could take until late July, so I started to make a few phone calls in early August.  Everyone was very helpful, accommodating, and got me to the right person in only about two phone calls.  I was impressed with how fast a real person was looking at my problem, and had it resolved, so I can't say it was a horrible experience.

As for life after 20-years service, I've also been lucky to find a job with the govt that is not too far off of what I did in uniform.  There are quite a few of us who came over from the CF.  I think our way of relating, and not sweating the small stuff is a little intimidating to those who haven't served.  Still, when I visit the mess of my old unit, I do feel the longing.

 

[Kat Stevens]

I was very lucky when I pulled pin.  6 months before release I sent out 25 resumes, and by the next morning I had 12 interviews sitting in my email in box.  Took a job with a small company in a little town about an hour North of Edmonton,  moved up here and been at it 5 years now.  I was actually hired before I was released, kind of an LWOP thing.  I've only ever gone home angry twice, a vast improvement over my army days.  Pension cheques rolled in bang on time, too.  I still miss the army every single day, but I don't think that's reciprocal.

 

[TN2IC]

well only 3 yrs away from retirement myself and this of course has led to the wife's question of "what are you going to do when you leave the army?" I have already been informed that I am not to be looking too closely at any job requiring me to "go away" for long periods or carry a gun LOL.  Every day we vent alittle to each other about work and I have been convinced from her stories that I will have a hard time adjusting or even surviving in the civi work enviroment. She has often said that she would love to watch my first hour or two working in her office - watching her so called co-workers run and dive for cover but says I wouldn't make it till lunch before being fired  for making it "an uncomfortable work enviroment" LOL

Just remember my friend, they are "only civis" and try to do your best to work with them!

Good luck

When I was in High School I did the PRes. And one day I had to job shadow my girlfriend's dad. That office deal didn't last long. *Looks at the leaning tower of unfiled papers* "You want be to punch in those numbers from the files and save each time? Right....  : I'm stepping out for a second." *Goes for smoke break, really long smoke break.*

I prefere to live in a trench then work in an civie office again! Horrors... IA's stoppages on the printer! AUGH!  ;D

 

[X-armoured]

Glad to hear that most of you are finding the transition smooth.
Yeah....the pension cheques are awesome. I received my first one
about 3 months after release. Sure is nice to see that deposit in
my bank account every month ;-)
I thought about maybe joining the CIC and getting involved with
the local cadet corps. I started out as a cadet many years ago and
it had a major roll in my decision to join regular force. It would
be neat to give something back.......with all the UFI in my head.
I'm sure things will improve over the next few months.
PERSEVERANCE.....

 

[antique]

X-Armoured
Welcome to the world of civilian life..indeed there is life after death.
I left in 1986(WOW,I must be real old) after 22 years and still miss it ..somedays.
There are great opportunities out there for ex-servicemen.Employers are looking for people that have the "Can do attitude".
I worked for a retailer for 2 years upon release as assistant to the boss and that helped me get used to the civvie ways and it paid off.
Some head hunter came by and put me on to a job with an international chemical co. that was looking for the right type.
Well,I stayed with for 15 years and,seen  some very interesting and challenging situations with them.Mergers and acquisitions are words unknown in the military but they are a reality in the other life.Ended up being the head of Norh American logistics for them.
Civvie job are not quite the same as being in the military more so If you come from combat arms but,there are some exciting challenges out there.
Your skills as a military men are very usefull in civie life.Just look for the rightt employer,the one that you feel OK with.
As far as pension is concerned,just imagine that i"ve getting my cheque every month for 19 years now and still counting.
Good luck in your new life...the military is not the end
Regards
Just one old guy

 

[OldTanker]

My first pension cheque arrived about a month after release - just as I was told it would. And they have kept coming for the past five years without any problems

I found my transition to be fairly easy. My last CF job had me exposed to many civilians so I wasn't surprised at what I found. A lot less BS and a lot less bureaucracy. Of course, that will depend on where you end up. My assessment of the people I worked for was that their style of leadership was every bit as effective as I had known in the Army, if not better. Of course, it was done differently to suit the circumstances - my direct supervisor runs a $2 billion operation with 10,000 employees, and he didn't get into his position by being a dud. I found most of the negative comments I had heard in the Army regarding civilians to be baloney. There's the good, the bad and the ugly, but if you find yourself in good operation I suspect you will be pleasantly surprised at what you find. From what I have experienced myself and seen in others I would suggest that your military experience and skills will be your greatest asset, but the sooner you can "civilianize" your attitude and approach, the happier you will be, and the more quickly you will be accepted by others. I think that people who try to drag their military rank and position with them into civilian life are often very unhappy. Just my perspective.

Good luck with your life change.

 

[X-armoured]

antique
Wow....good on ya!  You must have joined when Centurion was a rank ?  
I joined in "86", it seems like a long time ago now. Hard to believe some
days. It's funny.......I still remember the smell of that old dingy
recruiters office......almost like it was yesterday.

 

[Northern Ranger]

As for the time of the pension cheque to come, a buddy and I happened to get out at the same time (13 Jul), however I did the retirement leave thing for 30 days (13 Aug was my day).  He got his first cheque in the mail at the end of Sep, I figure I should see something at the end of Oct or if not by end Nov I will start calling.

When I was in Edmonton getting out, the Release Sgt told me that they where at the same amount of releases that they had all last year and it was only in the middle (or numbers close to that).  I was also told that the reserve pension program has put a strain on the guys and gals in the pension office.

:cheers:

 

[EW]

Funny thing, but I often find that the Public Service is more rank conscious than the CF. 

Go figure, but they tend to think that I'm the one coming from a 'yes sir' 'no sir' background, but at least in the CF if you had a Corporal who was still a Corporal after 15-years, you could look at his/her chest and sometimes see a rack of medals, and that in itself was deserving of some respect.  The PS just tends to look at your pay-level and that's where you fit in, regardless.  I've met some senior managers / EX's who are an exception to that rule, but by and large the system is more rigid than I found in the CF.

I also found that in the CF that a lot of good ideas often could find there way from the troop level and up to the senior level.  Not so much in the PS.  Lots of managers there are loath to rock the boat.  Except for some of us ex-military types who, maybe because we already have a small pension, are usually not quite so willing to turn a blind eye when we see something that just seems wrong.  I know for a fact that this is one of the reasons my current Director hired a few ex-military types to run a couple of her sections.  Less careerism, and more 'can do.'

 

[xo31@711ret]

EW, niner domestic said somewhat the same to me one time. She's a chief clerk, WO now and she has worked with a hell of a lot civvie clerks; especially Gagetown when we were there. We were posted at the same unit for awhile (but different sub-units), When I'd go pick her up or when I had business at HQ where she was employed as CC, I sometimes got the vague idea there was a cetain 'rank structure' thing going on between the different levels of the civvie clerks (can't remember the exact level / name, but had had something to do with level 1, 2 & 3 - 3 being the CO"s secretary). But that could of been just me, with a military rank mind-set at the time.

 

[armyvern]

I sometimes got the vague idea there was a cetain 'rank structure' thing going on between the different levels of the civvie clerks (can't remember the exact level / name, but had had something to do with level 1, 2 & 3 - 3 being the CO"s secretary). But that could of been just me, with a military rank mind-set at the time.

Hmmm,

Well let's see there's CR-03 (who are not usually COs sectretaries), CR-04s, 5s etc; then there are the

AS01s, 02, 03s ... ES, VHE's, STSs etc etc ...

the higher the number after their group designator -- the higher in their heirarchy (The Public Service) they sit and the higher their paycheck.