Career Intermission Program

AWP

SOF Support
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
21,467
Location
Florida
I heard of this before. My big question is, "why are we doing it?"

We are in the middle of a drawdown. If we can afford for you to be COMPLETELY disengaged from the force for four years, doesn't that mean that we don't need you? Maybe those people are the first ones we should cut. Well, the second ones, after the folks who have never deployed.

And isn't health care one of the things that is "bankrupting" the military, to the point where there is serious talk about putting us under Obamacare or cutting down medical/health care benefits dramatically? So we have people who are on the books, and we aren't paying (OK fine) but who continue to accrue service time AND get all of their health care benefits? While we're in the process of a dramatic downsizing?

Why?

There's already a term for "service intermission," it's called "ETS."
 
Medical types are noted for eating their young. While on active duty, it seemed that every 0-4 selection board would pass over active duty 0-3 AFIT assigned members who were already at a degree granting program. The USAF sent them there because of needs/shortages, and would pass them over. Once passed over, AFIT was pulled, and no longer open to those passed over. Most just laughed, finished their programs as civillians and took positions in the civilian world, at higher pay grades. It never made any sense to me, and I asked the same question @Marauder06, asked.
 
I heard of this before. My big question is, "why are we doing it?"

We are in the middle of a drawdown. If we can afford for you to be COMPLETELY disengaged from the force for four years, doesn't that mean that we don't need you? Maybe those people are the first ones we should cut. Well, the second ones, after the folks who have never deployed.

And isn't health care one of the things that is "bankrupting" the military, to the point where there is serious talk about putting us under Obamacare or cutting down medical/health care benefits dramatically? So we have people who are on the books, and we aren't paying (OK fine) but who continue to accrue service time AND get all of their health care benefits? While we're in the process of a dramatic downsizing?

Why?

There's already a term for "service intermission," it's called "ETS."
I think it's a good program.

Someone gets a "timeout" to finish a degree, try civilian life, etc.

We are drawing down, but in many cases losing the best as those who don't think they can make it in the civilian world cling to their security blanket (Military) for all they are worth.

My guess is most of those selected will come back in and let all their co-workers know that civilian employment has the same level of stupid that the military has, the paycheck isn't necessarily greener on the outside.

Look at SOF retention rates at the 8-12 year mark, something like this would be nice if it allowed guys to reset a marriage, then come back into the fold and resume their careers.

They are in the IRR, so we can grab them if needed.

Let's see what the initial participants do with their time out before we condemn the program.
 
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