A change in course
Remember the Air Force gig? Yeah, probably not going to happen.
You see, I have some sort of code in my records, placed there by a general officer, that limits my options to move around or tansfer to about…oh zero percent.
There are only scant few ways to remove said code and allow me to fly free into the ether. One of them is to reenlist.
Yes, reenlist. You see, to leave the service, you have to serve longer. Now, why would I wish to sign up for a longer stint, you might ask?
Well, as it turns out, the code will keep me locked into Fort Hood for around two years. That means another jaunt to a not-so-nice place in the interim.
By reenlisting, I can secure a choice of station, meaning I can choose to go somewhere else. The Army is big on retaining its members, especially from my rank and my job. That gives me a lot of barganing power.
So I’ve been thinking about returning to DINFOS, the school where I learned to be an Army journalist, and become an instructor. It takes a bit to get nominated to one of those positions, but it’s doable. I’ll be giving it serious thought. That would stick me in the Fort Meade area for another three years, instead of the two-three-ish years at Fort Hood; but I think I would enjoy the D.C./Baltimore area far more than Texas.
What do you all think?
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Talking Salmons 
Anything we can do in terms of providing support for your application to be an instructor? Letters from the community? From academics (like me?) I also just got my first shooting assignment for Defense Technology International and Aviation Week, so I could also couch a letter in terms of a journalist perspective.
BW: There are letters of recommendation that are needed. I’ll definitely let you know if I need personal references from outside of my chain of command! Thanks much for the offer!
Oh, and what’s the scoop with that new assignment? Sounds pretty cool!
Hmmmm, this reminds me a lot of used car salesmen. You know, how it’s always so much easier to get into the $20K vehicle than the $10K vehicle… sure you pay more in the long run but you don’t need nearly the same deposit upfront…
You need to testdrive the Fort… ask if you can visit for a week, and see how you like it… Remember, it snows in DC and it gets really cold (says the girl now living in San Diego). 🙂
Do you want to become a teacher? I know this is something that you’re still working on and spending processing power on, but what do YOU want to do? Forget where you are at the moment and what is and isn’t ‘doable’ If you could do anything, what would it be?
Actually, I do really like teaching. And I’m at the Fort right now. The course I’m taking is just across the street where I would be going if I got the instructor bit.
Yeah, I hear you on the used car salesman bit. But the short version of the story is either I do 2.5 years at Texas with a unit I’m not so psyched about, or do the instructor thing for 3 years, in a place that I actually like; quite a bit, actually.
Mucho thanks on the cautionary bit though, Fel. I know you’re looking out for me 😉
Hey where’s my speech, Mister?
😉
Well sweetas! If teaching (I should call it instructing, shouldn’t I) is something you dig then go for it! And if you like this Fort better than the other, then that’s a double bonus. I was thinking you were signing up for more pain for slightly less aggrevation…
But, you seem pretty keen on this, so you get the Felyne Green light (hehe now your blog readers are giving you the okay to do stuff)…
Instructor Salmons… I guess that does have a pretty good ring to it (plus I hear those Texans are crazy people).
So go hard!!! (and good luck, if you need some reference from some weird legal alien chick, I’m right here for ya babe).
Go for the instructor post, and don’t look back. I got out a long time back and I lament the fact that I could be retired three years from now if I’d just stayed the course and stayed in.
I understand they have great ‘ville alumni reunions in the DC area, dry of course. If you can rig it so you actually have a choice in the company that doesn’t give you choices, go for it.
Go for it! Baltimore can be so much fun and way better than Texas any day.