I may have to change some aspects of it soon though. I've been living the life of a mission hog/guard bum, but costs are going up, and to meet the bills, I'd need more missions, with the concomitant time away, so I'll have to get a civilian job (or find a local assignment... not as easy, nor reliable, as one might think).
Which means the summers in Mass., or Ariz. or Utah, or SF, will be fewer, or shorter. The calls asking me to go to Korea on two-days notice (which happened) or surprising me with a trip to Ukraine, are going to be less acceptable.
But, as you say, it's interesting, and I'd not get to do them otherwise.
What sucks is I'm getting good at what I do (well, better) and have the comfort, and experience, which makes it easy, and comes with some respect, and that level, of assumed competence, is going to be hard to give up.
So you may have some changes coming. A civilian employer would be unlikely to afford you the time away for missions, especially short notice ones. Local assignments - is it possible that they could be as interesting? I imagine it will be hard to give up entirely right away.
I could be an ass, and just keep taking the missions. Technically there is nothing an employer can do about it.
The civilian employers I've had were pretty good about it... and to some degree I abused one of them (seemed only fair, as they were abusing me, and the pay was better when I was on a mission) by taking stuff at short notice.
They were so proud to be supporting, that I got away with it.
If I were to be let go, because of assignments, JAG is more than willing to step in and take 'em to town. I've heard the average settlement for such things is about $250,000, to the soldier.
But I can't. It isn't fair, they expect one to be working for them, not filling in the gaps that slack times don't cover.
Local assignements are fun. I have a couple I'd like, it's just that such, which don't require me to change specialties are few, and far between (there are, maybe 12 slots in the state for me... perhaps 16... and people are in them.... and more than just I want them them when they come open).
So, back to the more regular grind... unless I can figure out how to get over the intial investment/exposure problems and start making money on art photography.
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Date: 2004-07-23 03:06 am (UTC)I may have to change some aspects of it soon though. I've been living the life of a mission hog/guard bum, but costs are going up, and to meet the bills, I'd need more missions, with the concomitant time away, so I'll have to get a civilian job (or find a local assignment... not as easy, nor reliable, as one might think).
Which means the summers in Mass., or Ariz. or Utah, or SF, will be fewer, or shorter. The calls asking me to go to Korea on two-days notice (which happened) or surprising me with a trip to Ukraine, are going to be less acceptable.
But, as you say, it's interesting, and I'd not get to do them otherwise.
What sucks is I'm getting good at what I do (well, better) and have the comfort, and experience, which makes it easy, and comes with some respect, and that level, of assumed competence, is going to be hard to give up.
TK
no subject
Date: 2004-07-23 01:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-23 05:36 pm (UTC)The civilian employers I've had were pretty good about it... and to some degree I abused one of them (seemed only fair, as they were abusing me, and the pay was better when I was on a mission) by taking stuff at short notice.
They were so proud to be supporting, that I got away with it.
If I were to be let go, because of assignments, JAG is more than willing to step in and take 'em to town. I've heard the average settlement for such things is about $250,000, to the soldier.
But I can't. It isn't fair, they expect one to be working for them, not filling in the gaps that slack times don't cover.
Local assignements are fun. I have a couple I'd like, it's just that such, which don't require me to change specialties are few, and far between (there are, maybe 12 slots in the state for me... perhaps 16... and people are in them.... and more than just I want them them when they come open).
So, back to the more regular grind... unless I can figure out how to get over the intial investment/exposure problems and start making money on art photography.
TK