.When he decided on an air force career, it was because he did not have many other options. He grew up in a small town in Texas and knew that if he did join the military, he would have the opportunity to broaden his horizons, serve his country and eventually have a career that would allow him to provide for his family. Admittedly, he was not thinking of his retirement.
He told me that pursuing an air force career was the best decision that he ever made, because he learned self discipline that he doubts he could have learned on his own or in another field. I have noticed that he carries on a lot of the traditions that he learned in the air force, particularly when it comes to neatness and keeping himself in good physical shape.
He also said that because of his air force career, he was able to live on base housing and shop at the commissary, which saved him a lot of money and allowed my aunt to stay home and care for my cousins when they were younger. He also got to travel a lot and take his family all over the world, which definitely enriched the lives of his children.
Now we are at the point that he is ready to retire from his job at the post office, and we got to talking about what type of financial hit he would take. He informed me that it would be so negligible that he would not even really notice a drop. Not only will he have the retirement pay from the air force, but he will also have his pension from the Postal Service and an IRA that he was smart enough to open years ago at the urging of an air force buddy of his.
It is amazing to me to watch the type of life my uncle has created for himself because of his air force career, and I am very impressed. He has had a very satisfying and fulfilling life because of that career, and he has a lot to show for what he has done. It almost makes me wish I had chosen the same thing for myself!
No comments:
Post a Comment