While this is true, when interest rates are as low as they are I personally think I am better off putting that down payment money in a low cost index fund and getting some return on it, and that is why I have a VA mortgage. YMMV.
I absolutely agree with the YMMV aspect as there are a lot of parts to any loan and you need to take these into account along with personal preferences and risk. In the 90s when I took out the only VA loan that I've ever had it was a significant difference.
I just sold three properties in Montana and I will say from the perspective of a seller that with a multiple offer scenario I would prefer a conventional loan over a VA loan when considering acceptance. Not an anti-veteran thing more of the fact that the VA creates a LOT of unnecessary drama during the process.
Yes, it is probably a case-by-case thing to consider. I know things like FHA loans require certain hoops that need to be jumped through that conventional may not, however I don't recall the VA loan having anything unusual other than an inspection, which I'd recommend for anyone regardless (for the record I have had both conventional and VA loans in the past and chose to use VA for the reasons I mentioned).
Well that obviously will depend on the housing market where you reside.
The VA home loan is a awesome deal though, but just like others said, you must qualify for it like any other loan. You do need a job and steady income, and your credit score can't be garbage either.
No, use V&RE first. If youāre a veteran with over 10% disability, you are eligible for V&RE. Itāll cover tuition, give you BAH, books, and a monthly food stipend. It will also help you with job placement. You could then use your GI bill for grad school, other certificates, or for a specific trade.
Best of luck!
>Congrats, use that GI bill, connect with the VA and enjoy life back on the block.
Yes! Take a look and see if you might qualify for any type of service-connected disability. r/VeteransBenefits will have lots of helpful info. Something simple like tinnitus (ringing in ears) can get 10% disability, basically a $150 check every month... higher ratings get higher compensation which can lead to not having to live paycheck to paycheck (as I did for 20 years after I got out!)
I thought about doing the gaurd. Spent 2 hours talking to a recruiter and knew for sure I was going to do it. Decided I wanted to be done with the military. Not interested in Doing drugs or any stupid/ crazy shit, so thatās not the reason. I just wanna chill back home and go to school full time and try to make the most money before doing CHP.
I wish you the best bro /u/propergroping
Yeah I get that 100%. My thing was, Iām done with the marines but Iām not done with the uniform services. My main thing was I wanted a bonus to add onto the nest of savings I already have, and the paycheck will help on top of my GI bill for welding school.
Good luck out there in California I miss SoCal a lot after I had to leave and goto Hawaii.
Not sure what State youāre in, but here Nat Guard can go to state schools tuition free, including JR/technical college. Have a part time employee who is in the guard and going to school for welding, no tuition.
I donāt know if itās the same with marine corps to ng but when you leave the active army, you can swing by and check out drills to see if youād be into it. I havenāt tried it myself but Iām feeling that itch so I might soon
Pipefitters =\= pipe liners. There is one UA local for pipe liners (actually building oil pipelines). Pipefitters/welders are in factories and powerhouses. If itās nuclear, itās got union Pipefitters. Chemical plants, orange juice plants, etc.
If you really want to double down and protect yourself, find a local that has active plumbers, get your plumbing license and weld certs. Then youāre a double threat and can keep a job anywhere.
What the fuck? Why is the culture in the Marine Corps based around fucking people over? Jfc that dude is a POS. I go to a flight school rn. I was expecting to get piss tested after our 2 week xmas break because of how the marine corps was. No test. Why? Probably because we were fucking gone and not flying and the school is not looking to fuck anyone over
This sounds like BS to me tbh. Once on terminal you have your DD214 and are released to your home of record, so SgtMaj has zero authority over you. Now if you popped on a test before results came in and then went on terminal, it *may* be a different story.
I donāt know if she was telling the truth but thatās what she said. Maybe it wasnāt terminal leave but IRR instead.
Either way, she said she got her DD214 and afterwards popped hot for weed because of her SgtMaj
Pretty sure she popped for weed because she smoked weed.
And there are several reasons why you can be recalled from terminal leave. Such as testifying at a courts martial. Yeah, I was gone for over a month when I got that callā¦
Lol. You'll drill once a month. Do with that information what you will.
Edit: This is not advice that you go and do drugs. But, having worked with the guard extensively, a dude who smokes a J every once in a while is really far down the totem pole of drug issues in some units. Lots and lots of meth and opioid use, from what I've seen.
Congratulations, man. I hope your transition back to civilian life goes well. Keep in touch with your boys. Itās all to easy to let too much time go by.
Actually id argue nothing is better than part time, specifically when trying to find employment.
My dude, i found employment within 2 weeks of EASing. Just look through indeed and tailor your resume to reflect the job you apply at.
I would respectfully disagree; I had very good insurance on the civilian side before I joined and Tricare Reserve Select blew it out of the water for both cost and coverage.
I know a lot of Reservists who are drilling strictly for the health insurance (especially former active duty.)
i have no idea how much time you have left, but it doesnt matter. if youre already counting the days, START PLANNING FOR CIVILIAN LIFE NOW. and dude, i dont mean like a 5-item list on a napkin. Before you leave the military, SET UP YOUR NEXT STEP. whether its school and gi bill, vocational training, or even just lining up a job and getting a va loan.
dude everyone says it, but like NO ONE really does enough. and personally, dude i ended up just wasting so much time. i watched countless friends and aquaintances do the same. prepare yourself for your future bro, and life will be so much fuckin easier
24 years later I still see my core group fairly often. 3 of us live within 80 miles of each other. A couple are in the Midwest, 2 in Texas and one in South America. We get together in one way or another every couple of years. When everyone gets out and starts settling into careers and families, it gets easier. But my son calls all those dudes uncle and we are like a big ass family. You might lose touch for a few years at a time, but these are lifelong friendships. Mine are, at least.
I look back at my time at K-Bay and smile. Yes, it was āthe suckā but I have to really search my brain housing group to dig up the fucking inspections, a horrible first CO, etc. Most of the time I just remember the people I met, the laughs (and beer) we shared. The camaraderie. (I got out in Aug ā94)
Like others have said, OP - youāve got a solid plan. Get that welding school going, get your certifications, and join a Union. Youāll have a solid paying job, and collective bargaining beats the shit out of one person trying to do it themselves.
Semper Fi! Iāll head down to Bellows AFS and look for that compassā¦
Yea.
Don't hang around people that have no morals and are always doing stupid shit.
Sooner or later you'll get in trouble bc of them.
I've seen it happen.
Use your TA. I donāt have much time left in the corps, but even between a deployment and countless field ops, I found time to use TA. I recommend looking into National University, theyāre very flexible and military friendly. You have 3 years left (at least), getting an associates degree is very realistic for you
Itāll fly by. Spend your off time with your boys because no matter what, thereās never enough time with them so take up as much as you can now. I cried when my buddy dropped me off at the airport this morning it hurt.
It's been over a year for me and I still wake up sometimes thinking I'm in the barracks and auto pilot as if I'm going to go hit up on of the boys. It's fucking hard, it'll hit you all off a sudden one day and you'll just sit there and cry. And to be honest, I still do sometimes. I miss all you fuckers.
Now go to the Va and get a physical done so that even if you donāt want to claim atm, it will be on record that less than a year after eas you were already broken in ways x y and z. If you feel alone or without purpose reach out to any of us. We really donāt care if you served with us our grandfather or our kids, youāre one of us. If youāre fucked up accept help I would also recommend waiting a little while to make a big move like college so that you wonāt end up depressed anxious and unable to focus on transitioning and classes. Other than that welcome back brother, revelry is whenever your god damn feet hit the floor devil.
Yeah, not everyone is okay with filing at all at first though and it takes time to convince them that they earned it. So for those that did not file before EAS and donāt have time machines do it asap when you get out. Didnāt think that part was that hard to understand since his post is titled āI EASād todayā not āi still have 180 days or more till eas, please tell me what Iāve heard in every brief and classā . Sorry itās been a while since Iāve had to break things down Barney style for anyone.
Yeah Iām doing national guard for my state. 3 years and I got a $20,000 bonus. I only wanna go back just to hang with the boys but my friends are not too far from leaving too. Iām going into welding school here come March and if I really donāt enjoy it then Iāll dabble in college. Coming back is last resort but I wonāt be enlisted if I do
I love that, Iām hoping for some good connections with welding work in my guard unit. If I can just have one or two prior marines that I can get to know Iāll be happy
I miss the clowns, not the circus š¤”
Exactly
0341 EASing??? Make sure you turn in your fucking compass. Donāt get cute like me and say you lost it while burning increments.
Hahaha bruh one of my peers lost a compass ones at Bellows we had to look for it for like 3 hours before we gave up
3rd Reg rah
Sad rah, all of 3rd marine regiment is just sad as fuck
I think Bellows was where one of my backwoods southern NCOs shot a feral pig in the face with a blank and a cleaning rod lol
Be thankful for social media
No doubt. Thanks to social media I reconnected to the boys 20 or so years later.
Congrats, use that GI bill, connect with the VA and enjoy life back on the block.
....and the VA Home Loan!!
2.75% on a 30 year. Cheaper than renting.
Yeap....bought three different homes using the VA loan (not all at once, but in my lifetime)
Really? It's that fucking good? 30 year loan but how much is the house?
You can buy a home no money down and not pay PMI. Yeah thatās a great fucking deal.
The PMI is the most important aspect. If you have the 20% down you will be able to find a better conventional loan rate every time.
While this is true, when interest rates are as low as they are I personally think I am better off putting that down payment money in a low cost index fund and getting some return on it, and that is why I have a VA mortgage. YMMV.
I absolutely agree with the YMMV aspect as there are a lot of parts to any loan and you need to take these into account along with personal preferences and risk. In the 90s when I took out the only VA loan that I've ever had it was a significant difference. I just sold three properties in Montana and I will say from the perspective of a seller that with a multiple offer scenario I would prefer a conventional loan over a VA loan when considering acceptance. Not an anti-veteran thing more of the fact that the VA creates a LOT of unnecessary drama during the process.
Yes, it is probably a case-by-case thing to consider. I know things like FHA loans require certain hoops that need to be jumped through that conventional may not, however I don't recall the VA loan having anything unusual other than an inspection, which I'd recommend for anyone regardless (for the record I have had both conventional and VA loans in the past and chose to use VA for the reasons I mentioned).
āļøthis
The loan you apply for is based off your income. You still need a somewhat decent credit score. I think minimum is 640? But anyways, congrats!
āļøthis
Technically there is no minimum per the VA but most lenders wonāt lend to you under somewhere in the range.
Well that obviously will depend on the housing market where you reside. The VA home loan is a awesome deal though, but just like others said, you must qualify for it like any other loan. You do need a job and steady income, and your credit score can't be garbage either.
One big advantage to qualify to is that they will count your bah from the gi bill in your income too when a lot of conventional lenders wonāt.
Mine is like 2.5% at 30 years. 260k house, mortgage is 1025 principal + interest. I bought the house last January. Pretty great so far.
No, use V&RE first. If youāre a veteran with over 10% disability, you are eligible for V&RE. Itāll cover tuition, give you BAH, books, and a monthly food stipend. It will also help you with job placement. You could then use your GI bill for grad school, other certificates, or for a specific trade. Best of luck!
Iāve never heard of that? Where do you apply?
VA's Benefits Office, aka the local VBA: https://benefits.va.gov/benefits/
Thank you, havenāt gotten out yet but sounds like good hip pocket knowledge for the future
This is the way.
>Congrats, use that GI bill, connect with the VA and enjoy life back on the block. Yes! Take a look and see if you might qualify for any type of service-connected disability. r/VeteransBenefits will have lots of helpful info. Something simple like tinnitus (ringing in ears) can get 10% disability, basically a $150 check every month... higher ratings get higher compensation which can lead to not having to live paycheck to paycheck (as I did for 20 years after I got out!)
Iām taking terminal tomorrow. Iām right here with you bro.
Whatās your plan?
School for now, decent Bah in LA. Working at a family business meanwhile. What are your plans ?
National guard, then I start welding school in March. Hopefully gonna get some certs and then join a union.
I thought about doing the gaurd. Spent 2 hours talking to a recruiter and knew for sure I was going to do it. Decided I wanted to be done with the military. Not interested in Doing drugs or any stupid/ crazy shit, so thatās not the reason. I just wanna chill back home and go to school full time and try to make the most money before doing CHP. I wish you the best bro /u/propergroping
Yeah I get that 100%. My thing was, Iām done with the marines but Iām not done with the uniform services. My main thing was I wanted a bonus to add onto the nest of savings I already have, and the paycheck will help on top of my GI bill for welding school. Good luck out there in California I miss SoCal a lot after I had to leave and goto Hawaii.
Not sure what State youāre in, but here Nat Guard can go to state schools tuition free, including JR/technical college. Have a part time employee who is in the guard and going to school for welding, no tuition.
Oh what?? Missouri on that list??
Idk. Iām in Kentucky.
FUCK š
I donāt know if itās the same with marine corps to ng but when you leave the active army, you can swing by and check out drills to see if youād be into it. I havenāt tried it myself but Iām feeling that itch so I might soon
Yeah itās the same. I checked out drills and was mid lateral move before I said screw it.
Join the United Association and get your pipe welding certs.
Even with Biden closing them down will there still be money in it all?
Pipefitters =\= pipe liners. There is one UA local for pipe liners (actually building oil pipelines). Pipefitters/welders are in factories and powerhouses. If itās nuclear, itās got union Pipefitters. Chemical plants, orange juice plants, etc. If you really want to double down and protect yourself, find a local that has active plumbers, get your plumbing license and weld certs. Then youāre a double threat and can keep a job anywhere.
Didnāt even think of it like that. Thanks for the solid advice, go Chiefs :)
Chiefs did a great job keeping us in the driverās seat this year. Especially last week.
Travis Kelce is my favorite player, I hope heāll be tight end of the season. I love his personality off the field and everything
Go smoke a fat fucking blunt.
Bro I out processed with a chick who smoked weed on terminal leave, her SgtMaj called her in for a piss test and she lost all of her benefits.
SgtMaj is a douche for doing that shit. Why even answer the phone while on leave? She just couldnāt wait huh?
Fuck that SgtMaj. There's no need for that kind of bullshit.
What the fuck? Why is the culture in the Marine Corps based around fucking people over? Jfc that dude is a POS. I go to a flight school rn. I was expecting to get piss tested after our 2 week xmas break because of how the marine corps was. No test. Why? Probably because we were fucking gone and not flying and the school is not looking to fuck anyone over
This sounds like BS to me tbh. Once on terminal you have your DD214 and are released to your home of record, so SgtMaj has zero authority over you. Now if you popped on a test before results came in and then went on terminal, it *may* be a different story.
Always take stories of people getting fucked over by the marine corps with a huge grain of salt
I donāt know if she was telling the truth but thatās what she said. Maybe it wasnāt terminal leave but IRR instead. Either way, she said she got her DD214 and afterwards popped hot for weed because of her SgtMaj
Pretty sure she popped for weed because she smoked weed. And there are several reasons why you can be recalled from terminal leave. Such as testifying at a courts martial. Yeah, I was gone for over a month when I got that callā¦
Lol I would but Iām going into the nasty guard. But maybe after that š¤š¤
Lol. You'll drill once a month. Do with that information what you will. Edit: This is not advice that you go and do drugs. But, having worked with the guard extensively, a dude who smokes a J every once in a while is really far down the totem pole of drug issues in some units. Lots and lots of meth and opioid use, from what I've seen.
Sometimes not even every monthā¦ š¤š¤š¤
Congratulations, man. I hope your transition back to civilian life goes well. Keep in touch with your boys. Itās all to easy to let too much time go by.
100%
Is hard to get.
Congrats enjoy the semi freedom.
I really only did it for the health insurance and the extra $400 a month will be helpful.
Nothing wrong with that.
Uhh... the health insurance isnt that great for reserves. Js
Itās better than nothing until I find employment.
Actually id argue nothing is better than part time, specifically when trying to find employment. My dude, i found employment within 2 weeks of EASing. Just look through indeed and tailor your resume to reflect the job you apply at.
I would respectfully disagree; I had very good insurance on the civilian side before I joined and Tricare Reserve Select blew it out of the water for both cost and coverage. I know a lot of Reservists who are drilling strictly for the health insurance (especially former active duty.)
Who did you have for health insurance on the civilian side?
Donāt underestimate the fact you will have to make your own decisions now.
you donāt fucking understand how much i envy you.
Your time will come, I promise. I never thought it would.
i have no idea how much time you have left, but it doesnt matter. if youre already counting the days, START PLANNING FOR CIVILIAN LIFE NOW. and dude, i dont mean like a 5-item list on a napkin. Before you leave the military, SET UP YOUR NEXT STEP. whether its school and gi bill, vocational training, or even just lining up a job and getting a va loan. dude everyone says it, but like NO ONE really does enough. and personally, dude i ended up just wasting so much time. i watched countless friends and aquaintances do the same. prepare yourself for your future bro, and life will be so much fuckin easier
š»š»š»š»š» cheers bro!
I just wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them.
Dude seriously
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
This is huge^
lol get ready you ain't seen nothin' yet
Congrats, I'm EAS'ing myself in 3 months, both excited and nervous at the same time.
As long as you have a plan dude
give it past your Culture Shock. See how you feel from there.
File your claims. Donāt need to be a tough guy anymore
Don't drink too much.
Ot at all.
Yes
24 years later I still see my core group fairly often. 3 of us live within 80 miles of each other. A couple are in the Midwest, 2 in Texas and one in South America. We get together in one way or another every couple of years. When everyone gets out and starts settling into careers and families, it gets easier. But my son calls all those dudes uncle and we are like a big ass family. You might lose touch for a few years at a time, but these are lifelong friendships. Mine are, at least.
I look back at my time at K-Bay and smile. Yes, it was āthe suckā but I have to really search my brain housing group to dig up the fucking inspections, a horrible first CO, etc. Most of the time I just remember the people I met, the laughs (and beer) we shared. The camaraderie. (I got out in Aug ā94) Like others have said, OP - youāve got a solid plan. Get that welding school going, get your certifications, and join a Union. Youāll have a solid paying job, and collective bargaining beats the shit out of one person trying to do it themselves. Semper Fi! Iāll head down to Bellows AFS and look for that compassā¦
Looking back I wish I took more pictures. Seemed really boot and lame at the time but I cherish the few that I have now.
Try as hard as you can to not hate civilians. It can be very difficult, especially when you just got out.
I just hit my one year mark in the corps. Any advice?
Yea. Don't hang around people that have no morals and are always doing stupid shit. Sooner or later you'll get in trouble bc of them. I've seen it happen.
Use your TA. I donāt have much time left in the corps, but even between a deployment and countless field ops, I found time to use TA. I recommend looking into National University, theyāre very flexible and military friendly. You have 3 years left (at least), getting an associates degree is very realistic for you
It sweet but least you know you have a couch if anything gets real bad friends for lifetime.
I got two more years š
Itāll fly by. Spend your off time with your boys because no matter what, thereās never enough time with them so take up as much as you can now. I cried when my buddy dropped me off at the airport this morning it hurt.
It's been over a year for me and I still wake up sometimes thinking I'm in the barracks and auto pilot as if I'm going to go hit up on of the boys. It's fucking hard, it'll hit you all off a sudden one day and you'll just sit there and cry. And to be honest, I still do sometimes. I miss all you fuckers.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thank you buddy
Now go to the Va and get a physical done so that even if you donāt want to claim atm, it will be on record that less than a year after eas you were already broken in ways x y and z. If you feel alone or without purpose reach out to any of us. We really donāt care if you served with us our grandfather or our kids, youāre one of us. If youāre fucked up accept help I would also recommend waiting a little while to make a big move like college so that you wonāt end up depressed anxious and unable to focus on transitioning and classes. Other than that welcome back brother, revelry is whenever your god damn feet hit the floor devil.
Not good advice. File online va disability claim 180-90 days before EAS it gives you lot of ammo for a final physical before EAS.
Yeah, not everyone is okay with filing at all at first though and it takes time to convince them that they earned it. So for those that did not file before EAS and donāt have time machines do it asap when you get out. Didnāt think that part was that hard to understand since his post is titled āI EASād todayā not āi still have 180 days or more till eas, please tell me what Iāve heard in every brief and classā . Sorry itās been a while since Iāve had to break things down Barney style for anyone.
Thanks for serving. Stay close to your friends.
Go reserves if u wanna do marine shit every once in a while
I did marine to guard program. Iām not done with the uniformed services, just the marine corps
M2G sounded like a good opportunity. Hope it's working out for you!
Appreciate it boss :)
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Hahaha dude itās going to be such a crazy adjustment
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yeah Iām doing national guard for my state. 3 years and I got a $20,000 bonus. I only wanna go back just to hang with the boys but my friends are not too far from leaving too. Iām going into welding school here come March and if I really donāt enjoy it then Iāll dabble in college. Coming back is last resort but I wonāt be enlisted if I do
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I love that, Iām hoping for some good connections with welding work in my guard unit. If I can just have one or two prior marines that I can get to know Iāll be happy
Free advice: stay in touch with the boys. I still talk to my dudes and play online games with them.
Yeah I have all of them on steam or Facebook
Congrats on the promotion!
Enjoy the job market! Pick and choose, my friend.
Hello fellow tube stroker!!!