Well, 14 more days and I am no longer in Uniform/Job update

Well my friends,

In two more weeks I start my terminal leave from the service and start my "civilian" career! As most of the "old timers" here know, I've been preparing for this for a while now and really started lookin' for employment about two months ago. (What a time I picked to retire from service, ay?)

Well, I've had two real offers but neither are jobs that I want or would enjoy so I respectfully declined. About a month ago I applied for a Corrections Officer position and was subsiquently called back to come take a Physical Fitness Test and Civil Service Test along with the other applicants. That all occured on 02MAY. Well, after a really good showing and a week's worth of waiting I finally get a letter in the mail with my results....I am #1 on the list!!!!!

Great news right? After all, I would be working about 5 blocks from my house! Well, of course there is always a BIT of bad news with everything and here it is...there isn't an opening yet. SO.....I am first on the list and as soon as an opening becomes available they will give me a call and I will again "report for duty."

Even though it's certainly not a done deal and I need to keep lookin' for employment in case this falls through, I was pretty stoked about it and thought I would share the news with my friends here at MuleyMadness!

Now if I could just get as lucky with my Special Permits draws!!!!!
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bigbuck92
Thats awesome hawk. So how does it work with you in the military now? Do you get to go home everynight or are ya far from home and just come back on weekends?
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Hiker
Congrats Hawk! Thanks again for all you have done for us and the good ol' USA. salxxute I hope you draw a great tag this year and have the hunt of your life.
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chet
:thumb
way to show up!
hopefully you get called soon!!
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TheGreatwhitehunter
Hawk that is great news I hope an opening comes up soon.
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AGCHAWK
Thanks guys! With the economy the way it is, it's pretty tough out there so to get the first slot on ANY list is pretty good news as far as I was concerned. It's extra cool that this job is the one I was lookin' at the hardest since it's right there in Clarkston.

Bigbuck, Well....I am still stationed about 8 hours from the wife and kids and I try to go home and see them about every other weekend. In two weeks I start what they call "terminal leave." Terminal leave basically means I am still on active duty but am pretty much on "vacation" for my last two months. My ACTUAL last day of service is 31JUL09 but I'll be home on the 22nd to enjoy the three day weekend, make the treck back to base to "check out", and then it's back home for good.

I'll keep those of you interested posted if there are any further developments.
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kinzysdad
I hope your position opens up soon. Good luck Hawk and thank you for your service.
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killerbee
awsome news HAWK!! hopefully that spot will open soon. after all the time away from your family, you deserve a job close to them now. keep us posted!
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DeadI
Awsome news Hawk, hope that spot opens for you soon.
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sneekeepete
Great news Hawk! I hope you the slot opens up at the best time for you. Enjoy your time with your family on Terminal too! Good luck with everything coming up.
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NotEnufTags
Hawk I hope that offer comes just after you've had long enough to do some fun outdoor stuff with your family. Good luck to you. I do appreciate each of you here at muley madness that have served our country, thereby serving me. Thanks for your sacrifices.
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waynedevore
Hawk good luck on getting the perfect job. You might as well wait until after the Fall adventures to settle down to a new job. You don't want to get stuck at something where you will only have the weekends. :thumb
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Default Avatar
Congratulations!
You'll do well in any direction life takes you.
Thank You for your service and Good Luck!!
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ABert
Good to hear you have this lined up, even if there is a bit of a wait. Enjoy a few weeks off with the family as you have earned it!

I, myself, just got hired to work as the Chief Engineer on a survey vessel working out of the Gulf of Mexico. Haven't worked a day yet as I've been lining up my certifications/licenses required but should start within a week or two.
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AGCHAWK
Thanks everyone! Man, I sure can't wait for that phone call though...I sure hope it comes eventually.

ABert, CONGRATS!!!! Where is your ship out of and what kind of surveys will you be doing?
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sneekeepete
Hawk you are enjoying your Terminal now aren't you? I sure hope you get a good break and are enjoying some time with your family! Thanks again for all of your service I can't wait to be in your shoes.
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AGCHAWK
Not quite yet Sneekee. I start next Monday and am just getting the last minute paperwork done, copying my service record and medical records, etc.

I'll tell ya, my friend...it goes by FAST! Good luck and if ya ever need anything just drop me a line.
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ABert
Hawk,
The boat will be out of LA someplace as they don't have a pier for it yet. The boat is currently up in MA going through a refit and should be ready in another couple of months. The office is out of Lafayette, LA.

I don't have to relocate, which is a plus. Should be working 28 on/14 off. Even got a 25% raise when they hired me, plus the job comes with all the benefits. Should be making enough to where the old retirement check sits and builds every month without being touched.

The major portion of the surveying is for the oil industry, keeping track of cables and pipelines out in the gulf. They also do some specialized jobs looking for very specific objects on the ocean floor. Should be an interesting job that will hopefully keep me busy. Heck, I'm going to bring a fishing pole or two and see if I can't tangle with one of those monster groupers now and then.

Have you done your VA physical yet? I was a bit surprised on how mine turned out. Got 10% for something I knew I would, nothing for a couple of things I thought I would and another 10% for something I never even thought about. Just took a while for it all to come back.
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AGCHAWK
ABert,

Very cool! Sounds like they will be operating side scan sonar...or something along those lines. I almost got into that gig myself but Hurricane Katrina destroyed the command I had orders to and I ended up here at Whidbey instead.

I haven't done the VA physical yet. Unfortunately, I am going to have to do it once I get home through the local VA. I have a couple issues I was TRYING to get taken care of prior to getting out (hearing, pinched nerve in my neck that has caused partial loss of feeling in my left hand) but medical screwed me around long enough that I ran out of time. That will be priority #1 when I get to Clarkston though....get into the VA office and start that process. I already have copied of my medical records and will take them with me to see what I warrent.

Just an added note: I got a call yesterday from a janitorial company about hiring me as their manager. Just like the Corrections Officer job, it is right in Clarkston and if they do indeed take me on as the manager, it will be a perfect fit until the Corrections Officer position actually opens up and I get the call to report. I will meet the owner on Friday to see if it's something I want to do and if I am the one they want to hire.
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sneekeepete
Good deal on the Job offer Hawk. It sounds like things are beginning to fall into place. I know how it is with Medical taking their time and not getting everything done for you. Before I re-enlisted I was still in Iraq trying to do all of my physicals and everything before I got out. Talk about ridiculous. If I hadn't re-enlisted I don't think they would have ever been able to do anything for me. As it was I only had 2 weeks left in the Marine Corps after I got back from Iraq. Oh well though I am still in now. Good luck on everything with your VA physical though. From what I hear it all depends on the office in your neck of the woods. Some are great to work with others are horrible so good luck.
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ABert
Hawk,
Just a heads up on the hearing. I thought I had that one guaranteed as my base line had been changed after spending 15 years in the pit. I thought it was a no brainer. Boy, was I wrong. The hearing test I took with the VA still showed that I had lost some of my hearing but was considered in the "normal" range for someone in my age group.
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AGCHAWK
Thanks ABert, I'll remember that. I have Tinnitus, which I was told is an automatic 10% and can climb depending on severity, and have had to pull my application for two different jobs because of where my hearing now stands. I know, that doesn't mean a whole lot when dealing with the VA, but I will certainly be speaking to them about that. After all, if I am excluded from certain jobs because of it wouldn't it then be considered a disability?! LOL

Really, there isn't a lot wrong with me (No wise cracks on that one!) other than that and the nerve issue in my neck. My knees are not near what they used to be but they are still functional so I doubt that will go anywhere.

Man, I guess I shoulda got hurt more often while I was on duty!
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