OK follks, here's the gig. I just found out that I may very likely be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. I would like to go back to school. Either vocational or traditional. I will have 36 months of tuition benefits plus a housing allowance. Getting paid to go to school can't be all bad. Here's the rundown on where I am in all of this:

I am 47 yrs old
I retired from the Air Force after 9442 days (25y 10m 1w)
I entered the AF as an Electronic Warfare Tech
I retrained into the Training and Education Management field
I have an AAS in Educational and Instructional Technology
I have a BS in Avionics Technology
I have a MS in Instructional Technology

You may be asking yourself "why is this guy looking to go back to school?" Well, where I live in South Central NY, there isn't any call for my skills. They are too specific to the military. I am a "victim" of the Air Force's penchant to "specialize in specializing".

While I enjoy the human interaction side of things. Additionally, I enjoy project oriented things such as home improvement, electricity, plumbing, etc. I am a pretty fair teacher/instructor, based on all the student critiques I received while I was in the Air Force. I happen to also know that the healthcare field is exploding.

So, with all that baggage, any suggestions?

After looking at your background and training I say go up to RPI and get a masters in technical communications. With that you can write instruction manuals for equipment or software (either "in house" of freelance), write for technical magazines or websites, become an instructor/trainer for a company, etc...

My wife did this, it took her a year to get the degree (she entered with a BA in English). Once she graduated she started her own business doing freelance writing of instructional manuals for different manufacturing companies. That lead to a permenant position with one of them. She originally planned on going back to it when the kids got older but she found that the same skills made her a great homeschooler. She's now using those skills to create homeschooling "classes" for other families. Unfortunately, she doesn't charge anything for them.

Anyway, just a thought.

-Blast

Thanks Blast.

I think Blast's suggestion is an excellent one.

Your history isn't baggage, it's life experience. It means you can walk into a situation and pick up the key points very quickly.

I've been making my living at this sort of thing for nearly two decades. A few key lessons I've learned:

1. Your network is everything.
2. Your network is everything. There are six degrees of separation between people who trust your work and every potential client on Earth.
3. Feed your network beer and hot wings, on a regular basis, and it will feed you.
4. Deliver what you promise, unless you are dead.
5. Under-promise and over-deliver.
6. Agree on a recognized standard at the start of a project (Chicago Manual of Style is good for tech writing). You'd be surprised at the extensive peeing matches regarding the serial (Oxford) comma.
7. Make the client look good.
8. A job is always worth more to the client before it's done as opposed to after.
9. Put agreements in writing. If it's not in writing, it doesn't exist. Good paper makes good friends.
10. Be pleasant in negotiations, but always be prepared to walk.
11. If things are going sideways on a project (personalities, other fatal B.S.), withdraw as gracefully as you can without screwing others. Use the excuse "given these factors, I don't think I can add value, so I think it's best for the project that I withdraw." Always take the high road. Bad news about problematic contractors travels faster than light.
12. If you're subcontracting (happens a lot), always dance with the one who brung ya.

Good luck!
Doug

Thanks Doug.

Well Said Doug, valuable information for many life situations.

Mike

It isn't baggage, first. If you go back to school, you have a major leg up.

Second, do you NEED to go back to school? Sounds like your background is great for a technical trainer as it is.

Since you're on a preparedness board, you could consider a degree in Emergency Management. It's multi-disciplinary and you sound like you have a wealth of personal life experience that can be used in the field. I could see you being specialized in communications in general (print, visual, and radio). Your training background would be invaluable. The military background could be useful in "homeland security" (which I consider a subset of EM) if you so desire.

This field is not limited to government positions, as you may find work in the business sector in "business continuity", something that you should be familiar with in the military after 25 years as Continuity of Operations. With 25 years, you are probably pretty good at navigating the world of interpersonal relations and can get what you need.

Thanks Mike.

Thanks Ironraven. You've asked a good question about the need to go back to school. The situation is that I have been back in my home area of NY (Binghamton/Johnson City area) for almost a year now. Nothing has turned up in the technical training/ tech writer arena. So, I looking to broaden a bit. In general I'm not that enthralled with the tech writing idea. Hangin' out behind a computer more time than not would drive me buggy. I did have a thought of possibly going to be a physical therapy assistant. I would get to around a variety of people on a daily basis. Also, I would get to help them improve their lives. It is a two year program. It would allow some extra benefit to get some training/education through the local vo-tech; maybe HVAC, Electricity, Welding, Culinary, something. Again, thank you.