Posted on 01/06/2014 6:47:49 AM PST by LSUfan
After a 30-year military career in which he earned three graduate degrees, rose to the rank of colonel, and served as an aide to Pentagon brass, Robert Freniere can guess what people might say when they learn he's unemployed and lives out of his van:
Why doesn't this guy get a job as a janitor?
Freniere answers his own question: "Well, I've tried that."
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.philly.com ...
It depends on whether the divorce decree requires him to pay for schooling.
MAybe he had to give up 50% to his ex-wife? I don’t know - the numbers in the article definitely make little sense as described.
Ah.. he retired in 06.. OK.. but he’s still receiving a healthy retired monthly amount. As a retired senior NCO, he’s still not getting much sympathy from me.
Even if 50%, he’s still around the high-40’s. Too weird to me that he’s living in a van.
That, and paying for private mlitary school for his son while attempting to live on 50% of what's left of his retirement income in a high cost of living area.
I created my own job in 1980 and have been self employed since then. I have never regretted it. At one time I was supporting (bringing in most of the revenue) two business partners and we had up to five staff. I’m now gradually retiring and have one part time staff. This month I move my office home and come June, stop most advertising. It’s been a good run. But I’m tired and will start drawing SS in March. No pension but some assets and IRAs. We should be okay. Side note, I made the most money when I was on my own. Partners are not a good way to go was my experience.
Not possible unless there was some enlisted time, and even then it would be dicey. If a career officer, he’d have had to retire at 28 years as a Lt Col. Of course, this wouldn’t be the only problem with the writing...
“Retired pay for an 0-6 over 30 for 2010 was 92,221.44 before taxes. That $40,000 figure is bunk.”
His divorced wife would get half, and after taxes, he probably clears $40,000.
The tuition for his son in the military college is hammering him . Also, who knows how much Home Depot/Lowes and local contractors made to upgrade their home before his wife got a divorce. Upgrading/renovation the home is part of the human DNA.
If he had a top secret clearance with no mental problems or other problems, contractors in that area are often desperate to hire someone with a TS/SCIF clearance. Rookies with that clearance can start at over $100 K/year.
He retired in 2006, had 30 years in means he came in the military in 1976. The retirement for the military at the time was 75% of base pay for 30 years. O-6 base pay in 2006 (O-6 over 26 years) was about $8841 per month.
75% of $8841 per month is $6630 per month or $79,569 per year. Maybe his wives get half his pay.
Could well be. My boss was the same age I am. His wife found a new husband, and got half of his 35 yr pension, and he's still working and I've been retired 5 years.
It's called DIVORCE. If you were married for half or more of the career...she gets half....even if she remarries (unless its stipulated in the divorce decree...which very few divorce lawyers would recommend).
As a military member...they may not have owned a house outright. Many don't when they retire. Put a son through college...and give up half your pension and see what happens to you in this economy.
Good point, didn’t figure that in.
He probably will not work for less than the $140k or so he was making in the service. There are not many janitorial jobs that pay that much.
But having had two failed marriages, his ex-wives may be getting much of his pension. Typically, a wife of more than five years gets half of each year’s pension earned while married to a member of the military. While his last wife says he is not helping with the mortgage, that may be semantics. He may not be paying the mortgage directly, just paying her cash for support—oh, and the DoD will make the payments for him.
It is possible that half of his pension is going to his wives. Shortly after the First Gulf War, Congress changed the military retirement system to be more like a 401(k) plan. His investments may have tanked leaving him with little after his two big mistakes—wife 1 and wife 2.
His skill-sets are transferable.
Not directed at you:
Leading people, managing assets, administering policy, able to think on his feet, thinking out of the box, effecting change, making difficult (or mundane) decisions while under pressure. . .etc. . .these are all transferable, but try and convince the HR bimbo of that fact and she will glaze over and toss your CV.
I had a HR bimbo tell me I had “no experience leading people because in the military you order people to do things.”
Seriously, she said that.
While there may be more than what is in the story, it is also clear that the whole thing about welcoming vets is mostly hype. Actually, maybe welcoming recent, one or two enlistment, vets. But retired guys with decades of experience, they are not recognized for their skills and. . .yes. . .age discrimination runs rampant.
And you do NOT make 50% of what you earn when you left 20-yrs service. It is about 30%. And because you have a pension, you may be able to make a house payment but at the same time you have no other income for other things, like heating bills and such. You don’t have any ‘disposable income.” All you income is necessary.
So while you were about running around the world, serving this great nation, never planting roots, never able to buy and keep and invest in a home, your ‘peers’ in the civilian world have done so and by the time you come home, with no home and your income reduced by 70%, you are faced with the challenge of finding a job. Consider; your civilian peers, after 20-plus years in the same home and community, they can take a 70% cut in pay and yes, they will suffer some, but their home is paid for (or nearly so) and they can find through networking in their profession, another job. You, not so much.
I once sent an application for a mid-level management position, a full CV and cover-letter, and at the same time I sent in a “duplicate” application. This duplicate application didn’t have my master degrees and cut in half my work history.
Almost by return email the less experienced, duplicate application was hit on and not a peep in reply to the experienced application.
How can you be “over-qualified” while at the same time possess no transferable skills?
He should go where the jobs are, that is for sure.
True.
Last time I saw the stats, around 5% of career officers make colonel.
Thank you Pat Schroeder.
Perhaps it's time he told his kids, "if you want to finish college, you're going to have to join the military!"
Indeed. The 40K is for an O-5 with 20-yrs, or thereabout.
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