Anonymous wrote:

The health insurance now has been a huge blessing as the children and I have lots of medical needs, but its also not so good as many of the doctors are residents now (some are great, most are not) and have no clue and the quality of care has gone way down.

Could you use Tricare Standard and choose your own doctors? We are a retiree family and we have never used Tricare Prime, only Standard. I always check to make sure the doctors we go to take Tricare and there are some that have a relationship with Tricare who charge a lower co-pay than Standard (I don't remember what that is called at the moment). It might be worth looking into to see if there's a better option for your family.

We consider it but the co-pays and out of pocket for what we need are way to high (same with taking insurance through my husband's employer). For us, its cheaper for us to stay on prime and just private pay (therapies, evaluations). I'm getting a run around on getting diagnosed so I may private pay to go somewhere else if my doc who I liked does not return in the fall as scheduled. I finally got a new primary care doc who is great and we love our ped, so I want to say with them. Tricare has been very generous to our child and that is my primary concern. We could not do what we have done for him without Tricare Prime. (though on the flip to that, some of the things have been private pay because they refuse to cover good evaluations, etc).

The health insurance now has been a huge blessing as the children and I have lots of medical needs, but its also not so good as many of the doctors are residents now (some are great, most are not) and have no clue and the quality of care has gone way down.

Could you use Tricare Standard and choose your own doctors? We are a retiree family and we have never used Tricare Prime, only Standard. I always check to make sure the doctors we go to take Tricare and there are some that have a relationship with Tricare who charge a lower co-pay than Standard (I don't remember what that is called at the moment). It might be worth looking into to see if there's a better option for your family.

I would support it and I will likely encourage them to seriously consider it. I think it gives you a great opportunity to have a meaningful early career, keeping many options open while you figure out what you want out of life.

My background is that I turned down Notre Dame, Cornell, and Dartmouth to attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis. I got a mechanical engineering degree, was commissioned, and served for six years, earning my master's degree in the process. At that point, I made the very difficult decision to resign my commission, and I went to work for a large corporation, where I remain today.

I wouldn't change a thing if I had the chance to do it all over again, and boy would I love to have that chance. Maybe I would even stay in for 20 years--there's plenty that I miss about it. As an aside, the lack of student loans and the strong and steady pay from an early age, combined with disciplined savings on our parts, allowed us to become essentially financially independent now in our late 30s (paid-off house and just under $2M in invested assets).

So yes, I will definitely encourage my kids to consider this option. Our country is worth it.

Anonymous wrote:No, never. If it is what DS wants to do, I will insist on a mlitary academy or something. No enlistment, just no.

If you go to a military academy that is paid for via the military, you owe the military time. Its not that simple.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd support it. The college benefits are amazing. As are the career benefits.

This...particularly from Lower Middle/Working class families. They probably do not have the cash for an education, and a stint in the military (be it 2-4 years or a career) is a good way to move up. Anyone who puts in the 20-30 years is solidly middle class, at worst...

Its very difficult to get you education if you are just doing 2-4 years. It takes most 6-8 years as you can only go part-time and it depends on how much training/moves/family obligations and much more. Right now, its not a good career choice given the deployments and significant risk of injury or death. Sadly the military does not keep those injured so after you get medical care you are discharged and the VA/retirement pay is terrible. There are many families barely hanging on right now due to an injury to the war.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But wait. It's good enough to allow you to pay for your kids college? And your husband has been in how long and is still in?

No, my husband retired. He got his degree right before he retired. His current employment pays for our current lifestyle. We only benefit from the health care right now. It is not easy doing it active duty and advancing in your career. The military is not paying for our child's college - we are. We took a chunk of my pre-child/marriage savings and put it in a prepaid and then paid it every month instead of getting a new car we needed till it was paid off.

So it was so bad he stayed 20+ years?

Yes and no. He had no other option till he got a degree he could use outside the military. His career field was not transferable to the civilian world. Given the choice he would have only gone for 1/3 that time as starting over at 40 in a new career is very difficult without experience. The health insurance now has been a huge blessing as the children and I have lots of medical needs, but its also not so good as many of the doctors are residents now (some are great, most are not) and have no clue and the quality of care has gone way down.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But wait. It's good enough to allow you to pay for your kids college? And your husband has been in how long and is still in?

No, my husband retired. He got his degree right before he retired. His current employment pays for our current lifestyle. We only benefit from the health care right now. It is not easy doing it active duty and advancing in your career. The military is not paying for our child's college - we are. We took a chunk of my pre-child/marriage savings and put it in a prepaid and then paid it every month instead of getting a new car we needed till it was paid off.

So it was so bad he stayed 20+ years?

NP here - give it a rest, already.

Anonymous wrote:I'd support it. The college benefits are amazing. As are the career benefits.

This...particularly from Lower Middle/Working class families. They probably do not have the cash for an education, and a stint in the military (be it 2-4 years or a career) is a good way to move up. Anyone who puts in the 20-30 years is solidly middle class, at worst...

I'd support whatever they choose to do. I will help in whatever way I can as well. If it's military ill inform them of what I know also research with them. If it's college I will do the same informing them of cost incurred and finding a job after and the importance of separating themselves from every other person with the paper that is a degree.

I'd support it. The college benefits are amazing. As are the career benefits.

Anonymous wrote:I'd have my kids committed for intense psychological evaluations and if by some miracle they were found to be sane I'd disown them.

Obviously, not a fan of the military here, to put it lightly. My two oldest kids who are in grad school basically considered joining the military as much as they considered joining the circus.

That's ok. Others will serve so they don't have to.

It is not the future I envision for him, but 18 is an adult.

I would worry, but I would still be proud.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But wait. It's good enough to allow you to pay for your kids college? And your husband has been in how long and is still in?

No, my husband retired. He got his degree right before he retired. His current employment pays for our current lifestyle. We only benefit from the health care right now. It is not easy doing it active duty and advancing in your career. The military is not paying for our child's college - we are. We took a chunk of my pre-child/marriage savings and put it in a prepaid and then paid it every month instead of getting a new car we needed till it was paid off.

So it was so bad he stayed 20+ years?

Anonymous wrote:I'd have my kids committed for intense psychological evaluations and if by some miracle they were found to be sane I'd disown them.

Obviously, not a fan of the military here, to put it lightly. My two oldest kids who are in grad school basically considered joining the military as much as they considered joining the circus.

You are a peach. Do you spit on our soldiers that are protecting our freedoms?

Do you like the fact that we are not run by the Nazis (no hyperbola there....really...the military saved us from that fate in WWII).

DO you like the fact that we are (mostly) terrorism free since 2001?

The members of the military protect us...some pay the ultimate sacrifice, and some come back different and harmed. But, they are heroes. They are why you can post your disdain for them in a public forum.

No, never. If it is what DS wants to do, I will insist on a mlitary academy or something. No enlistment, just no.