If you’ve decided to spend 20 or more years in the Air Force, you need to start preparing for retirement, even if you’re years away from your retirement date. Preparing now can help you overcome some of the challenges you’ll face as part of the retirement process, making the process easier for you and your family. Check out our tips and trips for navigating Air Force retirement so you can effectively handle each stage of the process.

Which Airmen Are Eligible for Retirement?

In order to retire from the Air Force, you will need to have served for at least 20 years. Your official Date of Initial Entry into Military Service (DIEMS) will be looked at when considering your official date when you’re eligible for retirement. Once you retire, you will gain access to a wide range of useful benefits, which should be carefully researched so you can effectively plan for your upcoming transition. You’ll also want to know what benefits you’ll receive so you can get the most out of them.

Tips for Planning Your Retirement

If you want a seamless transition from the Air Force to the civilian world after your retirement, you’ll have to plan carefully to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. Retirement takes some time to plan, so it’s important to start as early as possible. The sooner you start, the easier it will be to keep track of which benefits you’re eligible for once you leave the Air Force.

Keep reading to find tips on how to plan for a successful retirement:

1. Make a Plan for Your Finances Early

If you’ve decided early on in your career that you want to serve a minimum of 20 years in the Air Force, then it’s important to create a financial plan now rather than wait for your retirement date to crop up. One of the most important things you can do to prepare for your retirement is to start saving, which you can do in several ways:

• Contribute to your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
• Following a budget
• Using a high-yield savings account
• Talking with a financial advisor
• Capitalize on employer matching
• Look into investment options

Depending on your need for your retirement, you may use one or multiple of the methods listed above. Think about how much you’ll realistically need for your retirement, especially if you don’t plan on working much after you leave the military. You want to have enough saved up to live off of, especially if you’re physically disabled from your service and unable to work.

As you start to approach your retirement date, take a look at your Air Force retirement pay. About 90 to 180 days from your separation date, you can apply for your VA disability, which can provide you with additional income each month during your retirement. You can live more comfortably after your retirement if you save and take full advantage of your retirement benefits.

2. Start Your Steps for Your Transition Sooner

Your finances are the most important part of your retirement, but there are other things you’ll need to take care of before you officially leave the Air Force. You will need to complete a few steps before you leave, some of them as early as 36 months before you separate. Below are a few of the things you’ll need to take care of:

• Pre-Separation Brief and Initial Counseling: One year before you retire, you will be required to complete your pre-separation brief and initial counseling. You can start this process two years before your separation date, which is a good idea if you want to be ahead of the pack.
• Final Medical Exam: Three months or 90 days before you separate, you will be required to complete your last medical and dental exam for the Air Force. While you can wait to take care of these appointments until you reach the end of the separation process, you should consider making these appointments much sooner in the process in case your doctor recommends making follow-up appointments. Getting your medical records handled early will make it easier when you’re applying for disability and other benefits.
• Core Transition Curriculum: All Airmen retiring from the Air Force will need to take part in the Transition Assistance Program. This program requires you to attend briefs that have to do with important parts of the retirement process, which include information about VA benefits, transition planning, and employment preparation.
• Your Last Move: You will complete one final move after you leave the Air Force, which will need to be scheduled and take place within one year of your separation date. Try to schedule this move in advance so you’re more likely to get the date you want or need for your move.

3. Utilize All Your Benefits

While serving in the Air Force, you were awarded plenty of benefits, many of which you’ll get to keep. However, there may be a few differences in your benefits now that you’re retiring. Some of these benefits include:

• Tricare: Active duty Airmen are given Tricare to help them with their healthcare costs, but this benefit doesn’t last if you don’t enroll during the retirement process. If you have dependents, you will also need to enroll them if you want to keep them on the same insurance plan. While active duty Airmen received this insurance at no cost, there will be a monthly bill during your retirement, which will vary in cost depending on which plan you opt into.
• Vision and Dental: After you retire, you can choose a vision and dental insurance plan. However, you will need to wait until you can openly enroll in the fall or see if you have a qualifying life event that allows you to enroll at any time. Similar to Tricare, you will have a monthly cost to consider.
• VA Home Loans: If you’ve retired from the military, you’ll be eligible to receive a VA home loan. You can use this loan to pay for a new home with a lower interest rate than what you might find on the civilian side.
• Life Insurance: You will only be able to keep your life insurance for 120 days after you leave the Air Force, which is why you will want to start looking into life insurance through Veterans’ Group Life Insurance. You will need to prove you are in good health, otherwise, your premiums may go up.
• Commissary and Exchange: If you retire from the Air Force, you and your dependents will still be able to access the Commissary and Exchange if you choose to continue to live by a military base.
• GI Bill: If you receive an honorable discharge during your retirement, you will be able to receive the GI Bill. However, the type of GI Bill you have will determine how long you will be able to use it after retirement. Some GI Bills can last for 10 to 15 years, while others can be indefinite. You may even be able to transfer your GI Bill to your children.

4. Adjust Your Expenses for Retirement

When you start planning for your retirement from the Air Force, take a look at your expenses and see what costs will remain after you leave the military so you can adjust your budget and savings as needed. Costs you will want to consider include:

• Healthcare
• Mortgage payments
• Relocation
• Car notes and insurance
• Property taxes
• College costs for children

Think about what you’re going to be spending in your retirement, including new bills that you may not have had before. The earlier you start looking at your expenses, the easier it will be to adjust your budget and save.

5. Start Preparing for Your Civilian Life

Many retirees struggle with adjusting to civilian life after leaving the Air Force. Spending 20 or more years in the Air Force can make it difficult to adjust back to life as a civilian, which some Airmen may not have experienced since they were 18. Below are some tips to help you start the transition process:

• Consider future employment: Before you retire, you’ll want to think about whether you want to keep working or if you want to live off your retirement, disability, and savings. If you want to continue to work, you will need to look at the different job opportunities you can have in your field. You may even decide to make a career switch. The sooner you start, the more help you can get with building your resume, preparing for interviews, starting training, and other necessities for a successful career outside of the Air Force.
• Search for work: Leading up to your transition, you want to start looking at jobs if you decide to continue working so you can ideally have one set up by the time your retirement date shows up. You can use the resources through TAP to build your resume and prepare for the hiring process so you’re ready to go once you’re ready and able to start looking for work after the Air Force.
• Join military communities: It’s going to be hard to leave the military lifestyle behind, which is why there are plenty of military communities you can join. Different groups and organizations allow you to connect with others who served in the military, which can help make the transition process smoother and help you stay connected with such a big part of your life.

End Your Career on the Right Foot With AUSI

You want to do your best in your Air Force career all the way until the very end, which means showing up to work each day and in a compliant uniform. American Uniform Sales has you covered with our selection of AFI-compliant uniforms, including OCPs, rank, insignia, and footwear. We even sell bags, packs, and cases to accommodate the gear you’ll need to carry on the job. Check out our selection of uniforms and other gear, or contact us to get started.