“You can retire after 20 years, and many people retire at the age of 40, get their full pension, and of course go on to a second career. This is also true in many civilian jobs, too (law enforcement, education, etc.).”
It’s a shame, isn’t it, that it’s so hard to get a pension of any kind in the non-governmental sector of the economy. The private sector said it costs too much and just bailed, leaving most of us facing a precarious old age. Nice to see that Washington continues to look after its own.
The point is that 40-yr olds don’t retire. I know all sorts of double-dippers - people who did 20 years in a military or civil service job and now collect a full pension, while also collecting a full pension for the job (very often civil service) that they did for the next 20 years until they reached actual retirement age.
This shouldn’t be the case. Somebody who’s been in combat perhaps should get some special bonus, although those people rarely last 20 years. But an automatic full pension after 20 years is ridiculous and also encourages skilled people to leave the job.
Please consider that a lot of soldiers who retire in their early 40s have worn out skeletons. The military is not a gentle occupation.
Taking from retired military is a poor start at balancing the budget. Kick yourself in the pants for not serving 20 years so you could get the early pension, but don’t kick the soldiers.