MOre than I made as a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force. My now ex-wife got mad when we had to stay late working a surge in sorties.
Part of why she's now my ex-wife.
I can't hold being an Air Force weenie against you (I'm Army). ;-)
You are absolutely right. I wonder how Eva Zahn would have addressed a soldier (Or Airman) who went AWOL when the unit needed him. Your sense of duty is obviously great and I hope you took that Air Force training to earn what you deserve. The divorce rate for servicemembers is pretty high, and most people outside the military don't know how easy it is to ruin a marraige because commanders demand so much "time" and zero defect mission support. I am sure that you, as a A&P mechanic, know that you couldn't just leave any time you wanted. Even when we're not at war, the UCMJ takes care of any desires to walk off the job.
Have a great night!