[Mark17]

I made Air Force E-7, at 35, in 1983. In fact, my date of rank, was 1 Sep 83, the same day the Russians shot down the Korean air liner. I knew someone on that aircraft, though I didn’t find out about it, till 1985.
My son went to OTS, and is now a Captain. He respects the enlisted force, since his dad was a Senior NCO. He says he tries not to pay too much attention to wokeness. All he wants to do is fly.
I retired at the earliest possible opportunity. The biggest complaint I had, was the poverty pay we got. For that matter, officers didn’t get paid that much better either. I guess it’s better now, but my retirement pay after 20 years, as a senior NCO, was $761 a month.

[zeestephen]

Did you retire in 1986, at age 38?

50% pay for life, plus COLA?

If yes and yes, $761 in 1986, adjusted for inflation, is $2,124 a month in 2023.

Modest, but that has given you a baseline of financial security every month for almost forty years, which is helpful for peace of mind.