Former military job market insights/advice, anyone? (Fountain, Woodland Park: credit, house)

[MrsMac]

My husband will soon be retiring after 20+ years in the Air Force so we have started networking and researching where the best place to move would be. It looks like COS would be a great place for our family (the weather is relatively temperate, the cost of living is good, and there's a heavy military presence - my kids have grown up on AF bases so that's what they're used to!) We've also been told that it would also be the best place (along with the D.C area) for my husband to look for a job given his military experience and high level security clearance. (I've seen some jobs posted on sites like clearancejobs.com and clearedjobs.com in the COS area, so that was good.)

Is COS still the best place for former military to look for a job, given the recent economy? And will the fact that my husband has 20+ years of experience (mostly as an NCO in charge, where he has done a little bit of everything from security (personnel/communications/physical) to training to airfield operations) and tons of continuing military education/CCAF credits plus a TS/SCI security clearance be valuable to employers even without a 4 year degree?

I know it's time for this transition but it's still scary as heck. After 23 years of a steady paycheck, living for the mission above all things and being told where we'll live, the uncertainty is killing me. We want to make the right choice, and we're looking forward to finding a place we'll love and putting down roots for our girls for the high school years. (And having Dad around to share them!)

Anyone have any insights or advice for us regarding the job market in COS for former military?

[Northanna_2001]

I understand where you're at as we transitioned out of the military 11 years ago. It wasn't fun. If you write me personally, I can give you some insights. I have known other couples who went through the transition also. Working for the federal government is the best transition in my viewpoint.... as service members are familiar with being active duty and being on the govt. bankroll. If he were to look at USAJOBS - The Federal Government's Official Jobs Site and select something from a broad field in the location of your choice.... and apply for the jobs (paying attention to every small detail enlisted in the job announcements); this IMOP is a much easier transition from active duty to govt employee. Not too up to date on the job field in COS; but there are a number of places that would likely have job announcements online that he could apply for.

[ColoSpgsJamie]

Lots of places want to see the degree, but that isn't to say there are not those out there wise enough to understand the value of his experience. There are a lot of defense contractors out here so take the time to look around. SAIC, Scitor, ITT, L3Com, are just a few. His TS/SCI will be a big asset.

[Mike from back east]

Mac: The DC area job market for retired military types with clearances is THE mother lode of job ops that dwarfs just about all other locations unless one has a super specialty found on only a few bases.

Lots of such work here too along with lots of retired USAF types. Tons of active / retired USAF types live up here in the Briargate / Pine Creek area in school district 20 (Academy School District) to be near the Academy. It's a 30-minute commute from here to Peterson AFB.

Cost of Living and housing here in COLO SPGS is way less than the DC area, and traffic here is nothing compared to the horrors of the DC area, where we lived and worked for Army / Govt for 31 years.

Climate here is much nicer too, clean dry air and way fewer bugs.

[MrsMac]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Mac: The DC area job market for retired military types with clearances is THE mother lode of job ops that dwarfs just about all other locations unless one has a super specialty found on only a few bases.

So we've been told. But after so long we get to pick where we can live and we want it to be somewhere we'll WANT to be, rather than somewhere we HAVE to be; we did that for far too long. We are both from the west (I'm from CA and he's from NV/CO) and the idea of living in the D.C. area makes me want to cry. (And I did enough of that over the years when we got orders to someplace awful!)

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Lots of such work here too along with lots of retired USAF types. Tons of active / retired USAF types live up here in the Briargate / Pine Creek area in school district 20 (Academy School District) to be near the Academy. It's a 30-minute commute from here to Peterson AFB.

Cost of Living and housing here in COLO SPGS is way less than the DC area, and traffic here is nothing compared to the horrors of the DC area, where we lived and worked for Army / Govt for 31 years.

Climate here is much nicer too, clean dry air and way fewer bugs.

The Air Force spouses I've spoken to have all recommended the Briargate area as well. (The Army spouses like Security/Widefield, Falcon and Fountain.) Woodland Park, Monument, and Calhan also have fans but I am done with the small town thing for now.

We used to be inured to rotten traffic and bad driving (after being stationed in CA for years) but 4 years in Hawaii (even when the traffic is bad the drivers are polite and mellow) and 4 years in the middle of nowhere in OK and we've lost our patience for gridlock.

Thanks for confirming all the positives we've heard about COS. We'll just keep planning and hope the employment situation works out well!

[Mike from back east]

Mac, understand. We retired and got OUT of the DC area asap. The thought of having to move back there would make ME cry.

[Carrera32]

Mrs. Mac - The previous posts are spot on. Your husband's experience, depending on what specialties he has, coupled with his TS/SCI, should get him in the door for interviews with Govt contractors (in COS or DC, or anywhere). I'd strongly advise you not to let that clearance expire. Employers want current clearances; they don't want to have to pay and wait for the clearance to come through. Having a degree would make his search easier, but in highly specialized fields, they're looking for the right experience. Mike is right in that DC is probably the best job market for Govt/Govt contractor jobs, but, like Mike, and other posters on this site have already done, I'm trying to escape DC. We've spent 26 loooong years here fighting horrendous traffic, stifling humidity, mosquitos, and high cost of living. We're finally on the verge of moving to COS and can't wait. That said, we moved to the DC area (Northern VA, actually) for my job, and I had far more opportunities at higher grade levels than I could have hoped for in other locations. All Govt job roads really do lead to DC. However, if quality of life is paramount (and after a full career in the military, you've earned it), then I can't imagine a much better place than COS (it's where we're going to retire). Check USAjobs.gov, as noted in an earlier post. That's the clearing house for virtually all Govt jobs. The Govt applicaation process is time consuming and complicated, but be patient. Look for jobs with that TS/SCI requirement. Don't be afraid to take a job that's below his current salary/level. The most important thing is to get your foot in the door. Many more opportunities are available to current employees than those on the outside. Also, as a retired NCO, he'll get veterans' preference (points added to his application score). If he's disabled, he'll get even more preference. I'm not sure how long the TS/SCI remains in place after he retires (you need to find out). If it expires after 30 days after retirement (or some similar time period) I would strongly recommend your husband start a serious job search and have a job commitment before he retires . I know that clearances stay in force for 5 years while you're working and then they're updated, but I believe once you're no longer working and there's a gap in using the clearance, it expires. Maybe another poster would have more info on that. Good luck to you (from a retired Fed HR Director).