According to my countdown clock, I've got a little over 611 days before I get to retire.
Not being the kinda guy that wants to leave things until the last minute, I opted to make a few different trackers with timelines and milestones to help keep track of what I need to take care of to ensure that I don't get stuck in some kinda administrative limbo—especially with the fact that the Navy has really dropped the ball with out-processing on the heels of the pandemic being a hot topic.
120 days ago, I knocked out my mandatory TAPS sessions. They still offer those virtualized, so I opted for that route. Glad I did, because my god the soapboxes are so much more manageable when you can just fall asleep in your chair. It was also at that point that I got my Fleet Reserve request approved.
Frustratingly, though, that's not all I've got for TAPS requirements. They also require that you complete at least two additional tracks:
Because we're in a world where we can now search for answers to anything we want, I don't need these things. I'd even go so far as to wager that many—if not most—people don't. They either attend those tracks because it's time away from work (don't care) or because they enjoy socializing with people (I obviously abhor it).
So I talked with our command's Career Counselor about it.
"You told me that I could skip this requirement if I provide either a copy of a college or job acceptance letter, right?"
"Yep, that's right."
"I'm still a way out for either of those things. Can I just not put a check in one of those boxes and call it a day?"
"Nope!"
"But I don't need those tracks. It's time away from my safe box that I'd rather not take. And any dummy can just Google that shit."
"Yes, well, not everyone is as smart as you are, Chief."
"I ain't smart."
"You need to stop saying that."
Self-deprecation aside, she gave me an excellent idea. Enter FOXWERX, LLC, an LLC I filed with the state Commonwealth of Virginia for the low cost of a hundred bucks. Website still has yet to make it past some incredibly rudimentary WordPress garbage, but I've got a bit of time before I fabricate the job offer letter from their HR department, run by the lovely missus.
The great thing is that there's not really a lot of ground for them to stand on to argue against a self-formed company, because I've effectively done two things: I've gained employment via entrepreneurship.
Checkmate, bitches.
And a hundred bucks is such a tiny sum to pay in order to avoid four days of driving on the interstate.
Dealing with all them cowardly/opportunistic asshats.