I Will, Likely, Step Away From The Thin Blue Line, 27 January, 2018.

[Rex G]

Well, if everything goes smoothly, I will be stepping away from the Thin Blue Line effective the final Saturday in January, a bit short of 34 years of sworn service. This will allow me to work one final Houston Marathon, an OT detail that I usually enjoy, on the Fourteenth. (Retirements are normally effective when a pay period ends, and this pay period runs from the Thirteenth to the Twenty-Sixth.) My final night to work a patrol shift, alone, will probably be the night of the First of January. I may decide to ride one or more Tuesday nights with a specific partner, but otherwise, I am mostly using leave, effective the night of January Second.

What could cause a delay? If I become the subject of an IA investigation, I would have to delay retirement until cleared, or if not cleared, until the disciplinary period has run its course, in order to be granted the status of “honorably retired.” I would want to be honorably retired, regardless, but in addition, the ability to continue to legally carry a handgun, under Texas law and the LEOSA, is dependent upon being honorably retired.

If I thought it would hurt my fellow officers, by depriving them of my knowledge and skills, I would stay longer. Well, my knowledge and some skills would remain helpful, but physically, I am becoming more of a liability than an asset. My duty belt size has not changed since I was a slim rookie, but my relexes are slow, and my ability to quickly get onto my feet, from sitting, and especially from on the ground, is diminished. I used to amaze folks with my ability see/perceive things in the darkness, but those days are long gone; I now miss things that others see easily.

This being pistol forum forum dot com, well, my carry pistols may change a bit, but more due to aging and injuries affecting what I can comfortably shoot, than being freed from PD policy. My G26 has already been sold. The G19 will probably diminish in importance, because it now hurts to shoot them, and practice with a larger, heavier G17 does not necessarily translate to G19 skill. My G19 skills are much more perishable than my G17 skills. I may keep my G17 pistols, and sell the G19 pistols.

Shooting a full-sized, all-steel 1911 is not exactly comfortable, but they do not hurt my right hand and wrist, as do my G19 pistols. What works against the 1911 as a carry pistol is that the draw from IWB positioned at or behind the hip requires some geometry that my aging right shoulder finds challenging. The draw is possible, but slow. AIWB of a 5” 1911 puts the muzzle end of the holster jabbing uncomfortably into my thigh. The obvious solution is OWB, and dressing around the gun and rig. I have done this for a number of years, off and on.

A shorter 1911 is an option, should I decide to try try them again, and if the effects of recoil are tolerable, and I find one that is trustworthy.

I have found AIWB Nirvana, a 2.25” SP101 in a JMCK George. If an SP101 is “primary,” it is rarely alone. The second gun can be anything from a second SP101, to a GP100, 1911, Glock, or a Speed/Security Six, etc.

Being freed from PD policy will radically change my defensive long gun choices. I let my patrol rifle qual lapse a number of years ago, when my aging eyes started to really needed an optic, which was forbidden at the time, and because I was satisfied working the night watch with a shotgun. As firearms policy applies 24/7*, my sole off-the-clock long gun choice has been shotguns since about 2005. (870P, then joined by Benelli M2.) Effective 27 January 2018, at 00:00:01 Hours, I will be able to grab my BCM Lightweight Middy, without having to be concerned about pleading “weapon of opportunity” to a supervisor or investigator.

Finally, there is the recent birth of my second grandson, soon after his older brother started walking. I have another “job” to be doing. Life is good. :)

*Pure home defense with any weapon of opportunity has been seen as generally acceptable for several years. The problem gets more complex when the officer, or an attacker, are not standing on the premises of the officer’s home.

[voodoo_man]

https://i.makeagif.com/media/8-25-2014/fWx327.gif

Seriously though, congrats. It's good to see guys reaching the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Rex G]

https://i.makeagif.com/media/8-25-2014/fWx327.gif

Seriously though, congrats. It's good to see guys reaching the light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks.

[TAZ]

Great job getting to the finish line. Thanks for your service and I hope you get to enjoy retirement as much as possible.

[Rex G]

Great job getting to the finish line. Thanks for your service and I hope you get to enjoy retirement as much as possible.

Thanks.

[BobM]

Congratulations. I'm planning on doing 30 more months myself.

[blues]

Congrats, Rex.

"You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave."

[SJC3081]

If your that close call in sick till your last tour. Don't take any chances, your so close to getting out alive I wouldn't chance it. Your last tour you will be anxious and second guessing yourself. To Easy to make a fatal error.

[TheNewbie]

Rex G, I love reading your posts. From a fellow Texas peace officer (I only have 24 years to catch up to you service wise!) congrats and enjoy the retirement.


Also enjoy not having to take the mandated 40 hours of TCOLE crap. Last week I took a course about LGBTI issues that mainly a video from SFPD.


I miss the SFPD of Inspector Sledgehammer.

[Rex G]

Congratulations. I'm planning on doing 30 more months myself.

Thanks. I was, at least partially, ready to go by the end of 2015. My wife had long planned to retire in November 2015, though a health scare prompted her to retire earlier, in May. My D.R.O.P. had reached a satisfactory figure by the end of July 2015. Having to qual with .40 S&W had started to hurt by late 2011, and was becoming an increasing annoyance with each qual, but then, in September 2015, my chief OK’ed 9mm as an alternative duty cartridge, so I switched to the G19. Plus, during 2015, I had started driving a Tahoe on duty, which made safe, smooth entries and exits a breeze. Staying until 2016 made sense, to enjoy these nice changes for a bit.

Then, at the end of 2015, the chief OK’ed 1911 pistols as primary duty pistols, with the completion of a transition training class. I had let my grandfathered 1911 duty pistols lapse in 2002, because the then-mandated Safariland 070 duty holster did not allow me to attain the consistent firing grip necessary to fully depress the grip safety. Since 2002, however, the Safariland 6360 had become our standard duty holster, which would enable me to get a good firing grip on a 1911. I received my certification to again carry a 1911 duty pistol, in uniform, in 2016. Sweet! :)

The tragic events of 2016 prompted me to stay for a different reason. I do not want to run from a fight. I do not want a fight, but if one is going to occur, it may as well me my fight. The Super Bowl being a logical target for terrorists, I decided to stay, at least through the Super Bowl in early 2017. Lord, I am a sinner. Remember me. Make me fast and accurate. Amen.

By mid-2017, the Tahoes were being thinned by attrition, as the little compact Ford make-believe utility vehicles became the new standard patrol vehicle. Driving the little Fords was tolerable, but being the passenger-side officer was not long-term tolerable. A full-sized duty pistol becomes uncomfortable quickly, and a quick exit is problematic. If the mobile computer is positioned so that a large or long-armed driver has enough room to steer and shift, the computer is above my left leg, almost against my Taser. I am a Field Trainer/Evaluator, so the rookie has to drive three shifts a week. By August 2017, I was driving and riding in the little Fords, like it or not.

So, early 2018 seems to be the right time to step away. Life is good. :)

[Rex G]

Congrats, Rex.

"You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave."

Thanks.

[Rex G]

If your that close call in sick till your last tour. Don't take any chances, your so close to getting out alive I wouldn't chance it. Your last tour you will be anxious and second guessing yourself. To Easy to make a fatal error.

Thanks.

But, no calling-in sick, especially not between Christmas and New Year’s Day, when the “book” is full. If there is to be a fight, let it be my fight. Lord, I am a sinner. Remember me. Make me fast and accurate. Amen.

[SeriousStudent]

Thank you for your many efforts to keep your fellow Texan's safe.

[Rex G]

Rex G, I love reading your posts. From a fellow Texas peace officer (I only have 24 years to catch up to you service wise!) congrats and enjoy the retirement.


Also enjoy not having to take the mandated 40 hours of TCOLE crap. Last week I took a course about LGBTI issues that mainly a video from SFPD.


I miss the SFPD of Inspector Sledgehammer.

Thanks.

Sensitivity training is a fact of life. I have, however, seen the other side of things. While I was attending the academy, there was a persistent rumor that there was a gay male cadet. Some decided that gay male cadet was me. There was minor teasing, which I thought to be just minor hazing. The serious stuff started when I was going through Field Training. To make a long story short, during the Evaluation Phases, my fair Evaluators outnumbered the hostile one.

How does one disprove a negative? One tactic was to carry a .44 Magnum, S&W Model 629 duty revolver. Because an N-frame is just a bit too big for my hand, especially when reaching the face of the standard wide trigger, for a properly stable DA pull, I used what trainers now call an “h” grip, which concentrates the recoil into the base joint of the thumb. After one year of sworn service, I was eligible to carry an auto, so briefly switched to 9mm HK P7, to allow my hand and wrist to heal. HK being a prestigious brand, it seemed manly enough. Within a year, I reverted to a revolver, though a .41 Magnum, with a thin trigger, the trigger face dressed-down for a shorter reach, and skimpy grips. This allowed a proper grip on the weapon, but nothing to cushion the recoil. All of this acting tough had the long-term effect of tenderizing my right hand and wrist. By 2011, .40 S&W was painful to shoot. By this year, 9mm, fired from a G19, is painful to shoot, and not just painful, but producing noticeable swelling.

Well, back to sensitivity training. By some time the late Eighties, I was helping teach what we now call sensitivity training to the academy cadets. No gay/lesbian officers were willing to be “out,” at the time, so a sergeant, who probably knew about my experience with discrimination, asked me to help with this training. (Notably, this was before the gay/lesbian community had accepted the true transgender community. Gay males had been dressing in drag at parades and festivals for a long time, already, but that was largely a form of irreverance, not because they identified as transgender.)

[Rex G]

Thank you for your many efforts to keep your fellow Texan's safe.

Thanks.

[TheNewbie]

Thanks.

Sensitivity training is a fact of life. I have, however, seen the other side of things. While I was attending the academy, there was a persistent rumor that there was a gay male cadet. Some decided that gay male cadet was me. There was minor teasing, which I thought to be just minor hazing. The serious stuff started when I was going through Field Training. To make a long story short, during the Evaluation Phases, my fair Evaluators outnumbered the hostile one.

How does one disprove a negative? One tactic was to carry a .44 Magnum, S&W Model 629 duty revolver. Because an N-frame is just a bit too big for my hand, especially when reaching the face of the standard wide trigger, for a properly stable DA pull, I used what trainers now call an “h” grip, which concentrates the recoil into the base joint of the thumb. After one year of sworn service, I was eligible to carry an auto, so briefly switched to 9mm HK P7, to allow my hand and wrist to heal. HK being a prestigious brand, it seemed manly enough. Within a year, I reverted to a revolver, though a .41 Magnum, with a thin trigger, the trigger face dressed-down for a shorter reach, and skimpy grips. This allowed a proper grip on the weapon, but nothing to cushion the recoil. All of this acting tough had the long-term effect of tenderizing my right hand and wrist. By 2011, .40 S&W was painful to shoot. By this year, 9mm, fired from a G19, is painful to shoot, and not just painful, but producing noticeable swelling.

Well, back to sensitivity training. By some time the late Eighties, I was helping teach what we now call sensitivity training to the academy cadets. No gay/lesbian officers were willing to be “out,” at the time, so a sergeant, who probably knew about my experience with discrimination, asked me to help with this training. (Notably, this was before the gay/lesbian community had accepted the true transgender community. Gay males had been dressing in drag at parades and festivals for a long time, already, but that was largely a form of irreverance, not because they identified as transgender.)

Oh yeah there are assholes. I don't care who you are if you have good values and good behavior. Now it seems like people want to be treated different not equal. Whatever the case, sensitivity training makes me go insane. lol

Ok now back to your thread.

How long was the academy when you went through ?

[Rex G]

Oh yeah there are assholes. I don't care who you are if you have good values and good behavior. Now it seems like people want to be treated different not equal. Whatever the case, sensitivity training makes me go insane. lol

Ok now back to your thread.

How long was the academy when you went through ?

The academy was only eighteen weeks in those days. It is about six months, now.

[Dismas316]

Congrats, and thank you for your service. Stay safe your last month and enjoy the retired life.

[Coyotesfan97]

Congratulations! I just attended the retirement party of a gent I worked with for a long time today. I have 2 years 10 months 9 days according to my retirement calendar.

[UNM1136]

Brother,

Your priorities are admirable. You have done your time. The rest of us will try to fill your boots. Some will succeed, many will not. Your honesty in your self evaluation at many stages of your career should be the norm. Sadly many of us are better at conning ourselves and risking sellf and partners for the sake of a deluded self image. Thank you for your service, and may each of your trainees carry their lessons learned from you to the next generation.

With much respect,

pat

[AMC]

Congratulations, brother. And now for your next goal...be retired for more years than you worked! I have four more years for my thirty, and then I'm done. Would leave today if I could. Has been occuring more frequently to me, as well, that I'm not the 25 year old hot shot I once was. Wiser, yes. More skilled in many areas, yes. But I ache BEFORE I do stuff now. And I can only look on in envy at the springiness of these kids I work with. Anyway...you earned your time. Go spend it.

[LSP552]

Congrats Brother, there is life after retirement! :D

I have always believed that when the time comes, we truly know it. I’ve seen many leave too soon and regret it later and others who stayed too long. It sounds like you have all of all figured out.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do next, even if it’s just drinking whiskey and shooting guns off the back porch.

[WobblyPossum]

Congratulations! You’ve more than earned your retirement.


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[RJ]

Thanks for your service. I wish you a happy retirement and many days of enjoying those grandkids.

[CWM11B]

Congratulations, and welcome to the club! I pulled the pin November 1. Very little I miss, as most of my running partners are doing the same. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have delayed it until 1 January. I'm looking to go back to work (non le) and the Thanksgiving/Christmas season is pretty much a shutdown for most places. You are going to realize just how tired you have been, and after the first couple of weeks you will feel like a new man. Here is to a long and healthy life as a pensioner!

[psalms144.1]

Congratulations, Rex! I know you're leaving with mixed feelings, just know that you've got the respect and appreciation of many for your long service!

My debate now is to go when I'm eligible (Feb 2020), or hang on until mandatory (Feb 2022). I hit 30 last month, but, Federal civilian doesn't count my active military time for "service" so I've got a couple more years either way...

[octagon]

Congratulations! I hope you have a good and safe time winding down at work and a smooth transition into whatever new life you choose. I retired in 2016 and haven't regretted it once.

[Rex G]

Congratulations! I just attended the retirement party of a gent I worked with for a long time today. I have 2 years 10 months 9 days according to my retirement calendar.

Thanks. Be safe and well!

[Rex G]

Brother,

Your priorities are admirable. You have done your time. The rest of us will try to fill your boots. Some will succeed, many will not. Your honesty in your self evaluation at many stages of your career should be the norm. Sadly many of us are better at conning ourselves and risking sellf and partners for the sake of a deluded self image. Thank you for your service, and may each of your trainees carry their lessons learned from you to the next generation.

With much respect,

pat

Thanks. Be safe out there!

[Rex G]

Congratulations, brother. And now for your next goal...be retired for more years than you worked! I have four more years for my thirty, and then I'm done. Would leave today if I could. Has been occuring more frequently to me, as well, that I'm not the 25 year old hot shot I once was. Wiser, yes. More skilled in many areas, yes. But I ache BEFORE I do stuff now. And I can only look on in envy at the springiness of these kids I work with. Anyway...you earned your time. Go spend it.

Thanks! Yes, I know about aching before doing anything, and I, too, look at the young-uns with envy. Be safe!

[Rex G]

Congrats Brother, there is life after retirement! :D

I have always believed that when the time comes, we truly know it. I’ve seen many leave too soon and regret it later and others who stayed too long. It sounds like you have all of all figured out.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do next, even if it’s just drinking whiskey and shooting guns off the back porch.

Thanks! I know there will be times I will wish I had stayed longer. I know there will be times I wonder why I waited so long.

I do need to get that kind of back porch!

[Rex G]

Congratulations! You’ve more than earned your retirement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! Be safe!

[Rex G]

Thanks for your service. I wish you a happy retirement and many days of enjoying those grandkids.

Thanks!

Now, to shop for one of those aluminum shoeboxes. :)

[Rex G]

Congratulations, and welcome to the club! I pulled the pin November 1. Very little I miss, as most of my running partners are doing the same. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have delayed it until 1 January. I'm looking to go back to work (non le) and the Thanksgiving/Christmas season is pretty much a shutdown for most places. You are going to realize just how tired you have been, and after the first couple of weeks you will feel like a new man. Here is to a long and healthy life as a pensioner!

Thanks, and congratulations to you, too!

I had thought I would exit in February, but then suddenly decided to pick the earliest date that would not throw any monkey wrenches into what is a quite drawn-out process, and would also enable me to work the marathon one last time.

[Rex G]

Congratulations, Rex! I know you're leaving with mixed feelings, just know that you've got the respect and appreciation of many for your long service!

My debate now is to go when I'm eligible (Feb 2020), or hang on until mandatory (Feb 2022). I hit 30 last month, but, Federal civilian doesn't count my active military time for "service" so I've got a couple more years either way...

Thanks!

I had long reckoned that my exit window would open in late 2015, with mid-2016 to the end of 2018 being more likely. I was actually eligible to retire in 2004, at twenty, and we have no mandatory retirement. A couple of legends had to be coaxed into retirement, when they had plainly started to suffer the effects of aging, one in his eighties, and another almost ninety.

We can enter D.R.O.P. as early as twenty years, if we opt to keep working. Starting this year, D.R.O.P. is capped at twenty years, so few will opt to work past forty years of service, when their D.R.O.P. stops receiving payments from the city. (Interest continues to accrue.) Some started at age NINETEEN, which was possible into the mid-Eighties, so forty years of service can be reached as early as age 59. We have a K9 sergeant still working a dog at age 67; his knees are healthier than mine! He started at a later age, after military service and then being a civilian contractor during the Vietnam War.

Be safe!

[Rex G]

Congratulations! I hope you have a good and safe time winding down at work and a smooth transition into whatever new life you choose. I retired in 2016 and haven't regretted it once.

Thanks, and congratulations on your retirement!

[Mas]

Best of luck in your retirement, Rex. Thank you for your service, and for sharing your knowledge and experience with us here. Hopefully, in retirement you'll find time to share even more.

[Rex G]

Best of luck in your retirement, Rex. Thank you for your service, and for sharing your knowledge and experience with us here. Hopefully, in retirement you'll find time to share even more.

Mas, thank you, so very much, for all you have done, and for all the knowledge you have shared with us.

It was some of what you had shared, that I used to soothe a somewhat hostile grand jury in 1993, when the general public did not yet understand that knives and impact weapons were as deadly as a firearm at close range. (My opponent, a Mr. Montoya, was wielding both, the knife chambered for a thrust, and the SL-20, snatched from another officer, held high. He had already tried cutting his throat with the knife; just another beautiful summer night in Houston.) Yes, I would have almost certainly been found “not guilty” in District Court, but better to be no-billed, before getting to that point.

Be safe and well!

[Rex G]

Best of luck in your retirement, Rex. Thank you for your service, and for sharing your knowledge and experience with us here. Hopefully, in retirement you'll find time to share even more.

Yes, I plan to continue to share knowledge, and with a more-free schedule, gain more knowledge.

Thanks, again.

[LOBO]

Congrats!!

[Rex G]

Congrats!!

Thanks!

[Leroy Suggs]

Rex, best wishes for your retirement
I enjoy your posts here and hope to see many more.
A guy that carries an SP-101 in a PMK is alright in my book;)
God bless you..

[Rex G]

Rex, best wishes for your retirement
I enjoy your posts here and hope to see many more.
A guy that carries an SP-101 in a PMK is alright in my book;)
God bless you..

Thanks!

[BN]

Rex G , good luck. Retirement is the best job I ever had. :)

[Rex G]

Rex G , good luck. Retirement is the best job I ever had. :)

Thanks!

[Hizzie]

Congratulations. I guess the means you’ll have time to get coffee or spread some freedom at the range.

[Kyle Reese]

Best wishes for your upcoming retirement & Merry Christmas!

[Chuck Whitlock]

Yes, I plan to continue to share knowledge, and with a more-free schedule, gain more knowledge.

Thanks, again.

I'm glad to hear this.
Congratulations, and if you ever come down to Corpus, please look me up.

[Rex G]

Congratulations. I guess the means you’ll have time to get coffee or spread some freedom at the range.

Thanks!

[Rex G]

Best wishes for your upcoming retirement & Merry Christmas!

Thanks, have a good Christmas, and be safe and well!

[Rex G]

I'm glad to hear this.
Congratulations, and if you ever come down to Corpus, please look me up.

Thanks! Be safe and well!

[Jackdog]

Congratulations, Rex!


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[Hambo]

Well, if everything goes smoothly, I will be stepping away from the Thin Blue Line effective the final Saturday in January, a bit short of 34 years of sworn service.

Thirty-four years is long enough. Congrats, don't get in trouble your last couple of weeks, and enjoy retirement.

[Rex G]

Thirty-four years is long enough. Congrats, don't get in trouble your last couple of weeks, and enjoy retirement.

Thanks! Be safe and well!

[Rex G]

Congratulations, Rex!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! Be safe and well!

[John Hearne]

Congratulations!

(I'm eligible to go in three years but don't see that happening)

[Rex G]

Congratulations!

(I'm eligible to go in three years but don't see that happening)

Thanks!

I stayed well past the time I was eligible to retire. That would have been far too early.

Stay safe and well!

[iWander]

Congrats! Having the mental health and physical ability to enjoy retirement is a gift and I'm glad you can enjoy it. Hopefully you have plans to stay mentally sharp and busy.

[andre3k]

Congrats Rex. My dad wanted to retire at 40 years in LE. Almost made 36 years until he had a stroke while sitting at roll call. Better to get out while you can still walk out. I'll be 42 when I hit my 20 and am considering taking my pension and running back to a corporate job. Be prepared for that tax hit if you take any disbursements from your DROP account.

[Nephrology]

Congratulations! Your retirement is will earned. May you enjoy every minute of it.

[Rex G]

Congrats! Having the mental health and physical ability to enjoy retirement is a gift and I'm glad you can enjoy it. Hopefully you have plans to stay mentally sharp and busy.

Thanks! Yes, I do have plenty to do. Some heavy stuff will have to wait until my left arm heals a bit more, which may take a few more weeks, but there is plenty to do next month, when I will mostly be on leave, and then when the retirement takes effect at the end of January.

Be safe and well!

[Rex G]

Congrats Rex. My dad wanted to retire at 40 years in LE. Almost made 36 years until he had a stroke while sitting at roll call. Better to get out while you can still walk out. I'll be 42 when I hit my 20 and am considering taking my pension and running back to a corporate job. Be prepared for that tax hit if you take any disbursements from your DROP account.

Thanks!

I could have retired at 20 years, aged 42, but that was when our D.R.O.P. was introduced, and it seemed like the better deal to stay at least another five to eight years, unless I could find another really lucrative career. People were still mistaking me for being ten years younger than my true age, at that time, and I still loved the work, so staying was a no-brainer. (I still love much of the work, at age 56, but the work does always love me.)

I had long considered staying until I had a seventh stripe on my sleeve, at 35 years of service in November 2018, but a stripe, or a number, or even a dollar figure, really means nothing, in the long term. (Our time of public service is measured from the start of the academy; cadets are subject to duty, in emergencies, from day one. Upon being sworn, of course, we usually think of that date when reckoning our time. My sworn service would not reach 35 years until March 2019.)

Yes, I have figured for the tax hit when withdrawing money from D.R.O.P. and/or the 457 plan. One reason I did not retire in 2015 was because my wife retired from the M.E.’s office in May 2015, (as one of the most-experienced medico-legal death investigators in the US, by number of cases worked,) and we wanted the financial picture to settle before I retired. (Actually, my wife being moved onto my medical plan is another reason I decided to work a while longer.) One major difference, however, is that the county commisioners historically tended to be cheap, so she was grossly under-paid for most of her public service career, and had relatively little tax-deferred savings, most of which was actually saved when she was in the private medical industry.

Be safe and well!

[Rex G]

Congratulations! Your retirement is will earned. May you enjoy every minute of it.

Thanks, Doc!

Be safe and well!

[Rex G]

I spoke, briefly, to my 457 plan folks, yesterday. I learned a bit of encouraging news, in particular that I can borrow against the funds, at a very low interest rate, rather than take a distribution, but was also annoyed to find how long it takes to get a distribution. I had hoped for a matter of days, when I showed them proof of my final work day, but it will me more like two to three weeks after they receive official notice of my retirement from HR, and that notification is sent after I receive my final normal paycheck, which is issued a week after my final day.

Fortunately, I should have no break in my bi-weekly paydays. My final paycheck will be posted to my bank account one week after my final day, and my first half-pay “Phase-Down” paycheck will post two weeks after that, and continue for 4+ years, until my 2+ years of deferred leave is paid-out, some time in the year 2022. This is HPD’s “Phase-Down C.” Because my status is “retired,” I will receive my monthly pension benefit, starting at the end of February, IF nobody at the pension system office drops the ball. I am prepared to wait another month, the end of March, because, well, those things do happen.

At some time, I will receive a check for my Accumulated OT. I am burning AOT now, but should still have about two or three weeks of it, on my final day. I have heard that this check can be several months in arriving, so am not counting it in my budget figures. I may buy myself a nice camera or gun, after it posts.

Yes, one must pinch pennies, and/or save, in order to retire! I added no interest-accruing debt while Christmas shopping, and will live very modestly in January, and probably most of February.

[Rex G]

I worked traffic control at a minor intersection along Kirby Drive, during the Houston Marathon, yesterday. That may be my last set of official actions as a police officer. It was, thankfully, uneventful. I have twelve more days of “active” status, but am burning Accumulated OT, so may not wear the uniform again, except perhaps for some photos.

Walking my GSD this morning felt quite a bit different; difficult to describe. I do much of my thinking while walking with Bella. ( Yes, a much-overused name for dogs born in 2014, but she already answered to it when I got her.)

I had typed more, but deleted it before posting. Short posts are best. :-)

[CWM11B]

That first week of two kind of feels like you are on vacation. Then it sinks in. Two months in and I am applying for jobs, which was more or less my plan anyway. It is definitely nice not having to be anywhere when you wake up in the morning. Best wishes and enjoy!

[Rex G]

That first week of two kind of feels like you are on vacation. Then it sinks in. Two months in and I am applying for jobs, which was more or less my plan anyway. It is definitely nice not having to be anywhere when you wake up in the morning. Best wishes and enjoy!

Thanks! I am going to be too busy with two baby grandsons to be looking for any paid jobs, anytime soon. I do have the inservice training hours to keep my state peace officer license up-to-date through 2017-2019 training cycle, so it will not expire until the end of the 2019-2021 cycle. This will give me time to reconsider the idea of resuming peace officering, but age is bringing slower reflexes, so I am doubtful.

To “rehearse” being retired, I have been burning much leave since Thanksgiving, except for a couple of days of in-service training, and working a few regular night shifts between Christmas and the Second of January, then the marathon on the Fourteenth. I am reasonably certain that my desire to stay up all night, and patrol the streets, is behind me.

The BIG difference, now, compared to two days ago, is that my very last uniformed assignment is behind me. My only work-related appearances are meetings downtown related to retiring, an appointment at the range to fire a retiree qual, and on the final day, delivering my issued uniforms and gear to Supply Division, the radio shop, and computer services, and then swapping my regular ID for an honorably-retired ID. (Dumping the taser and body-worn camera will be especially sweet.) Short of a critical incident, or other very unusual situation, that would result in a call-up, or, of course, the call of duty happening in my presence, I am finished with the role of LEO-ing.

Some time after retirement, possibly two to four weeks, I will go back downtown, and swap the first retired ID for the one that explicitly states I am able to carry handguns, per the LEOSA. This delay is a bit annoying, but it is what it is. I did not have any out-of-state travel planned in January-February, anyway, thankfully, though crossing the Sabine River to eat some real Lousiana cooking would be nice.

[NH Shooter]

Congratulations Rex, and my thanks for your service. Best wishes for a long and happy retirement, getting to enjoy your family and life's abundant pleasures that always seem to slip past us when we're occupied with full time employment!

[AMC]

Via con Dios, Hermano.

[Lon]

Enjoy your retirement, Brother. You've earned it.

[GuanoLoco]

Always rewirement, never retirement. You get to make your new rules, and working is a decision.

[paherne]

Congratulations, you've earned it. Enjoy your grandsons and your GSD. Have you picked out the matching rifles for the two little ones, yet? The CZ Scout 452 I bought many years ago to teach my kids on would be perfect for grandsons.

[deputyG23]

Enjoy your new exciting phase in life, Sir!

[John10-19]

Congratulations on your retirement! You spent a lot of years on the front lines, thank you for your service.

[Rex G]

Well, the ice storm has prevented my check-out meeting from happening. I am able to get downtown, without having to drive on any iced-over bridges or overpasses, but nobody is answering the phones at HR. The pension system office sent a mass e-mail that they are closed again today. Whether or not this will cause a reset of my anticipated retirement date remains to be seen.

Everything related to normal retirement happens in concert with the ending of a bi-weekly pay period. Multiple city departments, and the independent pension have to work together.

Ah, well...

[Rex G]

I got a call from the Employee Services folks today. The check-out meeting happened. Things appear to be rolling along normally. I will become a pumpkin, er, private citizen at 0000 Hours CST, 27 January 2018.

[Nephrology]

I got a call from the Employee Services folks today. The check-out meeting happened. Things appear to be rolling along normally. I will become a pumpkin, er, private citizen at 0000 Hours CST, 27 January 2018.

<10 days to go!

[Trooper224]

Congrats brother, enjoy. Eighteen months behind you.

[Inspector71]

Congrats on your retirement. I retired from LE 18 months ago. It took me several months to really accept the new reality. My uniforms hung cleaned/pressed in the closet for the first three months before I began the process of disposal. Some donated to other officers; some I just ripped the agency patches off and simply tossed in the trash. The gun/magazines belonged to the agency, so that was turned in. Got them to give me one more qual five days before retirement so that I was fresh qual for LEOSA certification. In retirement, I decided to de-emphasize "defensive pistol only related activities", and explore the other shooting sports. I took up trap shooting and bought a Henry Big Boy .357 lever action rifle that I also reload for. Take care.

[Cheap Shot]

Congrats and Respect

[Coyotesfan97]

Single digit midget. You’re so short you can walk under a dime!

[TheNewbie]

It's the 27, congrats.

[blues]

https://youtu.be/Sb_g4jkPqUw

[Rex G]

Thanks. Yes, it is the 27th. I had thought I would remain awake, to experience the moment, but I slept through my transformation into a pumpkin.

It is nice to be free of the “duty to respond.” I can decide whether to intervene, or not. I am free to forget my oath of office, and just go about being a decent human being.

There remains a bit of voluntary limitation on my freedom, as I must behave myself while the PD reviews my “honorably retired” status, and “processes” my application to carry handguns under the provisions of LEOSA and the Texas Penal Code. This usually takes four to six weeks! (I can carry with a state-issued handgun carry license, within its legal limitations.) Plus, I must continue to reasonably behave myself, because “honorably retired” status can be revoked, or the PD can opt to deny renewal. (Of course, I could have simply opted-out of the privileges of honorably-retired handgun carry.)

The other side of the firearms-carry coin is that the PD no longer dictates which weapons/ammunition I carry/use to defense myself or others. I can now use any size of buckshot. I can again tote a defensive rifle, which need not be limited to two specific weapon systems. I can now carry my longer-barreled revolvers in public places; no 4” barrel length limit.

Hmm, well, until after I have caffeinated myself, that is about the limit of my writing creativity, at the moment. :-)

Thanks, again, for all of the kind words.

[octagon]

Congrats Rex. Here's to a long, healthy and happy retirement and whatever you make of it. Enjoy.

[AMC]

Thanks. Yes, it is the 27th. I had thought I would remain awake, to experience the moment, but I slept through my transformation into a pumpkin.

It is nice to be free of the “duty to respond.” I can decide whether to intervene, or not. I am free to forget my oath of office, and just go about being a decent human being.

There remains a bit of voluntary limitation on my freedom, as I must behave myself while the PD reviews my “honorably retired” status, and “processes” my application to carry handguns under the provisions of LEOSA and the Texas Penal Code. This usually takes four to six weeks! (I can carry with a state-issued handgun carry license, within its legal limitations.) Plus, I must continue to reasonably behave myself, because “honorably retired” status can be revoked, or the PD can opt to deny renewal. (Of course, I could have simply opted-out of the privileges of honorably-retired handgun carry.)

The other side of the firearms-carry coin is that the PD no longer dictates which weapons/ammunition I carry/use to defense myself or others. I can now use any size of buckshot. I can again tote a defensive rifle, which need not be limited to two specific weapon systems. I can now carry my longer-barreled revolvers in public places; no 4” barrel length limit.

Hmm, well, until after I have caffeinated myself, that is about the limit of my writing creativity, at the moment. :-)

Thanks, again, for all of the kind words.

*Mike drop*......well done, man.

[willie]

Thank you, sir, for your service. I am certain that you were a role model and mentor to peers, young and old. You survived all those years in one of America's toughest cities located in the county that has sent more men to death row than any other county in America. You have a skill set qualifying you to be a first rate officer in any city in our nation. I do hope that you feel proud. I do.

[Drang]

Thanks. Yes, it is the 27th. I had thought I would remain awake, to experience the moment, but I slept through my transformation into a pumpkin.

It is nice to be free of the “duty to respond.” I can decide whether to intervene, or not. I am free to forget my oath of office, and just go about being a decent human being.

There remains a bit of voluntary limitation on my freedom, as I must behave myself while the PD reviews my “honorably retired” status, and “processes” my application to carry handguns under the provisions of LEOSA and the Texas Penal Code. This usually takes four to six weeks! (I can carry with a state-issued handgun carry license, within its legal limitations.) Plus, I must continue to reasonably behave myself, because “honorably retired” status can be revoked, or the PD can opt to deny renewal. (Of course, I could have simply opted-out of the privileges of honorably-retired handgun carry.)

The other side of the firearms-carry coin is that the PD no longer dictates which weapons/ammunition I carry/use to defense myself or others. I can now use any size of buckshot. I can again tote a defensive rifle, which need not be limited to two specific weapon systems. I can now carry my longer-barreled revolvers in public places; no 4” barrel length limit.

Hmm, well, until after I have caffeinated myself, that is about the limit of my writing creativity, at the moment. :-)

Thanks, again, for all of the kind words.

Congratulations on your retirement, sir. May you enjoy it for a long time!

[gtae07]

The other side of the firearms-carry coin is that the PD no longer dictates which weapons/ammunition I carry/use to defense myself or others. I can now use any size of buckshot. I can again tote a defensive rifle, which need not be limited to two specific weapon systems. I can now carry my longer-barreled revolvers in public places; no 4” barrel length limit.

Wlw. I didn't realize they'd be so stringent about personal off-duty weapons.


Anyway, congratulations!

[Artemas2]

Congratulations Sir!

[Jim Watson]

Awright, what are you doing your first day in retirement?

[WobblyPossum]

Congratulations Rex!

[MichaelD]

Congratulations on making it to the finish line! I wish you a long, enjoyable, and healthy retirement before your final ride off into the sunset.

[Rex G]

Awright, what are you doing your first day in retirement?

I had a low-key first day. If I remember correctly, several long walks with the dog, a couple of movies on you-tube, and buying a duplicate of a favored now-discontinued folding knife, on evil-bay, were about it.

I had already been rehearsing retirement, burning-down some unused accumulated OT hours, only being on the clock a total of twenty hours in 2018. So, the actual retirement date’s arrival was not a big change in anything I was doing, just a change of status.

Thanks for asking.

[Rex G]

Thanks, to all, for the congratulations and other kind words.

[Jim Watson]

Carry on and enjoy yourself.
I remember watching retirees visit my (non LE) agency. Commonly found in the cafeteria, break room, even an old crony's office.
Not me, I was out of there, socially at least. I did go back for a while to work in a "staff augmentation" program that brought in some money. And I did take a short term job at the place across the street, which had a lot of familiar faces, they headhunted us pretty hard even though they had promised not to when they opened.
But if it didn't pay, I wasn't there.

[Trooper224]

My agency has been doing a lot of things recently that are going to make separation anxiety non-existent. I think turning into complete cake eating, pencil necked ass clowns is pretty considerate of them.

[TGS]

My agency has been doing a lot of things recently that are going to make separation anxiety non-existent.

What about your identity as a LEO, or as a Trooper in specific? That's what kills LEOs in retirement, regardless of whether they like their agency or not.

[LSP552]

What about your identity as a LEO, or as a Trooper in specific? That's what kills LEOs in retirement, regardless of whether they like their agency or not.

I know a few folks who didn’t do well in retirement because they had NO outside activities or hobbies, etc. LE is a job you may love, even if you hate the BS. You just can’t let it fully define/consume you as a individual. There is more to life than ANY job, career or service.

[Trooper224]

What about your identity as a LEO, or as a Trooper in specific? That's what kills LEOs in retirement, regardless of whether they like their agency or not.

Good and valid question. My short answer is: it won't bother me one damned bit. :)

I've been dedicated to my profession and my people for a quarter of a century, but there's always been far more to me than just the job. It's been a large part of who I am for a long time, but it's never defined me. I have many interests far removed from the job and most of my friends aren't cops. In fact, I don't really like most cops that I know, so I've never been insular in that regard. I can't say I hate my agency either. The people that I've worked side by side with are some of the finest I've ever known. The folks at the type are cock bites, but that happens everywhere. So, I'm not leaving because I've developed a "F' this place" attitude. I've been proud to do it and don't regret it at all, but it's important to realize when it's time to move on and for me that time is very near at hand.

I know this will come as a shock, but I've never been a highly compassionate or empathetic individual when it comes to the public at large. :) So when I wake up on that first morning when I'm no longer obliged to be my brothers keeper, well that'll be just fine.

[Poconnor]

Congratulations. I hope you collect your pension check for a very long and dry happy and healthy time. My retirement was not by choice; but when you get hurt it happens. 19 years was enough. I don’t go by my Dept.i actually avoid it. I have kept in touch with a few close friends so I still hear the gossip. Half the guys on patrol all got hired in the last four years so I don’t know any of them. I work in a really really boring office now. Surrounded by happy normal people working day shift, no weekends and no holidays. I can’t complain. Do I miss it? Yes. But I liken it to an ex-wife. I was married to her and we had some good times; but now I’m not married to her. Life goes on. On the plus side I was able to through an extra duty job to my old Dept and my old old partner just got hired at my office.

[Rex G]

Good and valid question. My short answer is: it won't bother me one damned bit. :)

I've been dedicated to my profession and my people for a quarter of a century, but there's always been far more to me than just the job. It's been a large part of who I am for a long time, but it's never defined me. I have many interests far removed from the job and most of my friends aren't cops. In fact, I don't really like most cops that I know, so I've never been insular in that regard. I can't say I hate my agency either. The people that I've worked side by side with are some of the finest I've ever known. The folks at the type are cock bites, but that happens everywhere. So, I'm not leaving because I've developed a "F' this place" attitude. I've been proud to do it and don't regret it at all, but it's important to realize when it's time to move on and for me that time is very near at hand.

I know this will come as a shock, but I've never been a highly compassionate or empathetic individual when it comes to the public at large. :) So when I wake up on that first morning when I'm no longer obliged to be my brothers keeper, well that'll be just fine.

I am probably too empathetic and compassionate, toward society at large, for my own good, but I fully support what you have said, especially the part about being “no longer obliged to be my brother’s keeper.” I can continue to be helpful, a Good Samaritan, or whatever other term we might use, but it will be on my terms, not a statutory obligation.

[blues]

Rex, I left the job at the end of 2003, early 2004. Never looked back. I love being my own master and no longer subject to call-outs in the middle of the night or having to work weekends and holidays (not of my choosing). Answering to the missus and the dog is far less objectionable.

While I miss a partner or two, the thrill of the chase, a good investigation or knocking down a door, I've never felt unfulfilled for a moment in retirement. I always find something to do, something to read, something to shoot, someone to shoot the breeze with and I'm comfortable enough in my own skin to not mind being by myself. In fact I often prefer being able to pick and choose when I'm in the mood to interact.

My biggest fear when I stepped out the door for the last time wasn't how my self image would adjust, but whether I would be able to live the life I wanted financially. It's turned out way better than I could have imagined as we are debt free, own our home and vehicles outright and have a larger portfolio than when I left.

Life is good. Don't sweat it.

[Gadfly]

I have worked Houston as a Fed for 19 years now... I wonder if we have ever bumped into each other over the years? I have worked with a lot of HPD officers over the years...

Well, I wish you the best as you are off to greener pastures. I hope to join you on my 55th birth day (if all goes according to plan).

[Trooper224]

I just spent the week up at the academy for our annual inservice training. Active shooter was as fun as always. Got to get all Devgru Delta Ranger with the simmunitions, managed to shoot some folks and not get shot in return. Next year will be my last inservice, so I think I'll grab two sim pistols during one scenario, make entry and yell, "Who ordered the whupass fajitas?" The pencil necks won't appreciate that, but by then they can't really touch me and it will be a good story to finish off my legend. The highlight of the week was the final class given by an ICE agent. It was one of those filler "This is who we are." classes, as if we didn't know. However, the instructor was an old agent within about two months of retirement. He was foul mouthed, irreverent toward his agency and as funny as hell. I wondered if we were related. The kicker was our time in the gym, doing ground fighting, wounded buddy carries, etc. I barely crawled out of bed the next morning and told myself, "Self, we're about done with this." :)

[Rex G]

I have worked Houston as a Fed for 19 years now... I wonder if we have ever bumped into each other over the years? I have worked with a lot of HPD officers over the years...

Well, I wish you the best as you are off to greener pastures. I hope to join you on my 55th birth day (if all goes according to plan).

Thanks!

I was night shift, Central Patrol, from 1984 until the end, except for a seven-month rotation in the jail, so it was relatively rare for me to interact with Feds, except peripherally on something like a warrant service, or to transport prisoners from the DEA office to downtown. I did “on-view” two FBI agents making an arrest along Westheimer strip in the Eighties. They had a warrant, and were on the strip looking for their man.

The “normal” retirement age for HPD officers has been 55, for some time. (Normal is not the same as average.) I had thought I might make it to age 57 and about month, in November 2018, when I would get my 35-year service stripe, but the arrival of grandson #2, in December 2017, prompted me to select the end of the second pay period in January, age 56 & three months.

Enjoy the twilight of your career, and, of course, take good care out there.

[Rex G]

At the end of week two as a private citizen, all is well. I met with the pension system folks yesterday, to deliver a certified copy of our marriage license, after completing the final portion of my on-line retirement request forms the day before. I am not sure why there has to be such a delay, after my retirement date, but it is what it is; I follow their schedule. (Our pension system is separate from the city. The city has one or two seats on the pension board.)

Some time within the next few weeks, I should receive a call or e-mail prompting me to go to HQ to take possession of my badge and hat shield. I am not to wear them, in retirement, of course; they must be mounted on a plaque, in a shadow box, etc. I should receive another call or e-mail prompting me to report to the firing range for a retiree qual, to enable carrying a handgun as an Honorably Retired Officer. Until then, I have to abide by private-citizen handgun carry rules. (I believe the Penal Code allows me to carry virtually all “weapons” within Texas, almost without restriction, as an honorably retired peace officer, but my retiree carry application, which I signed, specifically stated I am not to carry a “handgun” until I have shot my retiree qual.)

[LSP552]

Interesting about having to wait for a retirement qual before you can carry. When I retired from LSP in 2008, I didn’t have to qualify until my regular State POST qual expired. LSP doesn’t have a difference course for retirees so perhaps that’s the difference. Regardless, sorry you don’t have LEOSA ability right at retirement.

I hope your old agency tries to fix that.

[blues]

Interesting about having to wait for a retirement qual before you can carry. When I retired from LSP in 2008, I didn’t have to qualify until my regular State POST qual expired. LSP doesn’t have a difference course for retirees so perhaps that’s the difference. Regardless, sorry you don’t have LEOSA ability right at retirement.

I hope your old agency tries to fix that.

I can't see how they can supersede federal law and it only requires that he met the qualification within the preceding 12 months. He meets the other criteria for service, etc. That said, I don't blame Rex for choosing his battles.

[LSP552]

I can't see how they can supersede federal law and it only requires that he met the qualification within the preceding 12 months. He meets the other criteria for service, etc. That said, I don't blame Rex for choosing his battles.

For sure. When they make me king of the police world every officer would have their retired ID and qual stepping out the door.....

[Trooper224]

Some time within the next few weeks, I should receive a call or e-mail prompting me to go to HQ to take possession of my badge and hat shield.

If we want to keep ours we have to pay for them. As if they're going to reissue the thing. Mine isn't even in-policy, since a few design changes were made over the years. I won't be keeping mine on principle if nothing else. I think I've earned the right to take that old piece of metal with me when I go. They can keep it.

[blues]

If we want to keep ours we have to pay for them. As if they're going to reissue the thing. Mine isn't even in-policy, since a few design changes were made over the years. I won't be keeping mine on principle if nothing else. I think I've earned the right to take that old piece of metal with me when I go. They can keep it.

I hear ya, brother, but I think you should reconsider.

We had to pay a fee if we wanted our badge, as ours can only be returned mounted (embedded) in lucite after having been cut in half. You can't see where it's been cut but it's good to know the lengths Uncle Sam will go to show how much he trusts you after you walk out the door for the last time.

(I do have my facsimile badge which is a bit larger than the real one...but which got the most wear on entries and warrants etc.)

Screw 'em for making you pay but the badge is, imho, something you should have and may matter to your family as well. Just my two cents.

[Rex G]

Interesting about having to wait for a retirement qual before you can carry. When I retired from LSP in 2008, I didn’t have to qualify until my regular State POST qual expired. LSP doesn’t have a difference course for retirees so perhaps that’s the difference. Regardless, sorry you don’t have LEOSA ability right at retirement.

I hope your old agency tries to fix that.

I have my official “Honorably Retired” ID card, and a paper qual card that shows I fired a qual in October 2018, so I am, technically, legal to carry, under both state law and LEOSA. HPD, however, wants four to six weeks to verify my status, and “process” my application, before I shoot a “retiree” qual. At that time, I will receive an updated ID card, that specifically states I am good to carry handguns. My signature indicates I understood this limitation, so, presumably, my application to carry handguns could be denied if an incident were to occur, and I were to be found carrying a handgun in a situation that would be illegal for a private citizen to be carrying a handgun. It was implied that I could, also, lose my honorably-retired status.

[Chuck Whitlock]

Sounds like some pretty petty bureaucratic nonsense, but I am sure that after working there for so long you are used to navigating that.

[Trooper224]

Sounds like some pretty petty bureaucratic nonsense, but I am sure that after working there for so long you are used to navigating that.

Sometimes the bureaucratic BS gets so deep it's a wonder the law ever gets enforced. My agency certainly isn't alone in that. Strangely enough, a new opportunity at promotion may be happening. Some of my divisions current Lieutenants are crying about having too many men to supervise, so they're contemplating adding another Lt. position. If I took it, it would mean staying a few years longer for a slight increase in pay and retirement. Not taking it might mean having to deal with a brand new Lieutenant. Heading for the door is looking better and better. :)

[Chuck Whitlock]

Sometimes the bureaucratic BS gets so deep it's a wonder the law ever gets enforced. My agency certainly isn't alone in that.

Indubitably.

I had a ringside seat when I spent several years working alongside the Bureau of Indian Affairs. I worked with some top notch people who are great friends to this day, but the bureaucracy was maddening. I was once told that the BIA is where old bureaucrats go to die!

[Rex G]

Well, my 2+ years of accumulated, unused leave, being paid-out as bi-weekly half-pay, over 4+ years, has now ended. I tried to log-in to my Employee Self-Service page, to verify the change in status, and my password did not work. So, the last vestige of “semi-retired” is now finished; I am fully retar’d.

I have been getting my pension, since early 2018, each month, of course, and that should continue, for life. One significant benefit of still being on half-pay is that I have been paying the active employee health plan rate. The retiree rate should hit me with the next pension payment.

Time will tell, whether I start feeling enough of a squeeze, to prompt me to finally start looking for some kind of job that pays actual money. Some of the volunteer and general “good citizen” things that I have been doing, to stay relevant, may have to give way to something that pays.

[11B10]

Well, my 2+ years of accumulated, unused leave, being paid-out as bi-weekly half-pay, over 4+ years, has now ended. I tried to log-in to my Employee Self-Service page, to verify the change in status, and my password did not work. So, the last vestige of “semi-retired” is now finished; I am fully retar’d.

I have been getting my pension, since early 2018, each month, of course, and that should continue, for life. One significant benefit of still being on half-pay is that I have been paying the active employee health plan rate. The retiree rate should hit me with the next pension payment.

Time will tell, whether I start feeling enough of a squeeze, to prompt me to finally start looking for some kind of job that pays actual money. Some of the volunteer and general “good citizen” things that I have been doing, to stay relevant, may have to give way to something that pays.






Rex, I'm sure many here share my thanks for your career. It's obvious your career + the "good citizen things" you've been doing thus far indicate the type of man you are.

I always enjoy your posts and respectfully ask you to update us on future developments.

[UNM1136]

Around here the State retiree health plan is cripplingly expensive. Most retired guys coming to work for my agency are doing so for the (still high, but not quite as) hideously expensive health benefits.

My employer created a trust fund to pay 50% of the monthly premiums to the Retiree Health Care Plan from retirement to Medicare eligibility...

I am increasingly doubtful of my odds of success, but my goal in 5-6 years is to retire at 55 years old with 30-31 years of service.

pat