I have rejoined the full-time work force…again.
This time, I have accepted a position with my former military unit, the 126th Air Refueling Wing, working in the Comptroller Flight as a civilian Budget Analyst. My first 20 years of military service (1989-2009) was in the Comptroller shop, the last 17 of those here with the 126 ARW. And seven of those years was as the Budget Officer. So, this is an organization and a job I am very familiar with, despite being out of the unit for over 7 years and out of this particular job for over 13 years.
Why go back to work? The answer is simple. I enjoy working. I enjoy contributing towards a mission I believe in. I enjoy the challenge of improving processes and crafting more efficient and effective ways of doing the work. And, although not the primary motivation any longer, I enjoy the security of widening the gap between income and expenses.
Why did I leave my previous position, then? I have now taken 2 breaks from work. The first lasted approximately 22 months (2018 – late 2019) when my wife and I decided that I would take on the role of stay-at-home parent for a while. This was more of a sabbatical since I always intended to go back to work at some point. The second began in July 2021 when I left my job due to a bit of burnout following the COVID-19 work-from-home craziness and the realization that what I wanted from work and what my supervisors wanted were not aligned. I was prepared for this to be a permanent retirement, although I was hopeful I might someday find a position that valued my input, valued my time enough to offer a respectable salary, but did not expect every employee to be on a career building path.
The timing of this Budget Analyst position converting from military to Civil Service was perfect. I am quite confident that this position, within this organization, will allow me to put forth the effort needed to contribute at a meaningful level while maintaining a rather strict separation of work and home life. As I reflect on the three essential elements of motivation as presented by Daniel Pink in his book Drive: (1) Autonomy—the desire to direct our own lives; (2) Mastery—the urge to get better and better at something that matters; and (3) Purpose—the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves; I believe a feeling of job satisfaction will grow and provide the motivation to continue in this position until I finally decide that I desire to be, and stay, retired.