If one thing is unique about military retirement, it's that retirement for most service members means finding another job, since most retire in their 40s. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Active duty personnel, who have worked in a much different professional and financial environment than most Americans, must master new, usually more expensive, benefits and work life.
"I wish there was a better word for it … 'career shift' or something else, not calling it 'retirement,' because for most people, that is definitely not what it is," says Kate Horrell, a Navy spouse and financial counselor who specializes in advising military families.
