KWings06j

This is a long ways out for me so I know the answer will probably change a dozen times but I'm still curious... Right now i'm planning on doing 20 years AD (at least) and then when i'm ready to get out maybe going reserves. I'm curious though how that would work with retirement pay. I know after 20 years AD I can retire and get 50% base pay but if I go reserves do I keep accruing time to raise that percentage? I know about the points system so the time will accrue a lot slower. Can I collect the retirement pay while serving in the reserves, after leaving the reserves, or not until I turn 60 in this case? Does that extra time only boost my retirement pay once I hit 60? Am I confusing anyone else trying to explain this?

I try to donate blood as regularly as I can (usually 2-3 times annually). Right now i'm not on flying status so it hasn't been an issue. Once I actually start flying I know theres going to be some sort of restriction but I would like to keep donating if possible. Is there a specific reg outlining how long from donating to flying or saying that I can't at all? Would I have to go to a flight doc before I went to donate each time? Usually I donate kinda spur-of-the-moment. I'll hear about a blood drive going on and that day or the next i'm usually there. I scanned through the first 6 or 7 pages of posts and didn't see anything on this. I get an error trying to use the search feature from this computer.

There are many cases where engineers need TS. A friend of mine lost his pilot slot (medical) and was able to get an awesome engineering assignment because it required a TS clearance and he already had his. As for the drug tests... my det never did them so I don't know if there allowed or not. However, the navy det at my school did them regularly (especially if you screwed up / pissed off one of the Cadre). They usually had a half-dozen people or so get tested every week or two.