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You can't only roll-over the tax-free portion. So over the past 10 years I've tested your theory of "lower expenses always equals better performance" because I was curious myself and I'm a financial dork. I made my 2045 Retirement Roth IRAs at Vanguard and T Rowe Price the exact same monetary amount, and then monthly invested the same amount in both funds. The Vanguard expense ratio is %0.18 and the T Rowe Price expense ratio is %0.76. The difference in the two funds has grown steadily over the past 10 years, and today the T Rowe Price account is $1,600 more than the Vanguard fund. Feel free to call 10 years of results random luck, but I'm comfortable calling my experiment finished and I'm only putting future dollars into the T. Rowe Price account. I also find TSP's life cycle funds to be way too conservative with their allocation. 25% in fixed income for a retirement in 35 years? No thanks. My last beef with TSP is the ability of AF Finance to play with your contributions. I had a good buddy spend a year fighting finance (and eventually lost) because a SrA thought he wasn't really on a 365 and removed thousands of contributions from his fund for an extended period of time. The only good thing about TSP is the military makes it easy to register, so people who wouldn't otherwise invest are probably doing so because of TSP.

If you chose to roll-over, the taxable portion of your TSP account will be sent straight to your institution for your traditional IRA account, and the tax free portion will be sent to you directly as a check. You'll have 60 days (I think) to send it in to your civilian institution for them to deposit into your Roth account. It wasn't exactly painless (the TSP form has to be notarized) but I'm glad to be done with the TSP program. I hated the TSP website and the daily fund information wouldn't download into Quicken, so the choice was easy for me.

My VSP and final pay came from the same Indy account, but in separate chunks. According to Dover Finance, all VSP calculations were done at DFAS and your final paycheck was calculated at your individual base to include any sold leave.

Mini thread revival because I'm angry. For all future VSP'ers from the guys at DFAS: (because it's too late for any FY14 guys) BLUF: Max out your TSP allocation and live off of savings for your last 3-4 months on active duty to avoid a huge tax hit. After meeting with my accountant yesterday, I now know my inability to contribute VSP pay to TSP increased my tax bill $7,300. Voluntary Separation Pay cannot be contributed to TSP. Voluntary Separation Pay is authorized in Title 10 section 1175. The types of pay that can be contributed to TSP are basic pay as defined in 5 USC 8331(3); special and incentive pay as defined in 37 USC 5, and bonus as defined in 37 USC chapter 5. Vol. 7A, Table 51-1 lists the types of specific types of pay that can be contributed. References: 5 CFR 1600.12: A uniformed service member may elect to contribute sums to the TSP from basic pay and special or incentive pay (including bonuses). 5 CFR 1690.1, Definitions: Bonus contributions means contributions made by a participant from a bonus as defined in 37 U.S.C. chapter 5. Special or incentive pay means pay payable as special or incentive pay under 37 U.S.C. chapter 5. Basic pay means basic pay as defined in 5 U.S.C. 8331(3)

Just in case there are any C-5/C-17 types that were going to try and touch downrange during the month they separate like I was... http://www.irs.gov/uac/Military-Pay-Exclusion-%E2%80%94-Combat-Zone-Service Enlisted can hit jackpot, but officers can't!

Your leave sell back and VSP payout are taxed as income, period dot. The AF withholds 25% in anticipation of you owing that much in taxes, which maybe the case or may not be the case depending on your personal situation. If you own real estate and touch down overseas often, then you could easily end up with a much less than 25% effective tax rate and you would get a huge refund when you file your 2014 taxes. If you don't go to a combat zone at all during 2014 and you don't have any way to take capital losses or significantly reduce your income, (and you are an high rolling officer who already makes 80-100k) then you could end up owing more than 25% on your VSP payout and/or leave sell back. Your April could be painful if you haven't budgeted for the additional tax owed! Either way, selling leave puts more money in your pocket, but deprives you of your time. Like Jughead said, it's completely dependent on your personal needs at the time you separate. I'm working until the end because I don't know what else I'd do with my time and I'll still have several months to goof off after I get out.

I'll bite, even though I might have a few contrary opinions. The Air Force didn't drive me out with their micro or macro personnel decisions, management actions or culture changes. I chose to get out because I'm ready re-assert control of where I live and where I spend each night, plain and simple. Flying has been fun at times and monotonous at others, but in the end, the benefits of a flying career don't outweigh the costs for me personally. As far as the Air Force queep, I fully expect to find a new but different set of queep at whatever company eventually hires me. I don't believe the grass is really greener on any particular lawn, just different shades of green. The Air Force at least makes a rough attempt to establish a meritocracy, and gets it right a lot. (Flame on) There's a plethora of individual examples of the system not working, but in my decade in the Air Force, I never saw a suggestion for a better ranking system that truly made sense across the board. Objectively and subjectively grading people simultaneously is damn near impossible, but differentiation has to occur somehow. Unlike the civilian world, I wasn't looked down upon because I didn't go to an Ivy League college out of high school. I also never had to put up with the douche-bag son of the company president who's untouchable or the insufferable hot chick who's sleeping her way up the ladder. There's bullshit everywhere. The trick is to mentally rise above the mess and still perform. I finally saw the light on my path about a year ago when I was thinking about the book The Five Love Languages. Since BODN is a macho-centric forum, I'll spare everyone the intricate details, but if you really want to learn more about how you personally relate to others, read the book. My top three methods of connection required me to be in the presence of the other people who meant something to me. So I finally realized I would be an idiot to pursue a civilian aviation career or continue in the military, as I'm guaranteed to be absent from "home" and the people I care for at least half of my life in either pursuit. Why would I knowingly accept a situation where I know I personally don't thrive? So in the end I gave up my promotion and school slot and I'm punching. I'm studying for the GMAT now and I'll go to the highest tier business school that will admit me and then I'm moving back to my home state. I'll still be running just as hard as I was in uniform, just in different directions and I'll have the backing of a community that remains stable. I'll finally mentally stretch out and form real roots. Can't wait... In closing, I actually don't understand all of the "congratulations" people are passing around. I'm glad those who got VSP got what they wanted, but we haven't "accomplished" anything more than those who didn't get VSP. We got lucky. Lucky that big blue needs to downsize now and lucky that our names were picked from the hat. As much as I'm excited to control my own destiny again, I also can't shake the feeling that I'm quitting and leaving my country's service before my agreed-upon obligation is fulfilled. I will accomplish something someday (hopefully soon) that warrants a "congratulations" but I don't feel like accepting the VSP falls into that category. (again, flame on)

Approved 2004 11M (C-5M) 1.5 yr ADSC waivers for UPT and C-5 Initial Qual 3 month waiver for PCS Initially denied in February because I didn't put the right textual description in the Justification block, and then re-applied in March with just the program desired in the text block. I'm a little nervous about how smoothly the next four months will go... Anyone have experience selling back leave? I don't think I'm going to have time for 50 days of terminal...

What a fantastic process. F*** it. I'm not RIF eligible, so the AF can just pay me for another year while I push my GMAT score up. I might answer an email every now and then.

Whoa. Was I supposed to specifically write "VSP" in my comments? Where did it say that? I'm speechless and inclined to give up trying to get out this year. " Requested Separation provision: SECAF Approved Early Separation Program " "Your request has been disapproved based on not being specific which Force Management program you are requesting as required by guidance for each Force Management program "application" section. Please review the MyPERS website for available programs and requirements for applications. If you have further questions you may contact the Total Force Service Center via DSN 665-0102." Grade: Title: ***, ********, T. SSgt Separations Processing technician My justification: Justification: I’m requesting a waiver to the remaining 4 months of my PCS ADSC and remaining 20 months on my UPT and Advanced Flight Training ADSCs because I’ve realized in the past year I do not desire a long term career as a military officer or as a pilot. The required time away from home is a burden I do not wish to continue to bear nor share with my future family. I greatly appreciate my time in the AF, but I’m ready for another direction. I’m studying for the GMAT and I will apply to business schools during this application process to begin attendance in the fall of 2015. Many senior leaders have said there is a glut of 11M officers in the Air Force, so I’m a willing volunteer to leave the service and relieve the excess. I’ve saved a significant sum to support me while I pursue higher education and a new job and I’m ready for a career outside military service where my experience will be considered unique.

So just to clarify... has anyone who arrived at work during normal hours been able to apply for VSP? I've hit refresh a few dozen times and I'm still getting a PPA error.

MGen: "my typical practice is to have my aide call me 45 minutes prior...I wasn't allowed to take my aide... so I was out of my normal routine." Some justification for showing up 45 minutes late. Boo hoo.

Rumor mill fact check: If you apply for VSP and are subsequently denied, does your DOS on your SURF change from infinity to your ADSC end date? More importantly, does this make you a ripe AFPC target for a 365 if you have > 1 year left on your ADSC? Examples, anyone?

I'll believe it when it actually happens.

Thanks, Hoss for providing context to the negativity train. I don't have much for the calloused members with their opinions cemented, but I do have some advice for all the Lts and young Capts on this board. I've heard a lot of career advice like "your boss's priorities should be your priorities" and "think like your boss's boss" but I never saw the light with those words. Maybe that $h1t works on staff somewhere or as a general's aide, but my pea brain could never seem to guess those answers. What resonated with me was the idea that I should work for my peers and those below me. I could figure out what my bro needed or what was confusing the young Lt much easier than I could figure out my boss's next request, and I feel like I expended a lot of energy over the years for my peers. Saying yes to the panicked scheduler, editing anything people asked me to edit, agreeing to help out the over-tasked (fill in the blank) POC of whatever, etc. People appreciate honest help and what goes around comes around. One of my favorite quotes is Edison's "opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." As a Lt or young Capt, you have practically zero control over the opinions of your senior rater and marginal ability to attract the attention of your Gp/CC. If you attempt to directly influence your Sq/CC, you're kissing ass. If you take care of your job, the person who's got to do your job next and your peers as much as you can, at least you'll sleep better at night whether or not you get top-down recognition. I ended up with a school slot off this last Major's board, so this approach worked in my case. Good luck foraging your own path and don't be afraid of the roads less traveled. Edited for grammar.