Leaving agency to AD for a bit?

Hey all, looking for some advice. I sustained an injury this season and won’t be recovered enough to return to the crew next year (surgery with long ass recovery). I’m an 18/8 squaddie with the FS. I’ve been looking at apps for secondary roles like fuels and prevention, but everything has gone PFT. That schedule doesn’t work for my family, in the winter I’m the primary caregiver for my daughter, I catch up on house maintenance, honey-do list projects etc. I don’t think I could continue to do fire and go on assignments all season without taking on that load in the off-season, it would be ridiculously unfair to my family. I have a couple non-arduous quals and am considering ADing for a season or two while I heal up. Anyone here left the agency for a temporary stint? How did it go? I can get health insurance through my wife’s work, but I’m concerned about missing out on TSP contributions and time towards retirement. Any advice/experiences appreciated ✌️

Posted Sep 1, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC

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