I am not sure what to do now - part II

Chief George and I were on the phone to the pentagon as I was relying a message via a 1st Lt to the general.  As we finished the chief sat back and said to me, "I must say that a year ago I would have had to say you were nuts going for a college degree and not fully focused on making chief.  But as I look at my future I must admit I am not sure what I will do when I retire.  I  talk to other chiefs that retired and some are selling insurance.  I don't want to sell insurance. But what marketable skill do I have?"
At my first duty station I was over at a supervisor's house for a bbq.  He was talking about taking classes at Gulf Coast Community College and working on an associates degree.  He told me I needed to think about my career as there was no job on the outside for a munitions troop.  Right, that is why I joined the AF so I would not have to worry about school.  But I decided to check it out since I could get a pilot's license for about $500 and the AF would pay for it.  That is until there was this four letter word, "math" that messed with my mind.  So I passed on it.
It was at Patrick and a TDY to NCO Leadership school that I learned all the courses I attended for the AF had college credit attached and one instructor encouraged me to continue.  So I was working on some college classes.  But several of my colleagues and supervisors had a problem with that. Jack would say, "focus on your AF career and forget school.  Make chief.  That is the goal."  Ok Jack, that sounds good but... He was totally AF all the way and I get that.  But it was not until I talked to a couple of civilians that worked for Pan Am out at the Cape that gave me some reasons why I should go forward with the AF and my degree.  Looking back, they were right.
I tried to get involved in a push for Chief program that was basically contributing a case of beer, drink and discuss every conceivable testable item for the career field.  That lasted about 3 weeks.  Nope, could not do that and go to college and be married.  But a couple of guys stuck through and, well, I have to laugh.  It is one thing to be book knowledge but to actually perform the task.   Anyway, another story.
Peace time military, especially in the field of munitions was murder.  I was called into the Senior's office and asked if I wanted to be in charge of a paint crew repainting every building on base, be a dorm chief, or work in the safety office doing explosive and nuclear safety stuff.  "Ahhh, let me think..."  Safety it was.

The first year after I retired I filed 9 W-2s.  Yeah, I was trying to get a feel what I wanted to do.