Military pensions aren't super high, unless you're very high up. I picked 03 on the calculator (Army Captain, mid-level officer) and got < 40k before taxes. High enlisted ranks are looking at < 30k. The benefits are good though.
An extra 25k/year after taxes does give you a bunch of flexibility, but it's not really 'do nothing' retirement unless you live somewhere cheap, especially if there's a family to support.
http://militarypay.defense.gov/Calculators/Active-Duty-Retir...
An extra 25k/year after taxes does give you a bunch of flexibility, but it's not really 'do nothing' retirement unless you live somewhere cheap, especially if there's a family to support.