'I've seen a lot of friends here today. People that I didn't know got RIFed. For most people, it was a shock,' said Stark, who works on personal computers at the lab.

Those of us who know we are worth more than what we are being given credit for are shedding the military security blanket and heading for the civilian job market. Because of our exodus, a lot of pilots who could, and should, be RIFed will be able to hang on for '20' (or however long it will take them to retire).