Spend your last 12 months doing your best to ensure that you make the best possible preparation for the rest of your life. When you go, GO. Don’t look back but put all your efforts into your new career whatever that may be. Although I maintained contact with friends in the service I deliberately avoided reunions, squadron associations and the like and concentrated on my new life. After 5 years I felt sufficiently removed from the service to decide what connections I would wish to make and very selectively established them.
Enjoy life,
YS