| 9/26/2014 1:05:51 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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confidentone
New Paltz, NY
42, joined Sep. 2008
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My father was a veteran, thank you all for what you do.
How difficult is it when you return and are no longer active duty? Do your skills in the military translate well for employment or business? Does the military help you transition to civilian jobs or forming a private enterprise? I'd like to know.
ConfidentOne
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| 9/26/2014 5:44:27 PM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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factualdan
Sand Springs, OK
57, joined Sep. 2014
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Depends on who you are. I was a Ballistics Meteorologist in the Army for 8 years, and wound up owning a successful pest control company. I guess the point being is that whether I applied the specialized education I'd received to civilian life or not, my military service taught me to quit bending over to the whims of someone else and to think for myself.
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| 9/27/2014 8:28:51 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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When I left the military I completely put it behind me. I took a job in a cooperage and then a distillery (later as a game warden). I wanted no more involvement in the field I had served in while I was in the Army (medic).I think its different for everybody. One of my best friends was a MP. After Vietnam he became a cop .He got reprimanded several times for crossing the line and was about to be fired .He divorced twice. He finally put a pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger- he just never got over it.
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| 9/27/2014 9:52:08 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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gdaddy47
Columbia, TN
70, joined Sep. 2009
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Richard,,you didn't completely put your military experience behind you in the least. It's right out there on the surface and always will be.
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| 9/27/2014 11:32:34 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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You are correct gdaddy. It will always be a big part of my life, my point was I wanted to make a change and did. I didn't want to see broken bodies and wounds anymore. Thats what I turned away from. but not my brothers.
Im about 67 .I still see things, smell things and hear noises that remind me of back then. But I don't have to let it take me over. It used to.
I don't like going to hospitals .I hate funerals and Ive been to a lot and you have also . Ive seen enough to know how it ends when the politicians get their way and somebody else has to carry out those orders......
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| 9/27/2014 11:54:57 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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gdaddy47
Columbia, TN
70, joined Sep. 2009
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Gotcha 100%
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| 9/28/2014 8:02:04 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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largotha
Lancaster, PA
34, joined Dec. 2008
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The transition was extremely easy due in part to the partnership that the VA and US military have in terms of pre and post separation programs. They enacted federal laws that require every service member attend mandatory classes to be formally educated on all entitlements, service, and benefits that they are applicable to before they are allowed to separate from military service. After you separate you are giving lengths of time when you can utilize these same services in whatever area you are living in the world. These services are an amazing source of information and support in adjusting. In terms of resocialization, that depends entirely on the individual. Some it takes longer than others much like the same process that one goes through when entering military service. One shouldn't fear though since you can request counseling or other medical needs if the burden seems too much. For myself I have begun to utilize the Post 9-11 GI Bill and currently attending college with the potential for a prosperous future ahead. Military skills in general can be very useful. During active duty service I took advantage of many programs to further my education while still actively engaging my primary MOS of 88H Cargo Specialist. Besides cargo movement and handling I gained clerical skills using Microsoft office, load planning planes, CFR 49 applicable laws, lean six sigma green belt, and many others in various fields which transfer amazingly well into the civilian sector. These programs are all free and any Non Commissioned or Commissioned Officer should lead you to these resources upon request. In terms of starting your own business, there is a program for such a thing and that's the VA Home Loan and last I checked it can be used to start a business. All these programs for the most part are time sensitive which varies between them and anyone interested should contact a local VA Rep to get further educated on these programs.
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| 9/28/2014 9:29:19 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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jrbogie1949
Ventura, CA
68, joined Mar. 2009
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transition? not a problem. had a beard and hair over my ears in three months flat.
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| 9/29/2014 5:06:28 PM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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deeppacific
Trenton, MI
47, joined Jun. 2014
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not at all we are all used to taking order's and employer's appreciate our service
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| 10/3/2014 3:53:29 PM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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1irving
Ruskin, FL
57, joined Mar. 2013
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It may be easier for a jet mechanic than an 11B2V.
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| 10/3/2014 5:22:51 PM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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thronedbeaner
San Antonio, TX
28, joined Sep. 2014
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It's hard for me I'm still Woking on it after two years
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| 10/4/2014 4:47:18 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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abninf
Euless, TX
50, joined Oct. 2010
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I've been retired for four years and I feel like I'm still in, just taking a long leave. It's hard to transition and be around only civilians every day, especially working with them. You see how much of a bubble they live in and they tend to be much lazier. They're also much more sickly, always crying about every sniffle and ache and trying to get out of work. Some guy will be 100 pounds overweight and wonder why his back and knees hurt.
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| 10/4/2014 9:12:55 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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whiskeyrichard1
Burlington, KY
70, joined Sep. 2013
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To a degree I gotta go along with abninf. I went to work first in a cooperage making whiskey barrels. Guys would slow walk through the day and b*tch about everything and the work wasn't that hard.Once I worked my way into the distillery it was a lot different though. Most of the employees had been there for years , some were second generation and a lot were vets from Korea and even WWII.They had a pride in the job and the product and weren't a bunch of whiners!
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| 10/12/2014 8:12:47 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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1irving
Ruskin, FL
57, joined Mar. 2013
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It's about decompression. Last century, soldiers took ships home filled with their brothers. Many issues were settled along the decks and in the mess. Soldiers today are removed from the battle field and plunked in their home towns 24-48 hrs later. No discussion, no decompression.
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| 10/12/2014 10:02:12 AM |
Is it difficult to transition to civilians? |
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joe_grappler
Larimore, ND
45, joined Apr. 2011
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I'm not making any claims that this is how it is for everyone, but here's my experience.
I was pretty gung ho, loved deploying, thought mandatory fun was cool, etc. Then two years ago I got force shaped. I literally got a call at 0100 while I was deployed to the middle east by my base commander essentially saying "Sorry, but those benefits, yeah, we're not paying that." At least he was honest.
It felt like the end of the world. Suddenly, my job, my daily routine, and all my friends are gone. I don't know if my Air Force friends felt awkward around me, or what, but it was like I no longer existed. I also had trouble finding a job. It turns out that my experience in ballistic missile hunting and spy plane flight planning isn't really sought after in the civilian world. I was depressed, pissed off, and drinking with a vengeance because I felt totally lost. I really was trying hard to find a job, but after almost a year, out of desperation I took on a temporary job for a seafood company in a remote Alaskan fishing village. If you don't know anything about that industry, it's not glamourous. There was a down and out former Marine working there that was like, "You used to be an officer and now your here?!"
Fortunately, I got hired by a defense contractor that is interested in my rather exotic work history. So now I'm back working on an Air Force base with a decent job and good pay. I'm pretty happy with my current situation, but I'll be honest. I'm still angry about what happened and if I could find a decent job that had nothing to do with the military, I'd take it in a heart beat.
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