14 Lessons for Transitioning

I have found small "think tanks" for vets seems to work, as long as they are small and not a part of some VA program or other official sanctioned deal. I have also found there is a huge deference between the Ops world and the regular line service world, there are things the others just don't get. Worse ( for me) is my MOS blows every one out of the water, and I believe it diminishes their benefit, plus I don't think the others get a fair exchange against that. I learned to keep quiet and to go last, or to find out the make up of guys, and decide if I would even fit or not! Lately, I have found more of a leadership roll, I can use my experience to help show that no matter how hard things seemed then, there are those of us who carried much more, and still do. In a way William said it, he left something behind, I didn't, I brought all of it with me, and I am forever stuck with It!

 

So many great reminders for everyone! #5 so true and they do so much more.... All are so true!!!

“Self-worth is so vital to your happiness if you don’t feel good about you, it’s hard to feel good about anything else.” Sandy Hale
“Always be prepared, always be yourself, and always be honest. That is a good recipe for self-respect, self-love, and self-worth.” Anonymous
Namaste

 

The website looks interesting! I have marked it to have a good look later. Thanks!

@Ura-Ki Well, if I remember correctly you were a PJ, which, in itself, says you have a rather large dose of insanity. Actually, an extremely large dose! A real live walking, talking nutcase that made their living jumping in and out of hell. Whew! Talk about a 100% Whacko! And, in the immortal words of Bill Murray (Stripes!), "I want to party with you, Cowboy!"

"In a way William said it, he left something behind, I didn't, I brought all of it with me, and I am forever stuck with It!"
Yeah, I get it. I don't know William, but I get it... Okay, enough of this morose crap. I wouldn't have had it any other way and I treasure every memory. The good and the bad. And, if the civvies think I am strange, different - well - they are right. I am. And, for a damn good reason.

 

I'm sure they would make a case study of me if they could drag me kicking and screaming! Lol
Actually I think I do pretty good all in all, I have put most of the crazy behind me, Mostly, but I still miss that rush, that danger that went along with every thing else. I also managed to close the lid on Pandoras box, mostly, but I have to sit on top of it to hold it closed!

Yea, Bill Murray said it, to party would be Awesome!

 

To ALL those who have served, please accept a HUGE thank you from a civilian, and supporter of our military personnel.

 

#13 jumped out at me. Seriously guys, being in the military does not make you an expert on everything.

I see a a lot of this on cable news channels...some dude did a tour in Afghanistan ten years ago and that presumably gives them credibility to be on TV and talk about what's going on over there now.

On a smaller scale, it comes up on survival websites so often that it's a tiresome cliché. I wish I had a dollar every time someone used their long past service as a prerequisite to proclaim authority on a topic that has no relevance at all to whatever they did in the military. I know a guy who built a whole website around this concept, and it gets a bit silly. I wasn't aware that the Army taught you how to gut deer and run a farm.

 

#10 @!$* WTFudge thats funny never had that issue, well maybe I just have Coprolalia

Tevin first you learn how to ranch then field dress a deer, well actually I started killing little birdies then squirrels rabbits and--well then I joined the military. Already knew how to cuss, drink and fight

 

I just work on planes (one weekend a month or sometimes on deployments). Without maintainers pilots are just pedestrians will cool sunglasses and jackets.

 

I have never served in the military and i dont have PTSD but I have felt this way all my life, I dont really like people. Most people think I'm an extrovert because i do alot of socializing for work and I talk to people all day long. The truth is, I have a purpose, a purpose gives me focus and can get me thru the tough bits when other people are rude, lazy, argumentative or just a pain in the butt.

I have a friend who retired from secret service and said the hardest thing was finding a focus or as he said, a mission. When your single focus is keeping the Pres alive everything else falls to the wayside. He told me it took him over a year to find a mission worth focusing on.

So I'm wondering if being in the military is like that, you have a mission and people who are all focused on the mission. When you get out finding a mission or purpose is perhaps difficult? And the people around you are not really focused on anything but their wants and needs.

It takes a unique person to find your own mission and get focused.

 

My day to day in the service was as nasty a business as you could find, when I retired, it took me some time to find my way, my purpose. I found my local Church had exactly what I needed in building and installing the new pipe organ ( something I have enjoyed playing my entire life) and they sort of let me go with it. It's an ongoing project as its never really done, so that gave me a mission as far removed from the life I had known in the service! I also have my own installation which is also never ending, but gives me a place to go and a singular focus, keeping me outa my head! Then I got back into flying, and have two planes I'm always working on, one in the shop getting re built, the other is flying and a blast to take out and blast around in! Some times I drive my wife Bonkers, but she knows I need these things! Every once in a while, every thing comes crashing in on me and I learned long ago to get away on foot, take a nice long hike, just me and my Rifle and go face off with my demons, after which I'm good to go! The problem with Combat vets, there are endless things that trigger thoughts and memories, there is no cure or treatment, each one of us has to come up with our own rythem and outlet, and we need to be pretty much left alown!

 

#15. Keep in mind that everyone is ignorant... just on different subjects.