Posted on May 15, 2019
Anyone who retired at 20+ years active duty, how did you handle the real world?
20.3K
27
20
8
8
0
I'm at 20 years with a few more to go in me. What I fear is the transition from being institutionalized for the past 20 years. I think I'll have some difficulty because everything I did was Army. I wouldn't know how to handle the general population on a daily basis who are outside of the military circle. Like working in an office and there's a worker who's always lazy. I can't just tell them to "get off your f****ng a$$ and start doing your job" because they could cry and complain to the boss that I was "mean" and I'll get fired, then I have to look for another job.
Posted in these groups: 
Retirement
Retirement
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 14
5
5
0
SFC (Join to see) SFC Cruz, shoot me your e-mail and I will link you up with a retired SGM in our office. He has some great insight on the transition process.
(5)
(0)
5
5
0
I think you are looking at the worse case scenario. Plan now on where you will live and network that location. I equate the job process to getting into a fraternity. It’s all about good hair and smiles. A resume is nice but referrals are gold. And don’t worry about lazy F’s being in private business. They are all in government positions and academia deciding on their gender and pronouns.
(5)
(0)
CPL Sheila Lewis
Army Veteran/ Student/ working towards my Teaching Degree and not worried about gender or pronouns.
(1)
(0)
LTC (Join to see)
How many non essential employees work at Amazon, Starbucks, Target? Government work is inefficient period. DOD just had an audit. It was a first. My point was lost on you. MSgt Michael Smith
(0)
(0)
MSgt Michael Smith
LTC (Join to see) - Don't even start with your non-essential BS. #1 Non-essential never was a thing, it was non-excepted, and by that measure, 3/4 of the Pentagon could be furloughed, so just stop. Bureaucracy exists for a reason. It's so the USA can keep working when our political leadership fails to do so. You'd be the first in line at the complaints counter if you couldn't renew your passport, or your GI Bill money got delayed, or maybe no one paid the contract for the guards at the local military base. I guarantee you all those people are non-essential. Bureaucracy means inertia, and a REALLY BIG part of Federal work is making sure that we are accountable to the taxpayer. That means lots and lots of rules and forms to ensure we don't waste taxpayer money. When stupid political leaders try to fast track things in the name of efficiency you end up with $150 toilet seats, a 100 million dollars in cash put on a pallet and sent to Baghdad, children separated from their families and lost on the border, uparmored HMVEE modifications that cost 3x what an MRAP does, and Boeing lend/lease contracts that cost BILLIONS with zero oversight. ALL THOSE THINGS HAPPENED. They all happened because of people like you, who thought that the right way to do things was inefficient and slow, so they cut corners and ended up ripping off taxpayers.
(0)
(0)
SSG George Holtje
I was in a frat before I joined the Army and it was all dreadlocks and chugging beer
(0)
(0)
2
2
0
Find a job and leave the army behind. My true battle buddies do not wear pins and been there hats and shirts. I am a veteran only one day a year. You got to put it behind you or the civilian world will eat you up. I put my 20 in had to start all over again. You will do fine.....
(2)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google