Did your transition program prepare you adequately?

COL Matt Finley — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 17:06:08 -0500

Did your Service's transition adequately prepare you for civilian life whether education, vocational training or employment? If not, what was missing? What would you do differently?

Response by SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA made Jan 26 at 2015 5:49 PM

SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 17:49:42 -0500

You must be referring to the 5 minute discussion with the career counselor who suggested I join the Reserves and then left for lunch, 2 days before ETS. After deep thought, I will need to say "no", zero preparation...but then again, the harder something is, the more rewarding accomplishment is, I never expected anything from the Army on the way out anyway so it was fine with me.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 26 at 2015 10:46 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 22:46:33 -0500

The first time I ETS'd in 1999 COL Matt Finley it did not.

It seemed as though going through the motions.

Now, I am not sure when I will retire at the moment but it I will be going through the new Soldier for Life Program and have to see how much better it is.

Response by MSgt Michael Durkee made Jan 27 at 2015 7:45 AM

MSgt Michael Durkee — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 07:45:05 -0500

Unfortunately for me, I was in a situation that left me inadequately prepared for retirement. The year before my retirement date should have been a time of readying myself and solidifying my plans and making a playbook. That year was spent preparing for deployment at Fort Polk, LA then subsequently boots on the ground in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Once I returned I inherited a duty section that needed a lot of attention, rather than taking the time for myself and the future - I earnestly applied myself to the section and the junior enlisted that I was charged with molding into productive members of the unit and Air Force.
I waived the opportunity to attend Transition Assistance and upon retirement I regretted it, but thankfully everything has worked out for the best and I'm back on track.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jan 27 at 2015 8:59 AM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 08:59:52 -0500

Wow... That's a loaded question COL Finley.

If only because I don't think anything could have prepared me for the transition back to civilian life.

I was just such a different person from when I joined. I had grown so much. I had also grown used to dealing with a certain type of people.

In the military, and specifically the Marines, the sense of individual 'Accountability' is so high, it's just not comparable to the outside world. If given a task, it was my task. I took ownership of it, and if I needed help, I needed to ask for it. In general, people weren't going to micro-manage me. It was assumed that, any direction given was going to get done.

On the civilian side, the 'work ethic' isn't the same. It's not required to be. Most jobs don't have huge safety standards. If something is late, timelines can be adjusted. Things are 'no big deal.'

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Jan 27 at 2015 9:14 AM

SGT Bryon Sergent — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 09:14:17 -0500

Well being in the National Guard it's a little different. I have sat through the mind numbing power points that are supposed to be the military's cover all for the transitioning soldiers from active duty back to the civilian life. Well they are usually people that have great knowledge in the subject they are giving. You sit through a process that is keeping you from going home. You have been deployed for X amount of time away from your; wife, kids, girlfriend, ect., ect. I think that it should be done once you are back. Get away from the MOB site. We don't want to be there. Its usually a bunch of stuff that our spouses need to know also. Then you have the yellow ribbon events. They are usually put together very shabby. I have deployed 3 times. My first one we didn't have yellow ribbon. Second was in another state and was pretty good. This last one not so much. I think that the people that put these thing together and mandate these need to sneak in and not tell people they are coming and just SIT through one of these things.
Don't get me wrong the info is great. The vendors are there for us, but the info is to much shoved into to small a time frame. Besides that they are usually state run and the thing gets all mucked up anyway. Should be a check in station, the vendors are there for a couple of days and works with the individual soldier and family for there needs. Not the need of the group. Because if I need to talk to the Counselor I don't want my chain of command to see it and think that I crazy. Might just be a couple of marriage issues, or financial problem.