Does any other combat vet find it hard working in the civilian world?

Add to the fact that some of us are seniors and they do not say it, but they DO think it. SFC Andrew Dowell

Just takes time to readjust your perspective. It is wicked different, but you carry a bag of resilience and ability to adapt.

It's not just combat. I was an Army brat, Navy E, and Air Force O who spent most of my career overseas or at sea. I came to the US twenty years ago. I find it impossible to fit into a working population that isn't dedicated, motivated, qualified, and credentialed.

After 4 years of active duty, I affiliated with the reserves. I have always found working with civilians difficult. They rarely have the same type of work ethic as the military and they often think following work rules is an option. Unions are something I've learned to hate. It seems like their main purpose is to protect members who are being legitimately disciplined. I didn't join the union but union dues were deducted from my pay because the union had won a "fair share" clause that claimed that all employees benefited from the unions pay contract. The union also grieved management on my behalf twice when I was given an assignment that I had no problem doing but they claimed should have been done by someone called in for overtime!
As a state employee, I was lucky to receive 22 days of paid military leave a year. I went on two Title 10 deployments to combat zones but I was in rear areas and didn't see combat. When I returned to my job as a Lieutenant with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections my prison held a pot luck party for me my first day back to work. In 2005, the Director of the Department also held a reception in the state Capital for all the Departments Reservists that had deployed for OEF and OIF and we were presented with engraved Ohio state flag boxes that inmates had made. After receiving so much support, you can imagine my surprise when I was called to my Warden's office where he told me he would like to promote me to Captain but only if I could decide who I wanted to work for. He said he needed his supervisors present and I already had enough time to retire. I told him that the military experience I brought to the table benefited the prison. I also told him having reservists available to meet military contingencies was cost effective and saved everyone from paying more taxes. Then he told me he understood that completely because he was a volunteer member of the ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves). And there I was with no witness. I was flabbergasted to say the least.

My answer is "at first". I slowly got acclimated to the "take your time" attitude. It is also hard to get used to NOT being in charge.

However, I have found it can be just as difficult working with other vets who are not submariners. I left the nuke world to get back to my first love ... computers. So I'm typically working with people who have no clue about the life of submariners much less the nukes. And then of course I just spent a week with a bunch of sailors who have never been to sea at all. This included a couple of chiefs. One was talking about getting out because the Navy was so hard. WHAT????? I had to call her on that one. "You have never been to sea and probably will NEVER go to sea and yet you say the Navy is hard????? Dang. If I had that in front of me I would have stayed in until they carried me out."

After time you get used to the way the people who have never been in uniform act. They really don't get the sacrifice that service members who have been deployed in any branch have made. I've even had a civ tell me I should be ashamed of my service. Flash back to Viet Nam era.

Hang in there.

No, I was able to find and keep a job that I enjoy and provides lots of ability to progress and learn.

I do find it difficult to work in the civilian world, I once did retail and there were so many times I wanted to change or adapt something for the better of production, store morale, etc. but I was blocked by high management due to me trying to bring my co-workers spirits up on a slow or hard day at work.

I notice I have to slow my work down because I don't socialize enough and tend to get called anti social...I'm sorry I'm here to work.

Generally speaking, I simply "don't play well" with civilians. What I hate more than anything is what they frequesntly say - "I wanted to join, BUT ...." or, "I was going to join, BUT!"
Aside from that, it's the near constant back-biting among them. When I first became head of security, severl security personnel would come to me, or stop me somewhere in the (steel) mill to tattle on their peers. Typically, I would respond with, "Write me a statement, and SIGN YOUR NAME." I'd get a shocked look with a comment like, "Oh, I don't want him to know I told you anything," to which I'd reply, "IT's YOUR JOB!" Most of it was petty BS, and only once was it to turn-in a peer for some serious pilferage, and that person only did it to save his own hide, but he too was canned within a week (borrowing money from other, non-security employees).

Yes I work at a long/short hedge fund and I have been retired for a good amount of time now but I will say some of the crap I put up with from coworkers if this was 15 years ago I would beat the &$&$!!!! out of them. I deal with “intellectuals” who have attitudes especially for anyone who did not go the conventional route: Phillips Academy, Princeton, investment Bank 2 yrs, then a stint at Harvard Business School.

I’ve had multiple run ins with coworkers warning them they sound like jagoffs or are burning relationships and are short sighted.

I very rarely ever meet other OIF & OEF vets if I do it’s a little walk down memory lane even for a few minutes. I do try and set a good example for civilians to show that veterans especially on the enlisted side are highly quantitative.