Posted on Oct 1, 2015
How long did it take you to fully make the transition into civilian life, after you were discharged?
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Transition
Civilians
Transition Civilians
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 29
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I took a personality test in college and they told me it was going to take me a long time to get started. They were right.
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SPC Margaret Higgins
Hi, SPC (Servicemember) V,
Do you think that that was a self-fulfilling prophesy? I am so sorry that it has taken you a long time to Transition. But you don't have to "listen to" what your personality test results "said". You do not have to take what the results of the personality test "say/said" to you: Hook, Line, and Sinker.
I am assuming that that test did not take into account, your intelligence level, etc.
Do you think that that was a self-fulfilling prophesy? I am so sorry that it has taken you a long time to Transition. But you don't have to "listen to" what your personality test results "said". You do not have to take what the results of the personality test "say/said" to you: Hook, Line, and Sinker.
I am assuming that that test did not take into account, your intelligence level, etc.
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SPC (Join to see)
The necktie jobs have always been my bane. Also being insulted one time is enough to write off all of the employers publicly traded on the stock market.
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SPC Margaret Higgins
Man, what right did that person think he had; to insult you.
Try not to judge all of the employers publicly traded on the stock market; by what this one individual did to you.
I know that it is hard; and I would be very angry as well. Try to forgive him; because this isn't harming him-it's harming you.
Good Luck to you.
Prayers, Margaret
Try not to judge all of the employers publicly traded on the stock market; by what this one individual did to you.
I know that it is hard; and I would be very angry as well. Try to forgive him; because this isn't harming him-it's harming you.
Good Luck to you.
Prayers, Margaret
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I would like to re-energize the question - from a new standpoint rather than starting a new discussion.
I have been retired less than 120 days. I regret every second of the decision to leave the Army. I know that it will take time, but I found already myself looking on the internet for ways to rescind my retirement and go back in. I know I will never be a civilian again, I just can't seem to fit in. I will attempt to find a classification that I can fit into, lately it is veteran, but that doesn't seem to ease the pain. I know that after 20+ years in the service, you can never go back, but how long has it taken other to stop hating the decision and the ramifications surrounding it?
I have been retired less than 120 days. I regret every second of the decision to leave the Army. I know that it will take time, but I found already myself looking on the internet for ways to rescind my retirement and go back in. I know I will never be a civilian again, I just can't seem to fit in. I will attempt to find a classification that I can fit into, lately it is veteran, but that doesn't seem to ease the pain. I know that after 20+ years in the service, you can never go back, but how long has it taken other to stop hating the decision and the ramifications surrounding it?
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SPC Margaret Higgins
CW3 Eric W. S.. Twenty years is a long time; to reside in a "home". (the Army). I so wish that I could ease your pain. I really don't want you to "hate" your decision. That is like hating a part of yourself; to me.
How could you have known that you would regret your decision to leave the Army; beforehand?
My suggestion is that you pay a visit to your local Army recruiter; and ask him about your options. Have you done that already?
I really don't want you to try to deal with your situation, all by yourself. That will only serve to exacerbate your pain. Let others in on your dilemma. Please let them help you.
Could you join some kind of club; that is exclusively Army. There are a lot of them online....even dating sites. ;)
Chief Warrant Officer Three Eric W. Schaub, You decidedly have your looks, and your leadership experience, going for you.
How could you have known that you would regret your decision to leave the Army; beforehand?
My suggestion is that you pay a visit to your local Army recruiter; and ask him about your options. Have you done that already?
I really don't want you to try to deal with your situation, all by yourself. That will only serve to exacerbate your pain. Let others in on your dilemma. Please let them help you.
Could you join some kind of club; that is exclusively Army. There are a lot of them online....even dating sites. ;)
Chief Warrant Officer Three Eric W. Schaub, You decidedly have your looks, and your leadership experience, going for you.
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CW3 Eric W. S.
SPC Margaret Higgins - Already have, also called the other 3 services... No options once I retired; officially, "Game Over".
I have a full time job, working in the same building I retired from, but it is not the same. It feels good to be around others with a like mind-set, but...
I have a full time job, working in the same building I retired from, but it is not the same. It feels good to be around others with a like mind-set, but...
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Exactly 1 day. I took off my uniform, stuffed it in my duffel bag, went to a pawn shop and sold the whole shebang. We were at Ft. Bliss and had a van full of men that needed rides to their home. The last stop was in the panhandle then we turned home for Kentucky, It was an awesome experience and it got me the job I wanted (Electronics manufacturing). I made some awesome friends.
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Suspended Profile
Looking way back, I transitioned pretty quickly to a full-time job but I was also finishing my bachelors degree part time at night. Things hummed along rather nicely, especially as I was also in the reserves. That reserve time, in retrospect, facilitated my transition to being a civilian again. Once a month I was with what had been my LIFE but I would return to what was becoming my new life. All that aside, I'd say it took me almost six years to fully transition.
SPC Margaret Higgins
PO2 Charles Bonilla, I am really sorry that it took you so long to transition.
I am so glad that being in the reserves, made it easier to transition.
I am very, very proud of you; Sir. You persevered.
Here's to continued Success; Sir.
I am so glad that being in the reserves, made it easier to transition.
I am very, very proud of you; Sir. You persevered.
Here's to continued Success; Sir.
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Physically the time it took me to change into civilian clothes once I arrived back home, about a minute. Mentally about a week. That's one huge benefit of the back in the days, 2 years Draft. Some were not that lucky due to tours in Nam but not all of them. Almost all others I knew and met after did as well or better.
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Honestly, about 10 minutes. The time it took for me to walk from CBPO to my truck after my final out processing briefing. Up until that point I had been somewhat considering a transfer to the Reserves, so that I'd have something if my great new civilian gig didn't work out. I can remember being on the sidewalk almost to my truck, and I thought to myself: "You know what? No, it ain't happening. I'm a civilian now, It's time to put my full focus on the future." I've never really looked back and regretted any of it. That said, I had spent a lot of time preparing for it, so maybe that was all part of my transition as well.
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Hi again, SPC Higgins.
I've been out since 2002. I still haven't transitioned. I refuse to do so.
I've been out since 2002. I still haven't transitioned. I refuse to do so.
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SPC Margaret Higgins
Hi! LOL, SSgt (Join to see). Well, you must have made a fantastic Staff Sergeant. KUDOS, Staff Sergeant.
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I retired almost a year ago and I still have problems dealing with "civilians."
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SPC Margaret Higgins
SSG Michael Hartsfield, You were stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. I don't know if you saw combat in those countries, but my feeling is that you did(?).
Because you were stationed in those countries, I would say that it is very normal that you "have problems dealing with "civilians"."
Civilians, you feel, just don't "understand"; I imagine.
And civilians don't get things done as efficiently and fast as you would like them to(?)
Staff Sergeant, I am doing a lot of guesswork here.
Please advise me of specifics, if you have time.
Thanks kindly.
-Margaret
Because you were stationed in those countries, I would say that it is very normal that you "have problems dealing with "civilians"."
Civilians, you feel, just don't "understand"; I imagine.
And civilians don't get things done as efficiently and fast as you would like them to(?)
Staff Sergeant, I am doing a lot of guesswork here.
Please advise me of specifics, if you have time.
Thanks kindly.
-Margaret
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I have been retired for 26 years.....there is still a whole bunch of chief petty officer left in me.
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SPC Margaret Higgins
Understandable, CPO Emmett (Bud) Carpenter. I imagine that you were a GREAT Chief Petty Officer!
Thanks for weighing in!
Thanks for weighing in!
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