How You Can Best Enable a Successful Transition From the Military

2019-08-06T13:54:13-04:00

It’s a fact of life: At some point, everyone will transition out of the military. The challenge you will face upon doing so has rarely been greater. The civil-military gap that you will encounter is larger than it has ever been in our lifetimes and will continue to grow in the coming decades. Let’s put it this way: There is a 95%+ chance that the hiring manager you encounter upon leaving the service has no idea who you are as a veteran, what you’ve done, or what you can do. And the support provided from DoD, DoL, and the VA – while it has improved – continues to leave veterans largely fending for themselves upon leaving the service.

Something must be done.

My 25 years in a uniform and 20+ years (and counting) in the corporate world have led me to believe that in order to holistically address this conundrum, we must approach it from three separate angles. These angles parallel the three major stakeholder groups involved in transition – veterans and their families, their prospective employers, and the government that created them in the first place.

Veterans and Their Families
I’ve written a practical guide for this group called Mission Transition: Navigating the Opportunities and Obstacles to Your Post-Military Career. ( https://rly.pt/MissionTransition ) Its focus is to thoroughly address this primary question: How can transitioning veterans realize their full potential by avoiding false starts and suboptimal career choices following active duty?

Your Prospective Employers
I have a second book in draft aimed at this stakeholder group, who stand to benefit handsomely if they can properly utilize the incredible talents that all of you bring them. It aims to resolve this primary question: How can employers better prepare for and utilize transitioning veteran talent to improve the productivity and competitiveness of their organizations?

Government Support
Short of actually changing the government, there is something incredibly productive that we can all do to help them bridge the gap between the military and the communities into which you will transition following your service: We can support Veteran Collaboratives. Veteran Collaboratives are private, non-profit organizations that exist to bring veterans, agencies, organizations, and community members together on a local basis in an atmosphere of mutual support to systemically solve issues that each could not address alone. They enable a ‘warm handoff’ from the military to local communities all across the country. When you in-processed in the military, you likely did so through a military one-stop processing center that took care of all your needs: ID cards, benefits, housing, finance, transportation, travel, claims, etc. They did it all. You should think of these veteran collaboratives as your one-stop in-processing center for your new community. They should be some of the first resources you seek out. They can be incredibly helpful. Here is an article ( https://rly.pt/2GLxDlt ) I wrote on this topic; and here is a list of leading veteran collaboratives. ( https://rly.pt/2OHydXO )

Calls to Action
• Support Veteran Collaboratives in your area.
• Write or call your US Senators and US Representatives to support currently pending bills in Congress that will enable public private partnership matching funds for Veteran Collaboratives. Specifically, see Senate Bill 785 and Senate Bill 1906.
• Purchase Mission Transition and share it with any veteran or veteran group that could benefit from it. Alternately, please request that your local public library purchase a few copies for lending to card holders.
• In concert with the book, review my website ( https://matthewjlouis.com/ ) which houses a treasure-trove of free resources to support your transition

My aim and fervent hope are that this approach effectively enables successful employment outcomes for our nation’s finest. The future productivity of your employers and a grateful nation depend on it. The future happiness and financial independence of your families depend on it. Let us begin . . .

MissionTransition

Response by COL Dana Hampton made Aug 6 at 2019 1:58 PM

2019-08-06T13:58:24-04:00

Nice points and a good thesis. From my knowledge and work in the transition space...you’re right on track.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 7 at 2019 4:18 PM

2019-08-07T16:18:00-04:00

- Convert your military experience to a civilian resume. If you are applying for government jobs understand RESUMEX.
- Network
- Go to job fairs with resumes.
- Look at Jobs USA ( I don't know the proper term)
- Find out if your position will be contracted out
- There is more advice, but I don't know them

Response by SGT Bonnie B. made Aug 9 at 2019 3:22 AM

2019-08-09T03:22:07-04:00

Wish they had this when I was in

Response by 1LT Vance Titus made Aug 10 at 2019 1:25 PM

2019-08-10T13:25:29-04:00

"The civil-military gap that you will encounter is larger than it has ever been in our lifetimes..." This gentleman obviously did not leave active duty during the Vietnam era.

Response by 1SG Eddie Smith made Aug 13 at 2019 3:23 PM

2019-08-13T15:23:48-04:00

Sign up for the Transition Assistance Program classes at 18 months out from the expected transition date if possible. The sooner the better! This "TAP" program is five days of classes that really gets Servicemembers focused on life after military service and the endless Veteran and family Support Organizations and resources across the nation.

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 13 at 2019 4:44 PM

2019-08-13T16:44:40-04:00

Great article and all great thoughts. It’s a huge cultural shift. And the traits we lived on active duty are not prevalent out here. If you are active and a round peg in a round hole, stay in as long as you can hindsight being 20/20, if the military had allowed enlisted to stay until full retirement age, I would have.

That’s another rant I have is you can be a lawyer, doctor, accountant, etc., til you die, but you can’t to the same as a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine.

Response by SPC Jeffrey Swanson made Aug 20 at 2019 10:27 AM

2019-08-20T10:27:39-04:00

God Bless America

Response by SP5 Charles Gould made Aug 20 at 2019 9:01 PM

2019-08-20T21:01:56-04:00

Great article, great ideas. Getting out in the middle of the Vietnam War in 1968 - after a terrible reception returning from the battle itself - it was almost impossible to find ANY job uf the found out you were a veteran! I learned quickly (once my hair grew back in) to not even put it on a resume or job application, covering my years in the Army with bogus stories of travel. Once several friends were over for a party, and as Ibwas getting dressed, a guy saw my CIB in the jewelry box and adked me about it. I lied, and told him it was my Fathers from WWII. I was, and never have been ashamed of my military service in Vietnam. But I quickly learned to keep that silent in the deeply, violently polarized time that it was then.
There was no help from anywhere, unlike the kids coming back today. Maybe society has finally learned you can hate a war, but din't hate the Warrior!
I fought like a mad rat in 1966-1967, but never, ever, ever discussed it (not even with my first wife) until 1966, when I was having multiple surgeries for cancer. Still don't feel comfortable speaking about it even here. I saw things, did things, and ate things that would gag a maggot to survive. No reason to bring all that back up. But hopefully, the kids returning from combat theaters if operation today will have transition support that we never did. I was on a patrol where several buddies were killed on a Wednesday, and was standing in a US airport on Friday, alone, in culture shock, with my little Air Vietnam bag and bandages in both arms from Bamboo Poisoning. Like The Man Who Fell To Earth. In dress greens, cabbies (mostly college kids at that time) refused to take me as a fare in protest of the war. I walked a few miles to a tiwn where an old Korean War vet cabbie took me all the way home at no charge. That day, I realized this change, this important life event, would color my thinking forever.
Good luck, Troops! March forward no matter what!