In what ways did your personal values change after you left the military? Specifically, how did your priorities change to reflect values?

Civilian will lie cheat steal any way the can. can not trust any of them. had a hard time trying to change back to civilian life. Must take care of oneself first and that includes family. Dog eat Dog. no one has your 6 or 12 or 3 or 9. they will surround you with deceit..

Here's mine:
When I enlisted, it was because of a wrong that I did, resulting in the possibility of a prison term. I did not support the militia as a whole...but I was there. I served, I was a "rebel within the ranks"...and paid for my actions. Even then, the Army was kind and didn't slap me too hard. When I left, I rejoiced. Late, grew-up, and re-enlisted 2 more times. As I grew up and matured, yes, my attitude changed. I realized that in my youth, I was the problem. With that awareness...and others...my enlisted experiences grew to be very special to me. I met new friends to call "family", got promoted, was given responsibilities. Unfortunately, as one gets older, the body gets "bigger" and I couldn't re-up a 4th time...Lol.
Value change? OH YES! As I interface with other vets at the local VA Hospital, I have come to reflect on those times of comradeships, even those long forgotten. With my training and reflections, my personal, family, and survival attitudes have been for the better, and responsibilities accepted in a very positive way. As I reflect on my past, as others have said, "I would change a few", but I can't...but I can, and do, use them as guides for the better. The service has changed. For me...not for the better, but...we'll see. Now, my values have grown up. A solid Patriot, gun owner, 2nd Amendment supporter, a family man,volunteer.
Well...that's my "soap box" for now. Lol.

I became a stronger conservative and wanted a stronger, better country. My values never really changed too much. I saw there is allot of work to do and we all much do our part, be it in our local neighborhoods or states or federal levels. We must demand better from our representatives, and make sure this country is dept free and WE stop asking for give mes'. This country is slipping away from what it was founded to be.

My values never really changed. However, the longer I stayed in the more flexible I became in their interpretation. I saw that the values published and recited like memorized dogma were not, in many instances, carved in stone by the hand of the Almighty not subject to questioning as to their meaning. The biggest that comes to mind is at a board that I went to where I was asked what I considered to me the most important Army Value and I gave an answer that was not what the board expected and ended up giving a detailed explanation as to why and had a few of the board members rethinking their lines of thought when I finished. Life, I found over the course of my career wasn't always black or white, but had a whole bunch of colors and shades in between.

I wouldn't say that it changed my personal values as it enhanced certain ones. Many of the newly enlisted are young "kids" who had a lot of growing up to do outside of what they were raised in. Myself included in that ilk. Selfless Service, Loyalty, Honor and Integrity were major values that I held in very high regard and built my character. However the military taught me better ways to show respect and duty to those you work with and for. Its not just a pride thing or obligation, but how you have to hold yourself accountable for as not everyone will.

As for priorities, I think that the military opened my eyes to a bigger world than just yourself or your family. There are others to watch out for and represent. I took much more pride in the flag and the nation as a whole that I may have taken for granted before or even during my service. Its hard for me not to make observations to disrespect or lack of care for the flag, what it represents and how it should be honored. For example, how tattered flags should be "retired" or if you find caked on dust on top of a flag case at a school that was presented from a local serving unit while deployed. People often struggle with that oversight and it may be a bit overboard at times, but its something that should be respected.

I entered the Army with a set of values, which I stuck to every day. The Army experience helped confirm that most of my values would allow me to succeed. It also showed me that some things the Army values are unimportant to me. And I learned that I could navigate the lane in between the two quite well without hurting others or myself. The Army did not "give me" a set of values. In fact a few things that I value go against what the Army asked of me. And mostly I am talking about those values that the Army pays lip service to, such as "fairness", which the Army is anything but. I hold the same values today as I did at 17 when I swore an oath of enlistment. That said, I did adopt the "Army Ethics" when I enlisted and I upheld those requirements every day that I wore the uniform. That is not necessarily the case today.

The military gave me values that have stayed with me my whole life. Be prepared, be honest, get the job done, protect your buddies, be humble and be willing to do for others. I must say I became more liberal politically but that did not change any of the above. I always tell others, don't tell me what you are going to do, show me.

My personal values changed when I went into the Army. Drafted out of college during the Vietnam era, raised in post WWII suburbia, I had general respect for my country but other than that my values were framed by my parents and teachers. My Army experience so broadened my viewpoints, my experience with the world and my respect and love of country and countrymen that it served me very well for the rest of my business life. I'm not sure if my college degrees or my mere 2 years in the Army were more telling on my life priorities. Maybe they are tied.

I lost a job because of my values. I honestly expected people to be on time, do their job, and take responsibility for their actions. Doesn't work that way in civilian life. Especially in the VA.

I don't feel I changed my values, but transferred them. I did my best to fulfill my given duties as a soldier, and do the same as a nurse. I don't have a spouse or children, I will add. I fulfill my duties as a nurse to the best of my abilities instead of just putting in my time, as I have seen a few of my fellow coworkers and even a few of my fellow soldiers have seemed to do, in the past. I still have loyalty to my country and live to be a good citizen. Duty, Honor, Country and I add Family also, as I have a large close extended family. Selfless Service works as a nurse as well as a soldier, and also as a citizen, and again, if you have a family, your service would go to them before volunteering in the community, for instance.