Looking at your Military Career, what would you have done different? Challenge yourself more, go after tougher roles, save more money?

Not much regarding the career specifically, I believe I lived up to the Army catch phrase then and now: “Be all you can be”.

The one thing I regret not doing for my support Team (Wife and kids) was to place special events on a calendar and tried to make myself more available to be there directly for them. Even when it was not mandatory I always found myself giving time to my Soldiers and their families more than my own.

The moral is: Do your Duty, don’t forget your responsibility to family. They were instrumental in my units moral and strength, while I tried they deserved more.

There are a couple of things I would have done different. The first would be put more effort into taking college classes instead of always being the troop that stayed behind to make sure the mission was completed. Even as a civilian, I'm still falling into that trap.

The second thing I would have done was never married my (now) ex-wife. I didn't realize how much she was hindering my career until it was to late. I declined several career advancing specialty assignments because she wasn't happy with the change. In the end, it cost me a promotion and the opportunity to pursue even more specialty assignments.

My response of what I would do differently based on phases...
Active enlisted: Taken more college courses and education before Green-to-Gold
Active junior officer: Used more leave, explored more places, participated in more off-duty experiences
Reserve junior officer: Participated in more athletic events, partied more, gone to more clubs