What are some things I could do to be prepared early for my future ETS to be ahead for a smooth transition?

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 21:47:17 -0500

I would like to hear some insight and advice for preparing ahead of time for transitioning out of the Army. A pet peeve of mine is always thinking well ahead of time to ensure I am prepared for whatever happens, and have a plan for the "what if" moments for any possible outcomes. What are some pointers or things to consider when planning on a transition? My ETS is February 11th 2022 and later this year I will be participating in SFLTAP to sort out the best alternatives for my transition. One big step I've already been working toward is my bachelors degree. Outside of that, I'm just curious to whatever else I could consider to be ahead and have piece of mind that I'll be squared away when I do ETS. What are some suggestions to consider?

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Feb 20 at 2020 9:49 PM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 21:49:15 -0500

Get copies of everything in your medical record and make sure any problem you have is documented.

Response by SSG Robert Webster made Feb 20 at 2020 10:36 PM

SSG Robert Webster — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 22:36:28 -0500

What Lt Col Charlie Brown said!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 21 at 2020 12:36 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:36:16 -0500

Think about what you want to be doing a few years from now and determine what you need to do to get there.
Save some money so you can miss a few paychecks.
Network with people who are doing what you want to be doing. LinkedIn can be a great tool for that.
Good luck

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 21 at 2020 12:36 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:36:20 -0500

Continue to establish continuity of care for any medical conditions. Review CFR 38 Part 4 for any medical conditions to ensure you properly articulate your symptoms.
For Resumes: obtain electronic copies of duties and responsibilities for your positions.
Create a Word document and copy and paste the description of every course you've attended (Army Formal Schools Catalog), college/university catalog course description, and syllabi. Use these for resume building. It'll save time trying to best capture your skills, knowledge, and abilities.
Volunteer. Resume, and applications for leadership training/developmental programs. Chaplain, and other agencies provide opportunities. Don't limit yourself to post.
Be prepared to apply for 50 jobs, and to manage which version of your resume you used for specific jobs (I added the announcement number to the resume file name, and tailored every resume for rhe specific job.
Research, practice, and develop your interview skills.
Learn how to dress like a civilian. Purchase, and tailor clothes for positions you seek.
If you're staying in your field, take advantage of certifications through Army programs.
Find a way to crossover all of your knowledge, skills, and abilities. (e.g. I was CBRN= Sr Defense Analyst, Emergency Manager, Continuity of Operations (COOP) program manager Safety Specialist, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff analyst.
Take every FEMA, NIMS/ICS, and COOP course you can. Apply for certificate available for completion of a specific series of courses.
Be overqualified.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 21 at 2020 12:43 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:43:58 -0500

First, figure out what you want to do for money afterwards. Everything else is simple. Once you know where you want to be in five years, it's just backwards planning. If you're a year out and you don't know yet, extend another year and revamp your plan.

Also, pay off all your debts before you separate and save a few thousand for the inevitable break that will usually come in your employment. Most people don't walk directly into a job, so be prepared in case that's you.

Don't count on BAH from the VA as a solid income source when you're budgeting. They're known for being late and you only get full BAH when you're in school full time for that whole month.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Feb 21 at 2020 8:43 AM

LtCol Robert Quinter — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 08:43:10 -0500

Consider each position you hold in the light of a civilian employer and how you could translate what you do into something a potential employer would understand and see as advantageous to his company. Working in personnel could be described as maintaining employee records to recording personnel performance and training in automated systems to ensure timely and accurate pay and identify key performers eligible for positions of higher responsibility. Mechanics maintain equipment to ensure availability of necessary major equipment for operations. Squad leaders manage personnel to ensure accomplishment of their assigned tasks. Etc, etc. The military provides excellent training and early responsibility that is impressive if expressed in civilian terms.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Feb 21 at 2020 10:23 AM

SGT Ben Keen — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 10:23:08 -0500

There is a great program called "Onward to Opportunity" that allows Service Members, Veterans, and spouses to take a class for one professional certificate. I just started the project myself. I wish this was around when I first transitioned out.

https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/programs/career-training/

Career Training - Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Onward to Opportunity (O2O) is a free career training program that provides professional certification and employee support services to transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses

Response by CPT Robert Hoffman made Feb 21 at 2020 1:39 PM

CPT Robert Hoffman — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 13:39:29 -0500

I'm sure things have changed a bit since I got out (1970), but here are some of the things I wish I had done. I was a Capt. on the Majors list, on my 2nd tour in Vietnam and commanding a helicopter training team. My first tour had been in '66-'67 in an Assault Helicopter Company and between tours, I was an Attack Helicopter IP at Ft. Rucker. I had taken some college classes (emphasis on history) but did not have a degree. When I found out we were leaving without winning, and before the SVN had any chance of winning, I got mad and decided to resign. Here are my after-action assessments about what I did wrong. I did not know what I really wanted to do or have a location where I wanted to live in mind. I did apply and was accepted to a lot of Colleges scattered across the country and settled on one in the State of Washington. I chose a Major that I thought I wanted to do, but that I had not done well in during high school. I found school to be boring and some of the classes useless. I really was not focused on studies. I got back into flying, then into Law Enforcement, and found something I really liked. I switched Major to Criminal Justice and had worked through about 3 years when I switched Departments to the West side of the Cascades and to a much larger department. I had intended to finish my degree but did not. I spent 30 years in LE and was able to continue to fly both FW and RW. I worked Homicide for a few years before retirement which was really the only goal I had. I enjoyed the LE culture a lot because it was very close to the military which I also had enjoyed as I was an Army brat. After two weeks of retirement, I was offered a job flying in Alaska and took it. That led to flying for FedEx and another career. I still have not picked up that degree. Why I thought I would do well in Biology when my real love was History I do not know. Why I chose Washington state instead of my home state of New York had more to do with my impression of what Washington was since I had never lived there before. So, here's my guidance for what it's worth. Think about what you really want to do and where you want to do it. Take as many classes as you can handle while you are in the service towards that goal. Brutally evaluate how things are going and don't be afraid to change if you are not happy. Remember that other outside influences on your decisions can change your motivation and ability to achieve your goals. By this, I mean marriage and children, but there could be others. Don't be afraid to consider changing your goals if you really believe you have changed your motivation. Be brutally honest with yourself at all times. Don't be surprised if your goals change. Good luck! I am now retired and enjoying it.

Response by LTJG Stephanie Thompson made Feb 21 at 2020 1:58 PM

LTJG Stephanie Thompson — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 13:58:15 -0500

Hi PFC! First, I'd like to commend you for planning ahead. It is so important that you do so, but is a crucial step that is all too often overlooked. There are so very many things you could possibly do to prepare to separate from the military, but I'll give you four that you will serve you well and you can start on right away.

1. SAVE MONEY.

As SFC mentioned, you WILL need a cushion. It may be a break in your employment, as he mentioned (this is quite common and may last longer than you expect), or an unexpected emergency, or all of the above. You will be so relieved you when you need the money and have it set aside. Otherwise, you set yourself up for unnecessary stress and financial hardship by having $0 in the bank. You can start by creating an allotment to your savings account so you never see the money in the first place, preventing you from having to decide "Should I put this money in savings or spend it on X?" When you pay yourself first, you've already made the decision.

2. NETWORK

Do this with fellow military members AND civilians. You never know who might be able to help you in the future, so start helping others now. There is no need to limit yourself in the types of people you network with (i.e. only networking with people who have the job you are in or the job you want). Everybody has something to teach so long as you are open to receiving the lessons. Additionally, as quoted by Matt Youngquist, the president of Career Horizons, "At least 70, if not 80 percent of jobs are not published. And yet most people - they are spending 70 to 80 percent of their time surfing the net versus getting out there, talking to employers, taking some chances [and] realizing that the vast majority of hiring is friends and acquaintances hiring other trusted friends and acquaintances." So go out there, PFC, and start making friends and acquaintences!

3. VOLUNTEER

Choose something you love or want to learn more about. This will help you network as well as build skills that you WILL be able to use in the civilian world (and probably even the job you have now). It also feels good and is known to improve a person's health.

4. CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR OFF TIME

This is SO important! If you choose to spend the majority of your off time vegging out on TV or drinking to "decompress" (two popular activities for active duty personnel), guess where you'll end up? Exactly. Not where you want to be. So how do you avoid such a life-sapping fate? Create your own life. Actively learn about the things that interest you. Take ACTION. TV isn't going anywhere. Are you?

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Feb 21 at 2020 1:58 PM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 13:58:26 -0500

Re-enlist!

Response by SSG Robert Ricci made Feb 21 at 2020 2:25 PM

SSG Robert Ricci — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 14:25:37 -0500

You're still talking to years from now and at least another stripe. There's very little that you can do to control the military. I received orders to ETS and out processing to begin on such-and-such date. It was easy peasy except that I had personally owned weapons it had to be cleared by military Customs so that I could take them home with me. Each of them had been seriously worked on and had very very smooth actions, custom grips and were in pristine shape. I had planned on getting to the customs office at 1300 to clear my weapons. Except I found out they had closed it 1230 for painting. I was due to fly out the next morning. I raced back to my unit and I sold these weapons at ridiculously low prices because they couldn't come home with me. My meal ticket for a fine schnitzel and potatoes dinner made me sick and kept me on the toilet for a long. Of time. I was not a happy person. So now two things went wrong. We drive all the way from my unit to Frankfurt Germany where I was to fly out of Ramstein Airport. We get there and I check in only to find out that State Transportation clerk never forwarded my orders to depart. I ended up spending two additional weeks in country. I lost my weapons. I swear I lost a potato chip I had eaten five years before and I got stuck in a hellhole doing CQ for the next two weeks. You could try to get out in front of the military but good luck. Oh, I shouldn't forget to mention that the ticket number for my meal the last three digits were 666. That should have been a clue to a Christian man such as myself.

Response by SGT Michael Hearn made Feb 21 at 2020 11:54 PM

SGT Michael Hearn — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 23:54:29 -0500

Hello, soldier, I would suggest you have saved your money, have applied for a decent job
Looked for a safe neighborhood to transition to .Go back to school From now on you will have millions of brothers and sisters in arms................