What did you do in the days and weeks afterward when you left the service?

When I retired in 1996, for the US Air Force at Langley, VA, I took 60 days of terminal leave. I was waiting for confirmation that I had been hired a Defense Contractor in New York. In some ways It was nice to relax but in other ways I missed the Air Force and the special crew I worked with in the last 4 years..

I thought I would take a month off and do nothing ….that lasted one week ...I had to get out of the house and go to work first job was a ware house there in fla.…..

I had a job in my former trade as a welder waiting for me when I got out Was on 2nd shift in Avionics shop so I had time to job search before my EAS

I didn't find a job right away so I accepted an offer to do volunteer medical work in the 'bates' (slums) of the Caribbean islands. Divided my time between working, working out, and scuba diving. After 6 months I returned to the mainland, got a job, and became a working stiff.

Stressed a lot, did not like being around Civilians, started to try to go to College, but their was a complete lack of maturity in most students, re enlisted

Within a week, I had enrolled to start College five months later, found and accepted a job with a good company, started joining local veterans groups, and met my future wife. All in the first week.
It all planned out, and 49 years later, I have a BSEE, MSME, and PhD, finished college, am a member if the DAV, American Legion, a member of Vietnam Veterans of American, and been married next month, for 49 years, to a great woman, mother and wife.

Once i retired i decided to take some time off and go to school (i was already going while on active duty). Also once i started to look for employment, i applied to a contracting company called Academi (formerly known as Blackwater). I was accepted and went to training for a contract in Afghanistan (as if i didnt get more than enough the last 2 times there). Also i finnaly graduated and went to work for Wells Fargo. Now i work for DOD as an Army Civilian at Stuttgart, Germany. All that in 4 years since i retired. Not bad.

I didn't know what to do with myself, honestly. I've been around the military my whole life. When I got out, I had a hard time dealing with civilians.

I hope I don't get anyone mad. But I got lucky with the Plt Sgt I had at the time. He sat me down right after the holidays on 2013, and told me...SSG Hernandez, I don't have anything for you. Do you have anything pending? I responded nope. No awards to turn in or counseling, just gotten done taking my last PT test and weapon's qualification a few months back. So, he replied back saying, go home brother, you don't need to come in anymore, and I'll talk to the 1SG and Commander.
I think I came in twice to work from Jan to May, to receive retirement award and start clearing. I already interviewed for the job I'm currently holding right now.
Here is the funny part, and I know this wasn't part of the question. As I'm walking out of my former unit, a car pulled up, and a guy asked me where the MEPS station was because he had an appointment to take the ASVAB. Huh? Is this some kin of joke? Hahahahaha!
I retired on Jul 31, 2013...12 Aug 2013 I started working. I still keep in contact with my former Plt Sgt and always been grateful to him because he didn't have to do that. I mean, how many of us get or got lucky like that? Really.

Flew from Tachikawa to San Fran and separated out of OART. Flew to Milwaukee, WI where my wife greeted me. We drove from Mitchell to Fond du Lac, WI for dinner at her parents. Over the weekend we moved to Dubuque, IA and went straight to work