What is the worst part, personally, about transitioning into civilian life?

I have been accused of being "too military". IE: straightforward, take charge, black/white view, enforce rules, direct and to the point, ect.

Some civilians have big feelings, they don't like to be told what to do, if you try to be a leader they will say that you are being "mean", ect.

Good luck! No one else will have your six unless you find a great employer who understands..

It was difficult for me. I went to work at a company that had been there forever. There processes were ancient and their equipment was even older. It had been beat into my head that if you weren't at least 15 minutes early you were late. After a few weeks of work I was told to slow down, that I was making folks look bad. I was getting things done. When I submitted ways to do things better or suggested a six sigma change process review, I was told thank you now get back to work if I was even responded to at all. A 20% scrap rate was acceptable. I know that they aren't all like this but it was difficult at best. I have friends that have experienced the same things of being told to not dress up or they will expect it from everyone, slow down on the work and stretch it out and then they wanted war stories from the veteran and I just wasn't going to share all of that. You will probably not have a battle buddy though so watch your back.

What I did to overcome all of that was to be myself...always early, dressed appropriately, get the job done and go home knowing that I gave everything at the office that day. The rest will work itself out eventually. Use your training and that military work ethic and you will be successful. Who knows, you may be the change agent that the company that hires you needs to move forward.

I medretired out with 80%army, 100%va and 60%crsc. Almost everything i learned..i did on my own. Now i am a County Veterans Service Officer. I help vets navigate to va and many other veteran programs so they have fewer worries and problems than what i suffered. Shoot me an email and i will give you my office phone number. I will walk you through a lot of what you are going to have to do and some of the decisions you will be forced to make. [login to see] -lake.wi.us

As many on here have already said, letting go of who you were (are) and accepting who you've become is what's scary. For me, it's still a transition that I'm going through three years after. I still try to keep up with things, and each day takes SSG Swan that one day away from Matt Swan who I need to become again. For me I loved the Army through and through. From the dumbest details, to the biggest Alpha Charlie's, all of it I love and miss. But moving on is important. I've hidden my uniforms in the closet so I'll stop looking at them finding stuff wrongs and wanting to go to clothing and sales to get it fixed. No more war movies. I even try to "not" see every uniform violation when I go on post. But I also have a great group of clowns I hang with who are all prior service, and we're all in the same boat, trying to transition. Even more fun is when you see some snot nosed kid in the military either about to do something, or actually doing it, and you just shake your head and remember that was you then. It reinforces my belief that the more the Army changes, the little crap that made it fun, suck, piss you off, make you laugh, never change. It gets a new name, a new regulation, commander and a new 1SG who's biting your head off for the same crap he got away with also.

I came out medically in 1986 and I was not aware of the benefits I had waiting through the VA. The military did not inform me of this when I was released, It was 2008 before I realized I had benefits that I could get thru the VA. Since then I have been trying to get my disability rating and so much of it they claim was not service related even though it is documented. I worked thru the years after I was released and was never able to really get a job that I could accelerate in and get promotions that I had the knowledge and experience to get but my physical disabilities held me back. I feel service member should be given a better education on the benefits they can get thru the VA without have to find out for themselves later down the road. I am now totally disabled everywhere except thru the VA and I am still working on that since 2009.

My worse part was adjusting to and or dealing with the late, nonpressed clothes, unsatisfactory attitudes of the undisciplined civilian workforce!!!!

SGT Justin Anderson I retired after 24 years. I did not want to retire, but I had to make a choice and for the first time in my career, I "chose" to not move my family again. The day after my retirement, my father (a retired MSgt) pulled me aside and gave me the following advice: He said you are not in the military anymore. It is not your job to correct infractions. It is not your job to hold active duty airmen to standards. That is the job of those still on active duty. He said my new job is to become as good or better in my next career as I was in the service. He said trust the young active duty troops and move on with your life and career. With that said, it was difficult to remain in the locale of the base that I retired out of. I have since moved to a new state. My wife and I are happy and fulfilled. I have a new career and I have adjusted to this new paradigm. One last piece of advice. If you have any difficulties transitioning, it is helpful to have mentors who have been where you are. Please feel free to hit me up if you wish.

One of the biggest hurdles that I faced was understanding that most civilians do not understand the military and are to some degree intimidated by your service. It has been two generations since compulsory service (draft) and most of the employed people with which you have interface have no clue as to your real skill level. Along with that, most military transitioning have communication issues with non-military.
Advice: Keep a low profile, maintain situation awareness of the egos and processes, learn the culture and the language, network, network, network!
Your resume should interpret skill sets in civilian terms. No one understands what you are saying if you note that you commanded a combat operational company of 167 soldiers in Iraq / Afghanistan (basically you are scaring the civilians with this). They do understand that you managed and integrated 167 multi-disciplinary professionals in an international program and overcame cultural and linguistic challenges.

First and foremost...Thank You for Your Service!!! I can understand your concerns but don't fret. It's not going to be as big of a transition as you may think. I spent 27 in the Air Force. I've been retired for 3 years. I miss the comradery...the people who I considered to be my brothers and sisters. The first mountain you will have to climb will be the VA...fight for what is rightfully yours. Work with a VA service officer. And, if you don't agree with your initial evaluation then file an appeal. The work force is the work force...not much different then the military. I stayed in touch with some of my closest military friends, and I volunteer with two military affiliated organizations. The military is just a chapter in your life...that chapter is about to close and a new one is about to open. Embrace it and don't look back. GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!

Preparation is key. i.e., resume (multiple) and networking, practicing your interview skills. Get your name out there with various job sites (Indeed, USAjobs, Monster, Career Builder). Set your goal to what you want to do... Finding a job is a job within itself. Good luck!