What or who helped you the most with your transition into civilian life?

I really did it on my own. I am self motivated and blessed ti be able to think for myself

Luckily I work with a bunch of guys that retired before I did. The whole group helped. The first 3 months were the worst for me. Smooth sailing after that. Just the occasional desire to stomp someone's face in. Just kidding.

SPC Margaret Higgins what helped me was my peer support, and family. The Soldier For Life Program was instrumental in my success, from jobs, to benefits.
https://soldierforlife.army.mil/

For me it was my wife. She was an ACAP Counselor at the time so she helped me with the process but we also had a friend that had retired from the Government civilian service that helped me with my resume and interviewing skills. The key thing about transitioning is you have to embrace it. The more you resist it the more time and energy you waste. Also truly find your passion and try to work in that area. Especially if you retire from the service because many of us choose sometime that is close to what we were doing but it is not what we are passionate about. Let this phase of your life be driven by your passion and not someone else's passion.

i helped Myself, I'd already figured out what I wanted to do and geared My education and work to do exactly that. It was Law Enforcement in the Air Force and that also what I did as a civilian. when I got married after My wife had two of Her sisters also married to Police Officers. She never tried to change My profession and I wasn't going to anyway. I'm not in the habit of letting anyone else think for Me and anything I plan to do isn't done until its done.

My wife

My father-As a vet himself (E-5, 82nd), he saw things I myself didn't or wouldn't see and was always there to give me a dose of "reality".

SPC Margaret Higgins SSgt Alex Robinson SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL My transition was guided mostly by myself with input and support from my spouse. About 60 days after transition I located a retirement counselor who assisted me quite a bit also. Finally, when I broke out of my "shell of emotions" my former Commander (who had also retired) was of significant assistance and still is, today.

The only problem I could see is that digital was coming up real fast and it looked like I would not find any photo work. I went to school got an R,T,F and a broadcasting degrees. Had a lot of fun in Radio.