With 365 days left in service, what did you do? What would you have done differently?

SGT(P) Landon Mintz I did not have a lot of free time. When I did, I did research as much as possible, and made plans for when I would be discharged. My plan was to drive to Pasadena, Texas, get a job and start school. Once I had my degree, I would start work for the Space Program. The last month before discharge, I gave away some of my gear and made my car ready for a long trip. All of my belongings fit in the trunk of my car. The day I was discharged, I drove to the Colorado River, and swam across the river and back. I was by myself, so that was not one of my better ideas. I had quite a walk back to my car when I swam back across. I found a good paying job at a chemical plant, and once I had my degree, I started work on the Space Shuttle Program. In 1972, things were simple, so I can not think of anything that I would have changed.

I spent my last year forward deployed and that may have been both "good" and "bad" in terms of preparing myself for returning to civilian life. In one sense, I had few outside "distractions" and over a year to use that tax-free pay to build a "war chest" for transition. On the other, I was too far removed perhaps from "reality" to adequately prepare administratively and personally for the change.

I would advise anyone looking at that last year to make two lists; the first should be everything they "liked" about being in the Military, the second, everything that didn't like. If the first is longer than the second, then if staying in is possible...stay. If it isn't possible, consider all the fields, careers, and opportunities that offer identical or similar experiences.

Once that is done, make another list...of all the options that meet the first criteria for which the member is both realistically qualified and willing to take steps to compete for.

Finally, make a schedule and budget to make it possible inside of one year from transition. If that means getting new certificates or a degree...perhaps extend that timeline to include job options that support it in the interim.

Most importantly, I'd advise people facing that last year to prepare themselves for disappointment and rejection...come up with contingency plans and work those plans through to completion.

In my case, I wish I had capitalized on my relative freedom more before accruing all of the debt and obligation that accompanies civilian life. While I was 'used' to being gone "over the hills and far away"...I should've considered lower paying but more interesting work that would've offered opportunities for "Living the Dream".

At a year out I started networking and researching jobs. I was deployed at the time, but being in Signal does have it's benefits.