5 Tips for Newly Separated Veterans

So many articles tell us things like Plan Ahead, Build Your Network, and Update Your Resume. This isn't one of those same old regurgitated articles we've seen dozens of times before. These are five of the many tips I've learned since I transitioned out of the Army.

1. From Day 1, we're trained to think differently, act differently, and then we become something different. Then after years of service (some with combat), we're let go. We don't naturally assimilate. Finding a Veterans fellowship can make all the difference.

2. Out here, people can be let go in a heartbeat. People can quit and people can tell us NO. This is different from when we had rank and UCMJ to back us up. This world is chaos for Soldiers like me who found the military structured, disciplined and mostly predicatable. When the unpredictable is predictable, it's no longer unpredictable.?

3. When you're feeling your lowest and you're having those scary thoughts, stop... take a breath... and know that there are people wanting to help. Call your VA. Depression and anxiety can be helped with meds and therapy. Find a "battle buddy" in a Veterans fellowship. No one has to do this alone.??

4. 99.99% of us will never be able to replicate our military success, so we need to stop comparing ourselves to the old us. All we can do is accept that we're competing for jobs with people who are half our age, and have twice as much experience. But we can work hard, adapt and overcome. Besides, we have other skills and experiences that those youngsters never will.?

5. Most civilian folks don't regularly think about Veterans or active duty military. It's nothing personal; it's just not on their radar. Also, a lot of people can't relate to how we act or what we're feeling. Again, not their fault; it's just wildly different from what they know. So, while it may feel like we're all alone, we don't have to be. We can contact our VA, join a church group or find a fellowship. Bottom line, find someone you can help when they need it, and who can help you when you'll need it. Because you will.?