“My Transition” #21: Andrew Coughlan — Army Infantry to WWP Alumni Manager

Andrew served in the Army infantry during Iraq. When he came home, he missed his guys, the mission, and sense of purpose. Today, he helps transitioning veterans overcome struggles.

I didn’t want to listen to anyone else when I got out because I thought I had it all figured out. I burned a lot of bridges and pushed people away. There are a lot of great programs out there to help us and I wish I was more open to getting help when I first got out.

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Saint Augustine, FL — “Pay it forward” is the name of the game for Andrew Coughlan. Upon returning from Iraq, he struggled with his experiences and hard a hard time finding his “new normal”. Over time, he sorted it and he now uses his lessons to help others as an Alumni Manager with WWP.

DJS: Why did you join the military?

AC:

I was a senior in high school when 9/11 happened. This was my motivation to join the Army. My brother was already enlisted in the Air Force and I admired that, I knew I had to follow his footsteps.

DJS: What were the most important skills or lessons that you learned?

AC:

Adapting to the situation. There were numerous times on combat patrols when things didn’t always go as planned or in some cases we didn’t have all of the proper equipment but we still found a way to get the mission done. I also had a great chain of command, their leadership is something I will never forget and I try to mimic a lot of their leadership styles today.

There were numerous times on combat patrols when things didn’t always go as planned or in some cases we didn’t have all of the proper equipment but we still found a way to get the mission done.

DJS: Did you know what you were going to do when you left the Army?

AC:

My plan was to move back home to Michigan from Ft. Drum, NY. I had a job with a utility company 2 weeks after I left active duty, I had no experience doing it and it was just a job to pay the bills. That job only lasted about 6 months before I quit.

DJS: Did you face any struggles?

AC:

I was medically discharged for PTSD so a lot of my struggles were related to that. The guys I deployed to Iraq with in 2003–04 were getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan when I left active duty and I struggled with that guilt. My roommate was killed in Afghanistan on June 13, 2006 and this was when I really started to struggle. I ended up failing out of school, I had marriage issues, I was on 13 different types of medications for PTSD, I had 2 jobs in 9 months. There was very little help in my community and for me to go to my VA appointments it was a 5 hour drive round trip. I left lost and hopeless.

The guys I deployed to Iraq with in 2003–04 were getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan when I left active duty and I struggled with that guilt.

DJS: Tell me about your initial job search process?

AC:

I started searching for jobs while I was on active duty. I was lucky and had a couple of interviews while I was still in and landed a job marking underground cables for a utility company. I had no experience doing this type of work but I feel the company took a chance with me because I was a veteran.

DJS: Please tell me about your work with numerous veteran organizations such as Wounded Warrior Project, The Bush Center, The Mission Continues, and others?

AC:

I have been connected with Wounded Warrior Project since 2007. WWP has been the one constant support for me since leaving active duty. I have been blessed enough to be a teammate on the alumni team for the last 6 years. I now manage 8 other teammates in Florida. It tends to be a cliché thing to say but without any doubt in my mind, if it wasn’t for WWP I wouldn’t be alive. My involvment with The Bush Center started last fall when I was selected to be on Team 43 and to participate in the W100K. I knew about it from the work I do and from other warriors that have participated in the event.

DJS: How did you land your current job at WWP?

AC:

I honestly think I was in the right place at the right time. I was living in Jacksonville, FL where WWP national headquarters is located. I was going through an education program that WWP offered (program ended in 2016) and a couple outreach coordinators positions opened up and I applied. I remember applying for the coordinator position in Seattle and not getting it but I was determined and applied for the job in Jacksonville. I was hired as the first outreach coordinator in Jacksonville in 2011 and now I manage the whole Florida alumni team in 3 different offices around the state.

DJS: What was your initial training like when joining the WWP team?

AC:

There really wasn’t an initial training since I was the first one to have the position. I have been able to help form the position and program which has been fun and stressful at times. This goes back to the two things I learned in the Army, adapt and leadership.

DJS: Tell me about what you do as an “Alumni Manager”?

AC:

The alumni manager role is unique, you have to know a little about a lot. I have to know about the resources that out there to help other veterans’ transition, I have to know a little bit out VA benefits, internal programs, coping skills, and community resources. I also have to manage a team of outreach coordinators that do the real work. Coaching, mentoring and leading them is something I love doing. Our job on the alumni team is connect the warriors with each other, with programs and resources and then with the community.

I have to know about the resources that out there to help other veterans’ transition, I have to know a little bit out VA benefits, internal programs, coping skills, and community resources.

DJS: What skills from the military translated into your job and made you successful in your current role?

AC:

Being an Army Infantryman I was always told that I will only be able to be a police officer or security guard and that is not the case at all. The problem solving skills that I learned in the military have helped me so much in my current role, veteran transitions vary from veteran to veteran and some are complicated, so those problem solving skills come in handy.

DJS: Are there other veterans in your workplace? If so, how is that dynamic?

AC:

More than half of the teammates I work with are veterans from all branches and we also have a fair amount of family members. We also have a lot of teammates that never served or have immediate family members that served. We do have a good office dynamic and we all work together pretty well. The civilians that I work with everyday do the work because they care, for a lot of the veterans that I work with I think we do it because we want to continue to serve and this is an opportunity that we can do that.

The civilians that I work with everyday do the work because they care…

DJS: If you knew one thing before the transition process that would have made your experience easier, what would that be?

AC:

That I can’t do it alone. I didn’t want to listen to anyone else when I got out because I thought I had it all figured out. I burned a lot of bridges and pushed people away. There are a lot of great programs out there to help us and I wish I was more open to getting help when I first got out.

I didn’t want to listen to anyone else when I got out because I thought I had it all figured out…

DJS: What was the hardest piece of transition?

AC:

The guilt, this is something that still comes up with me. The guilt of surviving Iraq or not being physically wounded. The guilt of being at home when my brothers were deployed back to Iraq or Afghanistan.

DJS: What one piece of advice do you have for anyone reading this?

AC:

You don’t have to go through transition alone, reach out to someone. I would also say find what works for you, for some it is working out, golf, yoga, writing, or community service but you have to find a passion that works.

You don’t have to go through transition alone, reach out to someone.

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Bio

Andrew Coughlan enlisted in the Army and was assigned to B Co. 1–32 Infantry. He deployed to Iraq in September 2003 and returned home September 2004. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and the Army Commendation Medal with device for Valor. He was medically discharged for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS) in 2006.

He has been married for almost 13 years, and he and his wife Ashley have two little girls, Maddison (9) and Emery (6). Andrew has worked at Wounded Warrior Project on the Alumni team since 2011. He recently graduated from Columbia College with a degree in Human Services.

Top resources

Wounded Warrior Project — The mission of Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. Their vision is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history.

Sentinels of Freedom — The mission of Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation is to assist severely wounded and injured, post-9/11 veterans in their efforts to become productive and self-sufficient members of their communities as they transition back into civilian life.

George W Bush Presidential Center, Military Service Initiative — The MSI ensures Post-9/11 veteran and their families make successful transitions to civilian life with a focus on gaining meaningful employment and overcoming the invisible wounds of war.

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Warriors with Gov. Scott- Wounded Warrior Project alumni and myself with Florida Gov. Rick Scott. This was during a WWP alumni event in Daytona, FL.

Iraq- (L-R), myself, Sgt. Dale Lloyd, and Charles Persing. This was taken early 2004. Sgt. Lloyd was our team leader. Both Sgt. Lloyd and Persing were killed on July 19, 2004 during a mortar attack on FOB Chosin.

Me and my family at a Florida Gators football game in 2013. This was the first UF football game for us as a family and something we now enjoy doing together as a family.

(L-R) myself, Charles Persing, and Adam Bouse. This was taken right about we conducted a mission outside of Fallujah, a month later Charles was killed in a mortar attack.

Crossing the finish line at the Savannah, GA Rock n’ Roll Marathon. I trained for months and lost almost 30 pounds in the process. This was my 3rd marathon that I completed since leaving active duty.

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Are you interested in sharing your story of transition? Or are you a military transition specialist who would like to share some tips? Send me an email at [email protected]

The goal of this series is to bridge the military-civilian divide in three ways: 1) Highlight the incredible skills and value that military veterans of all generations and backgrounds bring into the workplace. 2) Help transitioning veterans understand their true value and therefore aim as high as possible in their employment and educational goals. 3) Discuss the common struggles, pitfalls and indicators of success in veteran transition, in order to provide better transition assistance from both military and civilian sides.