Lessons Learned — Introduction.

Happy New Year.

In 2002, I made a choice to join the United States Navy. I was 19 and had successfully flunked out of college. I felt that the military was my next best alternative. People without college degrees enlist. Turns out, that process is pretty simple.

Before I knew it, I was stationed on a nuclear submarine floating in the middle of the ocean somewhere. It was 70 degrees and fluorescent, 24 hours a day. I was surrounded by people who had been in the Navy longer than me. We had all made a choice to be there. I was a cog in the machine.

In my experience, a lot of people want to advise you how best to live your life while you’re in the military. There’s unlimited, unsolicited advice on what’s best for you, what’s next for you, and how to do your job. It’s so very simple to follow the footsteps of the person ahead of you.

For the six years I spent in the Navy, I always had someone to ask, “What do I do?” I bought a house — my chief told me that I should get pre-approved for a loan. I got robbed — my friend told me to file the claim under my homeowners insurance, not my car insurance. I met a girl — someone told me I’d get paid more by the Navy if I got married. Then I watched him get divorced, and decided that was a bad idea at the age of 22.

But when you leave the military, that giant support network disappears. None of your coworkers, that you interact with on a daily basis, has ever gotten out of the military before.

I’m not arguing that, “We changed so much in the Navy, that we forgot what real life is like!” In reality, we were simply pursuing a unique career. But in my opinion, the military is such a unique career path, rooted in tradition and formality, that leaving the military, switching careers, can leave you dumbfounded.

And so begins the point of this post. When I left the Navy in 2009, I knew approximately ten friends, around my age, who had separated from the Navy. Most coworkers were incentivized by money to remain enlisted. Of those ten people who wanted to pursue a different career, I had remained in contact with a few via Facebook, and still spoke on the phone with one.

My only true resources were the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the internet. My Commanding Officer literally told me I would never be successful in life if I got out of the Navy. Despite what you may think, I’m not going to bash the VA. I’ve actually had a relatively great experience with them. But damn, they are confusing.

Here’s the short story. I was honorably discharged from the Navy, received a disability rating, applied to college, utilized the post 9/11 GI Bill fully to pay for college, and after a stint in the private sector, managed to get hired by the Federal Government. In my next few posts, I simply intend to provide an in depth look at how I did all that.

90% of you won’t care, but for that veteran who just got out who can’t get a specific answer, except on strange Vietnam Vet websites and VA.gov sites, (which never explicitly say yes or no to any question) this is for you. I hope that my experiences can help you figure out your next steps. And I hope that my successes help you find yours. God bless you and thanks for your service.