After six years I ETS'd and immediately got into university, completing my degree in three years at DeVry. They have good programs for undergraduate degrees, and are fairly reasonably priced (considering residency issues). That led to jobs that quickly rocketed me up the pay scale and provided access to specialization in the big enterprise applications such as  SAP and Oracle. 

At the time my perception of non-veterans was a bit low. Had a hard time figuring out why my roomates were so lazy and couldn't be counted on to follow through on agreements (cleaning up after themselves, not eating my food, etc). 

Then it struck me after I met a young lady who had a profound impact on my life, that not only was I generalizing about people being lazy and irresponsible but I was also projecting my own need for order onto others. 

It took me several years to get myself in check, and I still fight myself from time to time over the sense of superiority still I hold near and dear. We did more by 8 a.m. than most people do all day, if I recall the cadence correctly. It has become part of who we are. 

So my re-integration into civil society had a few rough patches, but by focusing on serving others and giving more than I get I'm able to get my head in the right place. And of course my wife has been my anchor and my bridge. She has held me close when I needed it and pushed me out the front door when I wanted to crawl back into bed for the day. I owe everything I'm and have today to her love and patience and tenderness. 

After being out for 18 years, looking back I'm comfortable saying that the six years I spent on active duty between Korea, Ft. Devens and Germany were clearly the most formative of my life. Everything else has come as a result. In retrospect, I'm also comfortable saying that I wish I had spent more time working a second job bartending at the O-Club or taking extra classes toward my degree before I got out because time is a factor that works against us. Before you know it five and 10 years are gone. 

My advice to anyone in transition or getting ready to transition is as follows:

1) Don't take yourself or others too seriously, especially in the beginning.

2) Laugh as much as you can, and look for opportunities to make other laugh along with you.

3) Be kind to yourself and the people around you, they will be all you have left in the end.

4) Make sure you do what makes you happy, but also keep in mind that being broke all the time is not a pleasant way to live so pick a skillset that will let you earn at least $60,000 a year.

5) Find peace by bringing it to others who are less fortunate than you, so volunteer at one of the thousands of non-profits in your area.

6) Take advantage of everything the VA and other departments offer, that's what we pay taxes for. 

Best of luck to all of you! In all things be safe!

(Submitted by A.B.)

If I did get on top of a list, the agency always cancelled or closed the announcement before selection. Apparently, they had someone within they wanted to place. 

Afterward, I changed my strategy and stopped using my 10-point preference eligibility, just applied as an outsider. I found better success and actually was selected for a police officer position. 

I lost faith in the supposed OPM hiring system after my bad experience and moved on without preference hiring and became more successful in my transition. These hiring authorities may be better controlled by law now in 2009 as I understand it.

(Submitted by Ken Hudgens)

Since separating from AD in 2000, I've had problems getting along in nearly every position I've been in. I blamed it on working for attorneys for the first six or seven years and then landed a supervisory job, which I loved! I felt like I had finally landed where I needed to be, but things soon changed.

I moved on to another job, another state and another start with the same result. 

The same problems I had when I got out are the same issues I find even now. The work ethic, personal integrity and values in the civilian world are just not the same. They don't give a flip that you served your country or continue to do so...that's just a "hardship" while you're away doing drills. 

I'm emotionally exhausted from trying to "lead by example" and to try to hold people accountable while the "cat's away"...it's not my job to do that anymore, but then whose doing it?

My frustration is that I'm being compared side-by-side to people who have no honor and who would never do the same for me as I'm willing to do for them.

Every day I leave my job with an ache in my stomach and a swimming head wondering what the hell I'm doing and why?

I'd quit, but I need that small amount of income to sustain my business until it gets off the ground.

I did ask one of my co-workers whose brother is AD Army. She told me that when something goes amiss, I react and everyone can see my reaction. I stiffen up, I walk a different way and my tone changes. I guess the way I look at it is that if they were doing their jobs, I wouldn't feel so anxious. 

I suppose that comes from knowing that in the military, you are all trained the same way and that the person next to you has your back and you can count on them and while this isn't life or death here in "civi land," I can't even count on people (including our manager) to show up on time for a meeting. 

Any suggestions or are my expecatations just too high?

(Submitted by Laura Simas)

Upon receiving my orders to Minot I started my job search. I started my job search using the Internet, and spent countless hours on USA Jobs, Monster and several other job boards  trying to find an aviation maintenance position.

My goal was to head south to warmer weather. I wasn't having much luck with the aviation opportunities, the pay wasn't what I was looking for. I was fed up with Minot and getting desperate to get out of town so I looked for a government job of some sort. I researched Homeland Security to see what jobs they had available, took the TSA test and stumbled upon information about U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

I was curious but had no law enforcement experience. However, my timing was perfect. The Border Patrol was doing a briefing in Minot, so I decided to go. They seemed desperate to hire for the southern border, a little too desperate for me, so I asked questions about Customs. 

They didn't seem too eager to provide information about Customs and Border Protection, so I researched more on the Internet and made a couple of phone calls to the Minneapolis hiring center. It turns out they were coming to my region for testing. 

I scheduled a test date, downloaded the testing study guides and had two weeks to prep. I passed the test and got an offer for Savannah or Atlanta, Georgia -- I chose Savannah. The money is outstanding as an Officer and just increased to GS-12. 

In short, don't limit your search. I received all the training from CBP during 16 weeks at FLETC. The opportunity is there for everyone from all AFSC's. They have an open period for hiring two times a year. If you want any more information call the Minneapolis hiring center or keep your eye on USA Jobs for Customs and Border Protection openings, they got me on the right path. 

(Submitted by Earl Robinson)

My position is currently going into a RIF status, which will keep me in place until July 2010. I’m applying like crazy for positions within my current installation and surrounding areas to stay in government service. 

I currently have seven years of federal service under my belt -- I retired from the Army in 1994 as a CW2. I also worked for eight years in local economy and established great business connections during that time.

As I stated before, I’m applying for government positions, and getting some interviews and interest from Army leadership, but nothing firm has came up. At the same time local businesses and organizations know that I’m on the market and want me to return to the private sector -- making the same or the possibility of making more money with more growth potential. 

Here's my dilema: Do I have too much time vested already in the government toward another retirement? Or, do I jump and make up the difference on the outside working for private industry?

(Mr. Jorge Rio)

The American Society of Health Informatics Managers (www.ASHIM.ORG) has a great website that can provide information for those interested. The most important aspect of HIT in the private sector is that you have experienced Electronic Health Records (HER) while in the military. According to experts the major obstacle to completing HIT nationwide is the lack of capable professionals to implement the system. 

Check it out!

(Submitted by Tom Criser, Vietnam, C Troop 1/9 Cav)

When I left the Army in April 1999 I went right into a position that had been offered to me in my hometown six months prior to my retirement. 

During my interview, I was told that I was just what the agency was looking for and that the intelligence job was mine at the salary I requested. I've been here 10 years now and things couldn't be better.

(Submitted by Carter Hickman)

After receiving career change counseling from my Voc Rehab counselor, I was sent back to my DVA counselor where she received the Voc Rehab report instructing me to  receive more training or education to change me career.

My DVA counselor put together a rehabilitation plan and sent me to the local WorkSource employment office. I've been working with them for the past four months trying to find employment without the necessary training or education requirements that most civilian companies are looking for. 

My point is that I should have taken the time to further my education from a CCAF to a BS or BA. I planned wrong for my retirement. I bet that the Air Force would hire civilian logistics planners since the career field was critical  to sustain the AF mission. 

I gambled and lost, there are no position listing anywhere. Don't make the same mistake I made. Finish your education anyway you can. 

(Submitted by Richard Smith)

My plan is to separate and finish my bachelor's ( I have six classes left) and possibly join the reserves and look at commissioning opportunities. 

I am A-10 Avionics, I'm separating because I want to cross-train and due to the manning constraints in my career field they rejected the request. 

Am I crazy? I'm trying to follow my gut but man it's a tough decision. 

(Submitted by Mike Fallorna)

Let me put your mind at ease just for a moment. For what it is worth, we all go through the same concerns that you all have — whether to stay or get out of the military service.

My advice to you is to get as much education as you can using Uncle Sam's money. Education costs are very high now and anything you can do to offset them is a blessing. 

Secondly, if you’re not happy in your career field, then by all means find something that will make you happy. 

If becoming an officer requires you to get into a field that you know will make you miserable, then disregard that option. Remember that you only have four to six years initial military commitment, but when you choose a career, it generally will be for a very long time, and you don’t want to hate going to work simply because you need the money. 

As you get older, you start to appreciate what we mean by “enjoying your job.” Be prepared if you decide to leave the service, and yes, it’s very difficult to get a good job now due to the economic situation, but even the best educated struggle, so be prepared to meet a major challenge looking for work.

If you get out and have to settle for something less than what you want, so be it, you’ll need to find yourself in the civilian world again and understand that the military takes care of you in everyway. But once you’re out, then you face a whole new business mentality. 

Lastly, if you want to maintain military ties, consider the reserve or guard units, explore the educational benefits you can get through them, and continue to get your education. 

I had to return to school after I retired at the age of 40 so that I could be marketable. Educational degrees are good to have, whether you get them at age 24 or age 40. That is now required criteria that you need to have before most companies will consider you for employment. 

Transitioning even in the best of time s is always difficult due to the unknown factors you will face, but at this point in time, it’s a bigger challenge. Be prepared mentally to deal with whatever comes your way. Don’t be discouraged by what you read and hear, you’re an individual and it falls on you to either succeed or fail based on your efforts.

When I left the military there was not a transition program available and I had to learn it all the hard way — the school of hard knocks. Good luck and I hope that this information helps.

(Submitted by Louis Alanis)