Preparing To Exit The Military
Don’t make the same mistakes made by so many active duty soldiers preparing to leave the military. Your duty station might even have classes available to help you transition but there are other things that you should consider. What you learned in the military can help you with the rest of your life, it’s time to move on.
Implementing all of these things before you walk through those exit gates might not be necessary. We’re trained to be prepared so having more weapons in your arsenal always helps. Armed with this knowledge, you might avoid some very expensive land mines Veterans often stubble on.
The military taught you many things but at the core of everything you learned was to think and function as a team. The team effort was the best way to complete your mission. With that in mind, begin right now the process of communicating with your family and friends. Family and friends are your team that can help you transition back to civilian life.
1. Notify friends and family of your future intent to discharge from the military.
2. Sign up for classes on your base that provide transition assistance.
3. Open lines of communication with your supervisor and get recommendation letters.
4. Begin networking before you leave to utilize available resources and personnel.
5. Take care of all medical issues now and maintain your records.
6. Start working on your resume while everything is still fresh in your mind.
7. Make sure you get your DD 214 during your out processing.
8. Be certain that you have a substantial savings. Leaving without money won’t be fun.
9. The best time to get a job is when you already have one. Find a job before you discharge.
10. Don’t try to make your civilian job function like the military. People in the workplace hate it & you’ll probably get fired.
11. If you joined the military from a bad neighborhood, plan your transition to a better area.