9/22/2016 0 Comments Military Transition ChallengesI wrote an article about some real challenges that I've faced on my journey towards civilian life over on Medium.com. Please head over to give it a quick read and let me know what you think.
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9/22/2016 0 Comments Making the DecisionThe hardest part about getting out of the military is the decision to get out of the military. I did not make the decision lightly. I spent many months going over and over the decision. My final day is fast-approaching so I’ve put together a list of the top reasons why I decided to get out of the Army. Perhaps you share some of these same feelings.
1. Lack of promotion I was eligible for promotion for more than two years in my military specialty without a promotion. It’s pretty standard for promotion potential to ebb and flow, but I’m just not willing to stay in a position without a promotion for two plus years. 2. Instability There is an obvious risk of instability when you join the military. I am a Soldier 24/7. I have pulled 24-hour shifts, worked 12 hour days, been deployed. All things that I signed up for, but after getting married and having a kid I just wasn’t willing to do that again. There is no part of me that wants to miss out on months of being with my son. 3. Stress Active duty service member has consistently been the highest ranked stressful job in America. And, my God, it is true. I’ve been deployed to a combat zone and worked behind a computer ten hours a day. The stress was different but still high. And it really took a lot out of me. By the end of the day I’m exhausted and barely want to do anything. I want to have enough energy to fully engage with my son and have a fulfilling life. These are hardly all of the reasons I’m leaving the Army. There are other little nuances about day-to-day active duty service that just don’t fit my future life goals. But it hasn’t all been bad. The Army has given me incredible skills I never would have gotten otherwise. I met my wife in the Army and we now have a beautiful son. I encourage you to seriously sit down and consider the kind of life you want for yourself and your family. If the military will not be conducive to that lifestyle, then do all the research necessary to set yourself up for success in the civilian world. Leave a comment below to tell me about your experience. Information Resources: CareerCast.com. (n.d.). The Most Stressful Jobs of 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/most-stressful-jobs-2016 |
AuthorHi! I'm Stephani-Nicole. I'll be leaving active duty service soon and transitioning to the National Guard. I'll also be a full-time mom and eventually (hopefully) a college student in fall 2017. I'm just here to help and connect with other current and former service members. Leave a comment on a post or use the contact page to get in touch. Thanks for visiting! ArchivesCategories |