TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE

(This 1500 word article includes interviews with five retired Air Force officers
from the San Antonio, Texas area and the problems they overcame while
adjusting to civilian life and particularly finding a civilian job.)

The transition from the military to civilian life can be unsettling at first.
Some officers go straight to retirement. Over half of the officers seek out a
new career in private sector. Here are five inspiring stories of ex-military
men who found satisfaction and happiness with the choices they made, and
offer some great advice for those who will soon retire.

“Most officers experience some apprehension when retiring from the
military,” says retired Air Force Major-General Chuck Carroll. “It is difficult
to separate yourself from a really great culture that encompasses a
challenging career, military training, further education, global travel and a
social life all wrapped into one neat package. The key to a satisfying post-
military lifestyle is to find a purpose in life. For me it comes in the form of
serving my community.” Since retiring  two years ago, Chuck has taught
business administration at a local college, helped in a political campaign,
been an active church member, met with other officers for a weekly
breakfast, chaired a spring conference for military veterans, retirees and
trainees, and indulged in his favourite hobby – creative landscaping.

“I have to admit, I am pretty nostalgic about being in uniform,” says Air
Force Colonel Andy Nodine who recently retired in San Antonio, Texas, after
over thirty years of service. “It was great being part of something larger than
myself an having the opportunity to help so many people.”

“The transition to the world of private enterprise has been a challenge for
many reasons. For one thing, officers entering the commercial workplace all
too often  bring with them a residual self-image as someone who is still
entitled to the respect and privileges accorded to their rank. In private
industry, however, corporate hierarchies are already well-established and
you are likely to be perceived as an outsider, or as someone who lacks the
requisite business skills and ‘cultural acclimatization’ to be of value to their
organization. Former military officers, even ones who have worked on
projects  with high-level budgets and extensive manpower, are perceived as
managers who have never been seriously held accountable to costs or time
lines. In the corporate world, accountability and  the ‘bottom line’ are
paramount. General managerial skills, although obviously viewed as useful,
are not valued as highly in the absence of this sort of experience or of job-
specific skills such as engineering or computer programming. Lacking such
experience or skills, the retired officer is likely to get hired more for who he
knows rather than what he can do. Additionally, the nature of your military
role has a powerful influence on your outside job prospects.”

“After retirement, officers who played major roles in dedicated, long-term
relationship with prime contractors during projects such as the development
of s specific weapon, ground vehicle, stealth naval ship or jet plane, often
have good employment opportunities with those contractors because they
know many of the executives on a first-name basis and have earned their
confidence. On the other hand, officers who served in general capacities
such as procurement, research and development, management of large
diverse product lines, or base-level management functions such as housing
or services, usually don’t develop the same business contacts and the post-
military job hunt becomes much more difficult.”

“I had to develop a whole new network of friends to find a job,” Colonel
Nodine continued. “The jobs that I have worked at have all come through
personal contacts. In fact, in my first job, I was hired by someone who had
worked for me. If I had to give some advice for those seeking employment, I
would tell them to swallow their pride and let every friend, neighbour and
associate know that you are in the market for a job.” Andy currently works
as a Senior Systems Engineer for Senior Applications International
Corporation (SAIC). He is also serving as general Chairman of AUTOTEST
2004, a major convention that will take place in September, and as Vice-
President of the Air-Force Association’s San Antonio chapter, the nation’s
largest. He also sings in the St. George Episcopal Church choir.

Major Robert Brody had more luck in finding a civilian job after serving
twenty-one years in the Air Force. While in the service, Major Brody
developed programs to assist airmen with substance abuse problems,  equal
opportunity issues, and human relations education. Over his career, he
obtained his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Counseling Psychology.  This
additional education and counselling skill led to a job in the corporate
sector. “I changed careers on the July 4th weekend. Friday was my last day
as a professional military man, and the following Tuesday I began work in
the employee relations department of a large financial services organization
applying management and employee development programs and working on
a wide variety of human resources issues.”

“In the first few years after the transition, I began to miss several things
that military life had made easy, including opportunities for keeping
physically fit, the social life of the base and officers’ club, friendships with
other military members and their families and the sense of purpose of
serving one’s country. Over time, I learned how to find satisfactory
replacements for those losses.”

“To keep physically fit, I joined a senior’s basketball league at a local fitness
center and we play a half-court game of three-on-three twice a week. It’s
hard on the knees, but my legs are strong, I feel healthy with lots of stamina
and I love to run.”

“Losing the social events of the officers’ club and the camaraderie with
other families was more difficult to replace as friends were reassigned to
another location, or otherwise moved away. My wife and I always enjoyed
live stage productions, so we got season passes to a local community theatre
and even did some acting and stage work. We also have music nights and
singalongs every so often with friends and relatives. I enjoy playing the
guitar and singing rock ‘n roll classics. We recently hosted a music night
during a week-long family reunion, that we organized, to include relatives
from across the country.”

“Probably the new sense of purpose in life came after our children got
married and gave us grand kids. Being grandparents became, and still is,
one of the main focuses in our lives. Our social circles have widened to
extended families including our children, their spouses, in-laws, friends,
and of course the grandchildren.”

“I remember feeling apprehensive about getting a civilian job,” recalled
retired Air Force Colonel Butch McGehee . I searched through the ‘Help
Wanted’ section of the local newspaper and sent out countless resumes to
various companies without having any luck. Then a friend suggested that
job-hunting is best done through networking with former military people
rather than through mailing out applications’.  Sure enough, my first job
offer was on referral from a retired sergeant.”

“Typically, your first civilian job will not be permanent. Often you are
contracted to work on a specific project until its completion, then you are
let go. My advice to others is to begin networking as soon as you are on the
new job and be on the lookout for something better, such as better pay, a
closer workplace to home, or some career with more job satisfaction.” Butch
worked twenty-six years in the military and an additional twelve years as a
Vice-President of CACI, a mechanical and electrical parts prototype design
firm.  Still working part-time, he indulges himself with his hobbies –
teaching scuba diving, leading scuba diving ocean excursions, writing a
science fiction novel,  working on home improvements, and visiting his
grandson.

“Officers should also consider the non-profit community as a source of
employment,” says Colonel Ray Holmes, who retired after twenty-eighty
years in Air Force Logistics. Our local United Way (UW) has a Loaned
Executive Program through which ‘loaned’ military officers can network in
the local community with for profit and non-profit organizations and get to
meet senior and mid-level managers in the civilian sector. The officers also
become known to board members of various agencies. These people are
potential post-military career contacts for salaried management positions.”

“You really need to decide what is important to you. Is it the ‘big bucks’ of
the private sector or doing something that makes you happy?  My current
role impacts the lives of people in a positive way and I find that very
gratifying.” Ray is the executive director of the USO Council of San Antonio
and Central Texas, Inc. and enjoys golf and gardening on his days off.

There is no single blueprint for you to follow. Your journey as a retired
officer is a very personal, self-directed one, and it comes without an
instruction manual.  To achieve some sense of personal fulfilment and
enjoyment as a civilian and as a retiree, you are going to have to evaluate
what you want, explore possibilities, and take risks. People who approach
this era with forethought, a bit of discipline, and a sense of adventure can
anticipate an enjoyable, memorable, and rewarding retirement.


Article written for Military Officer Magazine
©   Rob Kelley 2004
(Available for Reprint)