Where Do I Go From Here? Civilian Transition ppt

Civilian TransitionInCharge Debt Solutions Copyright © 2012 InCharge Debt SolutionsPublished by InCharge Debt Solutions Publishing at SmashwordsThis guidebook is a compilation of article

Where Do I Go From Here? Civilian Transition

InCharge Debt Solutions Copyright © 2012 InCharge Debt SolutionsPublished by InCharge Debt Solutions Publishing at SmashwordsThis guidebook is a compilation of articles by various authors intended to help military service members transition back to civilian life All rights reserved No portion of this book may be reproduced – mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying – without written permission of the publisher or the author of the article

Requests to the publisher for approval should be addressed to:

Administrative Department, InCharge Debt Solutions

5750 Major Blvd., Suite 175, Orlando, FL 32819.

Disclaimer: This compilation of articles is intended to provide general information relative to a military service member’s return to civilian life and reflects only the opinion of the author It is presented with the understanding that the author, publisher, and publisher’s agents are not engaged in rendering legal, investment, accounting, or other professional services; and this book is not a substitute for such services If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought The information, methods and techniques described in this book may not work for you If you need advice tailored to your particular financial or legal situation, please contact a licensed attorney, accountant, or financial advisor Please note that federal, state and local laws change often and the current state

of the law may not be reflected in this book The author, publisher, and publisher’s agents make no warranties with respect to the information contained herein and assume no liability or responsibility to any person or entity in connection with any loss or damage whatsoever caused or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by such information There are

no warranties as to the results that may be obtained from using this guidebook or the information contained therein While every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of all content contained herein, there may be errors (typographical, mathematical, or in content)

Cover design and book layout by: Devin Joy

All logos, trademarks, services marks, images and copyrighted words and/or titles used in this guidebook remain the intellectual property of their owners and are used with permission

Printed in the United States of America

by Progressive Communications, Lake Mary, Florida.

www.incharge.org

Table Of Contents

Forward

Dedication

Your Military Service Will Serve You Well

Translating Military Skills Into Civilian Terms

Welcome Back to Civilian Life

Marketable Skills? You Have Them!

Planning a Civilian Career

Getting the Job You Want

Top 10 Best Jobs Overall for the 21st Century

7 Tips for Nailing the Job Interview

Transitioning to Civilian Life

Profiles in Courage: Alexandra Jansen

Your Transition Checklist

Life After Service

The After Life

Getting the Most Bang for Your Post-911 GI Bill Buck

Staying Covered: Life Insurance

Military to Civilian Retirement Tips

Will Your Credit History Pass Employer Screening?

Budget Worksheet

Transitions Resource Directory

About the Authors:

DEDICATION

This guidebook is dedicated to the men and women of the U.S Armed Forces and Reserve who put their civilian lives on hold to serve and protect our nation It is also dedicated to service families who make daily sacrifices in support of their

loved one serving in uniform

It’s our sincere hope that the information herein is useful in making the transition back to civilian life Thanks for your

service and best of luck!

Your Military Service Will Serve You Well

I was honored to wear the uniform for over 32 years, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your service to our nation

You have faced tough challenges while in uniform Transitioning back to civilian life will be a challenge, but not as great as those you’ve already overcome! It takes a little work, yes You’ll have to learn how to translate military skills into civilian terms You’ll have to get used to the “civilian way” rather than the “military way.” You’ll find in this fast-paced world that a lot has changed since you traded in your civvies for a uniform I made the transition to the civilian business world after serving for many years as a career officer I’m confident you can too

Remember to always value the BIG things your military experience brings to your skill set and your resume Things with great value no matter what endeavor you pursue; things that position you to succeed in any field The words themselves don’t reflect their true value People sometimes talk casually about “discipline,” “commitment,” “camaraderie,” “can-do attitude,” “teamwork,” “loyalty” and “calmness under pressure.” You’ve experienced the true and absolute value of these characteristics; you’ve embodied them and you’ve seen them in trusted comrades on the front lines

As a corporate executive, I sought these qualities in the people I selected for employment in my company just as I did for those in my military commands I can tell you that all savvy business leaders want these qualities So remember not to discount the discipline you learned, the teamwork skills you mastered and the ability to do complicated and difficult tasks while under great stress Though the jargon and type of work you’ll be doing may be different, the qualities you’ve picked

up or honed while in the military can positively differentiate you as you transition to civilian life in a depressed and difficult economy

I hope the information you find in this collection of articles will help you with your transition and position you for great success as you return from the field of honor

Thank you for your service and my best wishes for success in the future

With warm regards,

Brig Gen Norris W Overton, U.S.A.F (Ret.) InCharge Board of Trustees (1999-2012)

Welcome Back to Civilian Life

It is a delight to be able to publish this transition guidebook for service members preparing to return to civilian life We are

so grateful for the sacrifice that your service represents, not only for yourself but for your husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and the many other family and loved ones who also carried the burden of your absence and deep concern for your safety and well-being

Your service to our nation required you to enter and learn all the particulars of an entirely different world You learned so many new things: different terminology; different policies and procedures; a different culture and doing extraordinary and complicated tasks You learned how to work as a team to get the job done no matter the weather, no matter the

circumstance and often with a lot riding on the outcome

We salute you for that! Now, though you were a civilian before, you’re facing another tough transition You put your civilian life on hold and, lo and behold, a lot’s changed since you first donned the uniform Businesses change, skills and

requirements for various jobs change, the economy has been in flux, and you’re not “tuned” to the realities of today’s civilian life

That’s why we published this collection of articles, all written by very experienced and knowledgeable experts who we think can help you as you begin the re-integration process

On behalf of all of us at InCharge and USAA we again thank you for your service and hope that the information you find herein will be very helpful as you retire your uniform and reenter civilian life

We wish you great success!

Etta Money

President, InCharge Debt Solutions

Marketable Skills? You Have Them!

By Janet FarleyYou have the in-demand technical skills that any employer would love to hire You know it When you find yourself knee deep in job search mode, however, it’s easy to overlook those other skills you may possess, compliments of a life in uniform

Disdainfully call them your soft skills or the touchy feely ones if you must Whatever you do, however, don’t discount the importance of them in your job search After all, not everyone has the right fluff

You can see the big picture

“Both officers and enlisted [service members] are particularly adept at figuring out what is important to accomplishing the relevant tasks in working toward a goal without being distracted by the hurdles that are often placed in our path,” said Dr Darryl Ahner, an Assistant Professor and Professional Engineer stationed at the Air Force Institute of Technology on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Ahner is an active duty Lieutenant Colonel facing his own military retirement and career transition

“In short, we can see the big picture clearly while accomplishing critical tasks,” said Ahner

You can inspire and lead others.

“We have strong leadership skills We are able to know what drives people to do things, I think, in a weird way because of the War in Afghanistan where we have worked to ‘win the hearts and minds of others’ psychologically or otherwise,” said Craig Preston, a Navy Lieutenant Commander (a Sub Officer) who is also in the process of retiring and transitioning into the civilian workplace

Preston is currently stationed in Portsmouth, England where he works with the Royal Navy He hopes to land a civilian job soon as an engineer, a program manager or an efficiency expert within the nuclear energy industry His dream job would

be one that allowed him to build components that fit inside of nuclear power plants

“You can imagine, after all the issues in Japan with the reactors, that there is plenty of need to do things better,” said Preston

“I’ve applied for a huge number of jobs within the private sector and some within the defense industry as well I’ve already turned down two jobs on the defense side It’s easy to go back to something you know and I just want to do something different now,” said Preston

You can be a true team player.

Hidden within the art of being a good leader lays the skill of being a true team player as well

“Being in the military teaches you have to effectively work with others towards a common goal,” said Preston

“This is a highly marketable skill that can apply across career areas,” he said

Teamwork, indeed, is critical to any organization’s success and the best employers to work for understand that concept Not everyone can work around the personal drama and individual agendas that all too often override the organizational goals

Teamwork involves personal sacrifice for the greater good and anyone who has worn the uniform honorably lives and breathes this skill knowingly or not

You know how to manage diversity.

“Having the ability to understand and appreciate diversity among people or cultures is also important,” said Preston.Ahner, who hopes to land a teaching job soon, agrees

“Military members learn people skills that are seldom learned outside the military They must interact with people from all walks of life and likely do not have the option of changing co-workers, roommates, etc.,” said Ahner

The global workplace is just that: global Having an under-standing, an appreciation and the skill to effectively navigate diversity is a plus for any employer today

You know how to effectively communicate with others.

You have excellent communication skills but you don’t always recognize that fact, according to Ahner

“Service members habitually discount their communications and organization skills when talking to employers It’s not because they can’t communicate, but rather because it’s the norm in their day-to-day military lives,” said Ahner

Ahner offers fellow job seekers a bit of helpful advice to help employers and others understand what you did in the military

“Don’t communicate your skills [to employers] in military terms but as if you were talking to your distant uncle back home who did not have a military background,” said Ahner

You strive for the next level.

In your military career, you set the bar high Whether your goal was to reach the next rank or to be involved in a specific career-enhancing mission, you creatively took it upon yourself to get there somehow In the process, you may have committed yourself to learning and mastering new skills

Strangely enough, not everyone shares that desire to learn and achieve new personal or professional levels

“Transitioning military personnel are life-long learners that adapt to accomplishing new unfamiliar missions by

independently learning new knowledge and effectively applying that knowledge,” said Ahner

What employer doesn’t want to hire someone like that?

For More Help Channeling Your Inner Fluff…

While you may have these marketable skills, you may not always be skilled in clearly identifying all of them that apply to you

You may need help to further clarify your particular skill set Lucky for you, help is available

Visit the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) on the installation nearest you and tap into (pun intended) the services of

trained career transition counselors.

Take advantage of the one-on-one career counseling services and attend the job search workshops You just might learn

a thing or two in the process to better market all of your skills, soft and otherwise

You can also access DoD’s TurboTap online for more help or if logistics prevent you from visiting a transition center in person

Consider working with a no-fee (to you) military placement agency

Preston has been working with one such agency, Bradley- Morris, Inc (BMI)

“It has bought me a certain level of continuity that wasn’t there before in my job search BMI gets you in front of employers very quickly,” said Preston who has found that process beneficial

“As you go through interviews with potential employers, you start to realize what you’re really interested in yourself You begin to hone in on specific jobs, focusing your job search more,” said Preston

Eric Salzman, a BMI Executive Consultant based in Austin, Texas, agrees that using a military placement firm can be helpful

“We have the direct connections to the hiring managers We know how to word and quantify particular training,

qualifications, awards and certificates in ways civilian hiring managers can understand,” said Salzman adding that some

of their company clients will even pay for certifications and training, for candidates that have particular backgrounds such

as a PLC certification, Six Sigma certifications, and Project Engineering (P.E.) license

Visit your installation education center

Finally, make an appointment with the education center counselor and ask to take any number of available skills inventory instruments designed to analyze your unique skills

And never, ever underestimate your fluffabilties

Translating Your Resume into English

By Janet FarleyYou’ve served your country proudly and now it’s time to move on professionally More than anything, you want your transition from boots to suits to be a smooth one You want to land a good job that pays well The only thing standing in your way is your so-called resume

Explaining to would be employers what you did in the military in a way that makes sense to them can be difficult Often, skills, experiences and accomplishments get lost in translation or in the lack thereof

To Translate or Not to Translate?

That is the question to answer before you start drafting your resume Will you be sending it to someone within the defense industry? Or will you be targeting employers outside of it?

If the answer is yes to the former, then you may not need to spend a great deal of time translating your job titles,

descriptions, awards and training into English

Those within the defense industry usually understand what you are communicating, but not always Keep in mind that there are a lot of people who work in the industry who have never worn a uniform and may not fully understand what you’ve accomplished

If you are targeting a job outside of the defense world, then you most certainly need to translate your skills, experiences and accomplishments into the English Language

It can be challenging, but not impossible

From a Tank to a Cubicle

“You have to be patient because there is no such thing as a perfect resume,” said Philip Lapple, a former M1 Main

Battletank Crewmember (19K-Armor Crewman) in the U.S Army

Lapple wants to switch career gears completely and get a job in business To reach that goal, he is currently attending the University of Maryland, University College and working on a degree in Management Studies

“I really don’t think I will get a good job until I finish my degree but I’m trying,” said Lapple

In the mean time, he is working on creating a basic master resume that he can tailor to individual job opportunities as they arise

“On my resume, I try to show that I am a well-rounded package of education and expertise,” said Lapple adding that it continues to be a work in progress

Lapple has attended the Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) courses and has also used the services of the local

Army Community Service Center’s Employment Readiness Program

“You’re not going to get it right the first time or the second time you write it,” said Lapple who finds himself revising his resume each time someone else critiques it for him

Lapple understands that he needs to translate specific words in order to make his resume work Rather than say he was a tank crewmember, he says that he was a heavy equipment operator

To highlight his skills without over emphasizing equipment operation, he puts strong emphasis on leadership

“My latest version shows words like mentoring, efficiency, and work load planning I also use the word “team” instead of platoon or squad,” said Lapple

“I am also physically counting and adding up the dollar value of items that I was in charge of in the military and noting the number of people or employees I supervised,” said Lapple

“Right now, school is my priority In my case, I feel like my resume has to show not only practical experience but a degree

as well,” said Lapple

Staying in the Same Career Field

“I have a resume, but it’s horrible I want to make it better in order to be competitive,” said Gary Heinstrom, a U.S Army Specialist who currently serves as a medic with the 554th Military Police Company based in Germany

Heinstrom is knee deep in the process of transitioning out of the military He is considering staying in his career field, but

he wouldn’t rule out getting his foot in the door to federal employment in any field either

“I just started the process of getting out and there is so much information coming at me at one time It’s overwhelming but

it seems necessary at the same time,” said Heinstrom

If Heinstrom does indeed try to stay in the medical field, he may find that the level of translations needed for his resume differ from those needed by Lapple

In some military career fields, such as those in the medical field, there may not be as strong a need to translate some of the skills, abilities and experiences for its civilian counterpart

In or out of uniform, patient care, record-keeping and specific medical procedures and protocol are universally understood with the career field

“Instead of saying that I was a medic, I am writing that I was a health care specialist I am also a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and that is the same in or out of the military,” said Heinstrom

Heinstrom says that he also making it a point to quantify his accomplishments and avoid the use of personal pronouns

For More Assistance

Translating the military words on your resume into civilian ones can be challenging You don’t have to do it alone, though Visit your transition assistance office or the family services and support center’s employment readiness program On either doorstep, you’ll find expert one-on-one counseling assistance or available classes, free of charge

For your own research the following websites offer excellent military-to-civilian translation tools:

Military to Civilian Occupation Translator

Check out O*Net Military Crosswalk at onetonline.org/crosswalk/moc/

You can also get ideas on how to effectively translate your military experiences by looking at the civilian job descriptions

or vacancy announcements for the jobs that interest you

Word For Word Common Translation Examples

Job Titles

Commander = Director or Senior Manager

Executive Officer = Deputy Director

Field Grade Officer= Executive or Manager

Company Grade Officer = Operations Manager or Section Manager

Warrant Officer =Technical Specialist or Department Manager

Senior NCOs= First-Line Supervisor

Infantry= Security Force

First Sergeant= Personnel Manager

Squad Leader= Team Leader or Team Chief

Supply Sergeant = Supply Manager or Logistics Manager

Operations NCO= Operations Supervisor

General Terms

AI= Additionally skilled in

Combat = Hazardous conditions

Company = Company, department or section

Medal = Award

Military personnel office = Human resources

Mission = Task/function/objective

Military occupation specialty/classification = Career specialty

Squad/platoon = Team or section

Reconnaissance = Data collection and analysis

Regulations= Policy or guidelines

Security clearance= Security clearance

Service members = Employees

Subordinates = Employees

TAD/TDY = Business trip

Getting the Job You Want

Courtesy of USAA

By June Walbert, Certified Financial Planner™

Many military retirees haven’t interviewed for a civilian job in decades, if at all Just like calling for fire, jumping from planes or piloting a jet, interviewing is a specialized skill You have to learn the ropes and practice

Government programs such as the Transition Assistance Program and Transition Boot Camp are a must Hiring a resume writing pro, enrolling in an interviewing skills class and using tools such as Military.com’s skills translator can help you summarize your military skills and experiences that will make sense to a civilian hiring manager Finally, don’t

underestimate the power of friends and acquaintances Networking with them can produce wonderful tips and ideas, maybe even a job Know that all paychecks are not created equal

In the military, stacked on top of base salary is an array of allowances including a generous tax-free housing benefit So,

as you compare civilian employment offers to life in the military, don’t forget about those additions to your military base pay As a retiree, you’ll have access to TRICARE, but as a civilian you may now be paying for life, medical, dental and disability insurance expenses that could put a significant dent in your pay Be sure to consider this as you negotiate your salary because pay in the civilian world is negotiable

If you’re very lucky, you’ll enjoy your hail and farewell on Friday and walk into your new civilian job on Monday But in this economic environment, such a scenario may not be realistic Your job hunt should start well before you retire from

service It’s a wise idea to have nine to 12 months of living expense money saved to bridge any potential financial gaps

Top 10 Best Jobs Overall for the 21st Century

By Laurence ShatkinToday’s job seekers face numerous obstacles: a recession that has eliminated countless positions and crowded the job-seeking field; ever-changing technology; and pressures to do more with less It can be difficult for anyone to decide which career to pursue

Before making major decisions about your future career, you’ll want to be armed with good data related to earning

potential, job security and competitiveness Below, find the top 10 best jobs for the 21st century, chosen based on pay, job growth and number of openings

1 Software Developers, Applications

Unlike a military review board, the job interview is a totally different animal And you need to nail it if you want the

conversation about your future career to continue

Here are seven must embrace tips for making that happen

Tip 1|Be serious about getting the job Dress the part Show up fashionably early for the interview Wear a

confident, not arrogant, attitude and be willing to put yourself out there for closer inspection In other words, be serious about expanding your potential opportunities

One way to do that is to use your available resources “Go to the transition assistance program job search classes and stay for the mock interviews,” said Karen Wright, an Army military intel analyst who recently interviewed for and landed a position as a technology researcher with a defense contractor

“The program lasts a couple of days, and by the time the interview practice comes around, suddenly everybody in the class has something else to do,” said Wright

According to her, that is a big mistake

“You can’t be good at what you don’t practice,” said Wright

Tip 2| Make a personal connection with the employer You’ve accomplished the basics You said hello You

shook hands Now you are easing into make or break territory Your goal at this point, job seeker, is to become memorable Use your charming personality to make that happen by taking it to the next level and understanding the basic premise at hand

“Employers want to surround themselves with a group of like minded individuals and not someone who is going to be a slacker or try to take over the company overnight,” said Wright

Take a closer inspection of the setting and put those analytical skills of yours to work If you are interviewing in the

employer’s actual office and not in some non-descript conference room, then you have a good chance of making that connection easily

Based on what you see, what appears to be important to this person and how can you show that it is important to you too?

Is his desk organized or not? Are there pictures of his family nearby? Does he have a love-me wall full of awards, an exhibit of personal travel photos or a shrine to some famous sports figure?

Notice it Find your connection with it and share it if the moment allows it You may create a memorable personal link

Tip 3| Be able to walk the talk Your resume is awesome Your friend gave you a glowing recommendation Now

it’s up to you to back up the buildup You can do this by studying your resume carefully prior to the interview Yes, you may have written it, but now you need to look at it from an employer’s perspective

What looks interesting and what doesn’t? Where can you add in examples of how you accomplished a particularly

daunting task?

Inquiring minds (and potential bosses) want to know if you can truly do all the things your resume and your well-meaning

friends say you can do

Talking the walk may also involve addressing perceived military stereotypes

“When you interview with a defense contractor, they understand the world you came from If you are interviewing outside

of that world, you may run into employers who say that they want to hire veterans but they don’t understand them and they may even be afraid of them,” said Wright

“You have to get them to see you as a person and not as a stereotype,” said Wright

Tip 4| Listen During the interview, chances are good you will be slightly on edge That’s a good thing It’s your

body chemically preparing you for the fight rather than the flight In that process, however, listening to what the employer says is crucial Active listening prevents you from asking stupid questions and saying stupid things It facilitates the conversation in a positive sense

It also allows you to figure out what is important to the employer and gives you the opportunity to address it whether the issue is verbally mentioned or not

“Sometimes you have to volunteer information that you sense is of importance to the employer In one interview I had, the employer knew I was a single mother and I had the feeling that he was concerned about my missing work because of that fact In that case, I was ok with volunteering that my mother lives with me and serves as backup child support,” said Wright

Tip 5| Ask intelligent questions Answer questions thoughtfully Listening plays a big part in your interview

success or lack thereof Asking intelligent questions and answering them thoughtfully play equal roles

To make the best impression, come prepared with a short list of real questions that can help you make a good decision about the job if it comes to that Avoid the kind of amateur questions you could find the answers easily to on the

company’s homepage

Before you go to the interview, prepare for it Review a list of commonly asked questions and brainstorm ways to answer them “Employers will ask you questions like what is your five year plan? You have to be able to hit those answers out of the ballpark so to speak,” said Wright

Tip 6| Keep your nerves in check Despite your glowing credentials and charming personality, sweat happens

Nerves do that to you Do your best to keep yourself physically relaxed and odor free during your stage time in order to minimize distractors of the bodily kind

Get plenty of rest the night before Give yourself ample time to get dressed and mentally prepared for the day’s interview Don’t forget your deodorant and forgo your signature scent-marking cologne or perfume for the day Don’t forget to breathe Breathing is good and greatly enhances your employment opportunities

Tip 7| Follow through after the interview For better or worse, you survived the interview Don’t make the mistake

now of sitting by your laptop or phone waiting for that life-changing email or call It’s over You either nailed it or you didn’t Lucky for you, however, you can still make a good impression by following through after the interview

“After my interviews, I always tried to find a way to run across the employer again and offer my thanks,” said Wright Incidental meetings aside, you can also do the following to ensure follow through and closure:

Immediately send a short but sweet thank you note to the employer Reiterate your desire to become a part of the team Immediately type up a longer thank you note and remind the employer of all of your good points and reiterate your desire

to become a part of the team

Give it a week and if you haven’t heard from the employer, call to find out how the selection process is progressing Reiterate your desire to become a part of the team

Profiles in Courage: Alexandra Jansen

by Tammy Maas

I was uncertain how I should address a U.S Soldier so I decided to call her by her first name, Alexandra Then I thanked her for serving our country She addressed me as ma’am It felt awkward Here was an American soldier showing me a sign of respect by addressing me as ma’am - an American soldier who was once responsible for making sure the widows

of suicide bombers in Iraq did not get recruited She was the recipient of several military awards, and she was calling me ma’am There is really no way to “pay back” a soldier for their service to our country, but I decided that I would try by telling the world about Alexandra

She is a twenty-five year old 1LT, Alexandra Jansen, Army Nurse Corps, Army Reserve and Emergency Room Nurse at Iowa Health Systems in Des Moines She joined the Army Reserve in 2008, was deployed to Iraq in June of 2009, and returned home in July of 2010 Her goal was to care for people who truly deserved it and to gain skill that was not

obtainable in the civilian world

While deployed, she was selected for a Civil Affairs mission Her projects focused on empowering local women and assisting widow’s organizations in Diyalo Province Her biggest project was decreasing the number of widowed women recruited for suicide bombers, in turn funding a sewing class for women in which they would learn a valuable trait and take

a more predominant role in the society While deployed she was awarded the Bronze Star, Combat Action Badge, and the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award

Alexandra describes military life as “simple living:”

“You quickly learn to live without most things you once thought were necessities - things like walking barefoot on carpet, using a bathroom down the hall from your bedroom, being able to drive anywhere at anytime, sleeping in, cooking dinner, personal privacy, and being my feminine self These were the things I greatly missed These things might sound ridiculous to most people, but when you live without them for a year you understand While I enjoyed my career as a soldier, I really missed the simple pleasures in life - things I never thought I would miss After my deployment I realized material things like these are nice but not essential to happiness.”

Here is the advice Alexandra offers for returning veterans:

“Take a break I took a few months off after deployment to spend time with my family, vacation, and get things in order Talk about what happened and your experience It really helped me to talk about what happened with those

I felt comfortable with Sometimes it’s hard to find people who understand what you went through, so lean on your fellow soldiers and communicate with them.”

Alexandra’s employer, Iowa Health Systems, held her job while she was deployed She described her first day back at work:

“I was very nervous about returning back to the Emergency Department Since I hadn’t been actively practicing nursing while deployed, I felt like it would be a rough transition I was honest with my employer and expressed my concerns with them prior to returning They were very receptive and allowed me to reorient back into the ER

Things went really well and within a few weeks I was working independently and felt very comfortable.”

When asked about her return from Iraq, Alexandra shared the following:

“I learned a lot about the army, myself and life while serving I also felt different as an American citizen I felt closer to my country and was very glad I got the chance to serve It took this deployment for me to realize how lucky Americans have it and why things should never be taken for granted “

How did you manage your bills and financial obligations back home while you were deployed?

“I set most of my bills (mortgage, utilities) up for automatic withdrawal This way I did not have to worry about them My sister also helped me managed my finances while I was deployed so I did not have to worry about these things will in Iraq.”

Did you come back to any unexpected bills/financial obligations? If you took a pay cut to serve, how did that impact your overall budget?

“I did not return to any unexpected bills I did take a pay cut while overseas but because the pay was tax free and because I wasn’t spending much money while deployed, it did not impact my budget I saved a lot of money while

on active duty.”t

If you had one piece of financial advice for other reservists – what would that be?

“Plan ahead and delegate the managing of your bills to someone you trust Money is the last thing you want to worry about overseas Also, save as much money as possible When you return you will have plenty of time to spend money and will appreciate the extra money in your account.”

Alexandra’s future goals include: continuing her education, becoming a nurse practitioner, continuing Military service

for as long as she can, and striving to be the best soldier she can be

My message to Alexandra: Thank you ma’am! You are so much more than a soldier and nurse; you are an inspiration, a

hero and the epitome of what an American should be

Post Script.

There is some controversy in the military world today regarding the use of sir and ma’am Some believe that employers and co-workers see the use of sir and ma’am as an inability to adapt to civilian life I believe they are teaching the rest of the civilian world a lesson on respect

Your Transition Checklist

Courtesy of USAA

By June Walbert, Certified Financial Planner™

The term “life event” often conjures up images of wedding dresses, binkies and diapers or even sailboats that will carry you through the golden years to exotic locales

Here’s a life event that may not be as obvious: swapping military boots for civilian shoes That’s a big change no matter when it happens but one that’s manageable and full of exciting prospects Being prepared is critical though, especially in this era of high unemployment

Nearing Military Retirement

• Create an estimated “civilian” budget Don’t forget to add in costs for items like rent or your home mortgage payment

• If needed, start saving funds to bridge any gaps that may occur during your job hunt

• Research and determine your last PCS (check out www.usaa.com/BestPlaces for a few ideas)

• Determine the cost benefit of buying versus renting a home post-retirement

• Evaluate your needs for life insurance

• Research alternatives for a commercial life insurance plan and how to replace SGLI so there’s no gap in coverage

• Consider signing up for the Survivors Benefit Plan (SBP) as you exit the military

Starting Your Civilian Job

• Research alternatives for medical and dental insurance provided through your new employer

• Compare to TRICARE to find the best value

• Evaluate your employer’s offerings for disability insurance

• If your new employer does not offer coverage, research additional alternatives:

• Evaluate your new employer’s retirement plan and associated benefits against your TSP

Consider the benefits of rolling:

• Your TSP into your new employer’s retirement plan

• Your TSP into a separate IRA

• Any tax-free combat pay into a Roth IRA

• Update your budget and adjust your emergency fund savings, if necessary

• Update or create a retirement plan based on your new earnings

• Look for an advisor that can help you with your retirement planning such as a fee only Certified Financial

Planner™ practioner.

• If you move to a new state, assess your estate planning documents for potential changes

The After Life

By Janet FarleyYou have counted down the years, the months, the days and the seconds The time for your career transition from a uniformed one to a civilian one has finally arrived

You may be ready to leap boldly from one chapter of your life into the next Whether you look forward to it or dread it, you’re sure to experience a few surprises along the way

What You Leave Behind

When you transition out of the military, for whatever reason, there are some benefits that you don’t get to take with you on your way out the proverbial door

Some of those benefits are of the intangible variety while others are more concrete in nature Regardless of their forms, you may find yourself longing for them in your life after the military

“In my first job out, I worked for a division within the Internal Revenue Service where I helped with the hiring and

placement of military veterans and disabled individuals within their information technology workforce,” he said

According to Holliman, the level of esprit de corps wasn’t quite the same as he found in uniform

“I was lucky, though I ended up with an organization where I worked with really nice people and they became kind of like

my family as well,” said Holliman