The Three Things You Must do Before Making the Transition out of the Military

I admit, I had a mental break down about four weeks ago. With the military lifestyle, my entire life has been predictable. Now that I’m no longer in the active duty military, I realize that I have so much more freedom to do what I want to do. Sounds great, right? Well, there are some complications to that. I don’t know what life is like without a planned structure. Although I did not necessarily like working in the military, I enjoyed knowing that my life had some predictability. I now have to adapt and fully confront that the real world has A LOT of unpredictability. With that being said, here are the top three things you should keep in mind before you fully make your transition out of the military:

1.Have an idea of the type of career you want to transition to outside of the military. This is a HUGE one. You should have a plan as to what type of career field you want to get into as well as apply for jobs so you can have a job lined up once you are out of the military service.

2.Make sure you have a general idea of your current financial situation and what you want your future financial situation to be. For example, I knew that I was going to be making less money in the civilian world, but I had a plan set up to where I would not be financially struggling once I got out. Per my first point, it’s helpful to have a job lined up so the financial transition is as seamless as possible.

3.Learn about VA disability (BEFORE you leave the service!!). If you have any kind of illness, disease, or impairment, you should file a claim for disability pay. Depending on the rating that you receive after you submit a claim, you could receive a disability check every month. This check could offset some of the costs from the transition you are making. It’s definitely worth taking a look and filing a claim.

It’s honestly been a difficult transition so far, but I’m adapting. I love the civilian life and the freedom that it brings. If you have any questions on what it’s like going through the transition, reach out to me! My door is always open.

-Nene