Sharing one lesson at a time
Now comes the time for a very harsh truth. This is not a concept I am addressing from personal experience. This is coming from statistics and observation. I have seen firsthand how true this is. After my first two years on active duty, divorce notices ceased to surprise me. I don’t mean to make light …
Continue reading "Lesson 34: Many veterans have had a practice marriage"
You never know when important things are going to happen. No matter how good you think your memory is, it is never a bad idea to always have writing material available. For certain military occupational specialties, it is even mandatory. Regardless of whether you are working security, policing, mechanical, administrative, etc., there is no reason …
Continue reading "Lesson 33: Always have a pen/pencil and notepad on you"
I am sure you already knew this, but this holds especially true for those serving in the armed forces. You may think that long distance is long distance, regardless of what your profession may be, but you would be wrong. There is an extra level of difficulty for people serving in the armed forces that …
Continue reading "Lesson 32: Long-distance relationships are not ideal"
While I was fortunate enough to learn this lesson before separating from the military, there are times when no matter how early you learn a lesson, habits are difficult to break. In many cases, no matter how hard you try, they never fully go away. Military jargon and sarcasm might as well be considered its …
Continue reading "Lesson 31: Military sarcasm and humor don’t translate well into civilian life"
I have no doubt that there are plenty of people that never served in the armed forces that will understand what I am trying to say. When I say “civilians,” I am referring to the majority. This rule, like any other, is not without exceptions. If you have every worked in any kind of public …
Continue reading "Lesson 30: Civilians complain about the funniest things"
A major part of military training and operations revolves around standardization. General training and principles that are in effect throughout the entire branch in a broad effort to mitigate as much confusion as possible. There is a reason that every member, regardless of military occupational specialty, regular enlisted, reserve, guard, officer, etc., goes through a …
Continue reading "Lesson 29: Be consistent, but not too predictable"
The chain of command in the military, for the most part, is rigid. There is not much room for interpretation. It is designed that way for a reason and the reason is a pretty good one. There is enough stress on the battlefield already. Adding the stress of who is in charge is unwelcome. Everyone …
Continue reading "Lesson 28: NCOs have the solution to any problem"
If you have ever ridden in a military vehicle, you know what I am talking about. It is discourteous to engage bodily functions in ANY vehicle if there are other people inside, but this is especially important when it comes to Humvees. This lesson goes beyond just bodily functions and bonds closely with being an …
This isn’t specific to officers or noncommissioned officers. This is one of the most difficult nuances to figure out when it comes to any environment, but it becomes increasingly difficult when you are in an environment that promotes a sense of stoic professionalism and a structure that is so rigid that, often, there appears to …
Continue reading "Lesson 26: Leadership tends to lack a sense of humor"
I speak from a place of bias, a place of personal experience, when I say that I believe the United States Armed Forces is one of the toughest military organizations in the world. We have some of the best tools, technologies, minds, and with a membership that is comprised entirely of volunteers, our commitment to …
