Week 6 - Military Transition

Week 6! You guys are awesome - I appreciate all the feedback you have given me over the past month and a half! Keep it coming guys, we’re all in this life together and if there’s someone out there I can help, please don’t hesitate to contact me! Also, if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll get a glimpse of my daily life and see some awesome construction/drone footage throughout the week. This week I posted a voting option to write about military transition vs. avoidable construction mistakes. The majority of votes were for military transition.

This article will not only cover my military transition techniques, but I will attempt to incorporate a timeline of events for those of you separating to follow throughout your transition. Many veterans today are left without jobs because they’re not aware of the resources out there to help them. I would like to be a resource for anyone transitioning.

My first piece of advice: don’t need the military more than the military needs you. For the last decade, the military has gone through multiple force restructuring efforts to meet budgetary guidelines. I’ve had friends forced to separate from the military because of “reshaping efforts” that year, only to have their career fields offer bonuses the next year because they cut too many people. These wide-sweeping decisions affect the lives of many individuals. The military will still exist long after you separate, the quicker we realize this, the easier it becomes to take control of our own lives and not rely solely on the military. This change of state-of-mind will allow you to be in control of your own future. One thing is certain - Eventually, everyone hangs up the uniform.

Here’s a super-quick rundown of my Air Force career:

June 2010: Entered Active Duty, went to initial training, arrived at Holloman AFB, NM

September 2013: Moved from Holloman AFB, NM to Kunsan AB, South Korea

September 2014: Moved from Kunsan AB, South Korea to Joint Base Charleston, SC

October 2015: Started Terminal Leave

December 2015: Separated from USAF (Date of Separation)

2+ Years from Date of Separation (DOS):

I know this seems like a long timeframe to be thinking about separating, but if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. You must be thinking 2+ years ahead of your career at all times in order to have a smooth transition to civilian life. One point I would like to stress, if you plan on separating from the military and you know what your plans are, don’t tell your coworkers, supervisor, etc. All kinds of decisions get made in a different light because you were forthcoming on “quitting your job” in 2 years - think of it that way. Promotion recommendations, training opportunities, and deployment assignments may be affected because you plan on separating. At 2+ years, things can change quickly, and you may decide to stay in the military. Keep your plans to yourself and your family so you never shut a door you may need open again.

At this point in my military career, I was stationed in South Korea - 3 months into my 1-year tour. I was using Tuition Assistance (TA) to help pay for my master’s degree program. For officers, you must have an Active Duty Service Commitment (ADSC) that runs for at least two years from the completion date of the last course using TA Benefits. That means if you’re using TA, you incur additional service time if you are within your last 2 years of your service commitment - this is written in very fine print when you sign up to use TA. For enlisted, you must have a DOS that extends beyond the last course that is using TA Benefits.

Bottom Line: Any course I took after my 2-year mark, I decided to pay for myself, so I didn’t incur any additional commitment beyond my current Date of Separation.

One more item I’d like to mention at your 2-year mark is finances. At 2+ years out, begin to look at your debt (credit cards, car loans, etc.) and start paying that off over time. Finding a civilian job is stressful enough; looking for a job while having debt payments adds a layer of stress that can be eliminated if planned for well in advance. Pay a little extra each month so you can go into the civilian world with little-to-no debt. Also, start saving your money! An E-5 can save $800/month (that’s only $400 each paycheck) for 2 years and have close to a 6-month emergency fund on their DOS. If you can’t do both, pay your debts first, then start a savings plan to have 3-6 months of your pre-taxed income (INCLUDING Base Allowance for Housing - BAH).

1-Year from DOS:

Decide whether you plan on staying in your current location or moving to a new home. This is important because you need to start networking and looking at your opportunities at your one-year mark. At 1-year out, you shouldn’t take on any large commitment debt (cars, houses, boats, etc.) and should have your financial plan lined up to have all debts paid off before your DOS. Your savings target should remain in the 3-6 months of pre-taxed income range to help with your transition.

Also, let’s look at your leave situation - most of us at 1-Year from DOS have a couple of weeks saved up which is great! Let’s make sure you’re not losing any days due to regulations and we want to make sure you plan to have the maximum amount of days allowed during your terminal leave. For my 1-year mark (Dec 2014), I knew that I would encounter the turn of a new fiscal year (1 Oct 2015). This is key because when I was separating I could only carry 60-days of leave through the new fiscal year. This meant that if I had more than 60-days of leave accrued by 1 Oct 2015, I would lose those days. I had to plan on saving as many days as I could, but not exceeding 60-days before 1 Oct. Then, I was able to separate with the maximum amount of days of terminal leave. If you’re separating before 1 Oct, you should set yourself up to have as many days possible of terminal leave - this will trigger a new state of mind: Figure out how many days of leave you currently have, plus how many days of leave you will have on your DOS. Subtract those days from your DOS and that is your terminal leave start date - your terminal leave start date is now your NEW DOS (NDOS). The goal is to have a civilian job lined up immediately after your NDOS.

Civilian job! Let’s look at how we can network to secure a job after the military. Start building your resume - gather all your performance reports and write down all your bullets in one document. Spell out all acronyms and shorthand words so you have long sentences for each accomplishment and group them into each job position you held. Find a suitable resume format (nothing fancy) online and start plugging your accomplishments in for your professional experience. I recommend ordering your professional experiences by location (first duty station last, most recent duty station first). This will show an increase in your responsibilities over time. If you’re applying for a Government Service (GS) position, these “rules” will be very different - contact me and I can help build your GS resume to be able to withstand the screening process.

While you’re building your resume, network within your community. For Engineers, attend Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) meetings and events. Get used to talking to people you don’t know and putting yourself out there. When I went to SAME meetings, I would be talking with a business owner or civilian engineer and I quickly realized I would be spewing acronyms and terms that nobody would understand. I would be frustrated because my networking was failing. It’s OK to fail when your 1-year away from separating.

You need to fail - that’s why I recommend applying for jobs at your 1-year mark. Start looking on Indeed, LinkedIn, or ZipRecruiter for jobs you’re interested in, put your resume in, and accept any job interviews that come your way. You can go into an interview knowing that you’re not going to be able to take the job right away. What this boils down to is - practice. I learned that the military places a large emphasis on what you’ve accomplished - Performance Reports, Awards, Decorations, etc. play a big role in the military’s day-to-day mind frame. Internally, you begin to think that everyone you talk to (interview with) cares about what you’ve accomplished. In reality, no interviewer cares about your accomplishments - they care about what you can do for them and their business. How can you be of value to them? That’s the purpose of a job, a position exists that must be filled in order for the business to grow and make money. This doesn’t mean that you can’t talk about your accomplishments, but they should be complemented with how they speak to your work ethic and capabilities for the position your applying.

These things take practice, which is why I recommend starting when you’re 1-year away from your DOS.

6-Month from DOS:

Now, you’re at the 20-yard line - the red zone. You’re probably buried in a 10-page out-processing checklist and worried about getting the library to sign off! It’s a good thing you have your finances in check, so you don’t have added stress! Make sure you take care of your medical paperwork well in advance! It takes time to get copies of your medical history printed and issued to you. It also takes time to set-up an appointment to begin your VA Disabilities workshop. At your 6-month mark, at least pay a visit to the Medical facility and request your records so you can schedule a disability workshop. You should have your congress-mandated Transition Assistance Program (TAP) scheduled - If your leadership allows, I recommend going through this class twice - once at your 1-year mark and once within 6-months of separating. If you can get two different instructors, you’ll be able to gain two types of insight on transitioning and potentially network farther during your transition. My instructor was Jeff Crouell and he was excellent at teaching us how to communicate! If you have a job lined up while you are going through TAP - great! Don’t be that guy/girl that doesn’t take it seriously because you’re all set - help others around you. Show them what worked for you and help them build their future.

You should know exactly when you will start terminal leave. If you plan on staying in your local area, I highly recommend interviewing multiple times a month to make sure you have a job lined up as quickly after your terminal leave start date as possible. I started terminal leave on a Friday and started my first day of work on Monday. If you plan on traveling or taking time off, just make sure you’re financially prepared and have job prospects lined up for when you get back. Again, it’s a good thing you started your 3-6 month emergency fund planning two years in advance, now you have some financial freedom to get used to the new pay, taxes, expenses and costs of becoming a civilian. This additional money will help you adjust your personal budget and relieve a ton of stress from your transition.

DOS & Beyond:

You’ve secured a job working in the “real world.” Congratulations! You’ll quickly realize that employers value what you believe are ingrained in your daily beliefs - showing up early is an expectation, don’t abuse company privileges, and DUIs are career killers! The same state-of-mind that you learned in the military will make you successful in the civilian world - not everyone has these values stitched in their everyday way-of-life. Now, your next duty is to help other veterans be as successful as you. Reach out to your local military installation. Each installation has a personnel office - find their phone number and/or email and let them know you’re a local veteran looking to help others.

We live in a time where our country supports our veteran community, employers prefer to hire vets and generally speaking, they appreciate having leadership qualities within their organizations. There was a time in our country’s history where this wasn’t the case. Vietnam War veterans weren’t welcomed with open arms, the VA didn’t have transition programs, and employers who didn’t support the war wouldn’t even consider them for an interview. Be thankful for what you have and what you have built for yourself and help the next veteran behind you. Give back to the veteran community and teach them what you learned because the laws of the land are always changing!

If you’re a veteran looking to separate soon, give me a call (575)551-2286 or email (randaz43@gmail.com). I can help you with resume writing, networking/interview preparations, financial planning during the transition, and connect you with potential employers. Also, if I was stationed with you - please don’t hesitate to use me as a reference, just shoot me a message so I can prepare for the phone call! Again, if you’re looking to apply for a GS position, the application process is a little different and can be frustrating - contact me and I can help you with the process!

(RPIC: Sal Randazzo, 50-ft AGL, Reg #: FA3AARWW43) - This was a residential inspection held on the forms, rebar, vapor barrier and footer layout in a new community.

(RPIC: Sal Randazzo, 200-ft AGL, Reg #: FA3AARWW43) - This was a residential inspection held on the forms, rebar, vapor barrier and footer layout in a new community.

(RPIC: Sal Randazzo, 125-ft AGL, Reg #: FA3AARWW43) - Residential site preparation inspection in Moncks Corner, SC.

I hope you enjoyed this topic/post and it helps with your military transition. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if I can help you with your transition! I'm constantly seeking feedback - leave a comment below or send me a message letting me know what you think, how I can make this better, or if there's a topic you want me to cover!

Thanks for reading!

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About Sal Randazzo:

Sal is a defense contractor, entrepreneur, and fitness enthusiast. His Blog is designed to share his life with his followers. His YouTube channel & Blog is a gallery of his work and personal life. Enjoy!

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