THE TRANSITION exists to be a resource that addresses two realizations I came to more than 24 months after my end-of-service date. First, the process of transition for many GWOT Vets takes years, perhaps decades, or even the rest of one's life. Second, there’s an abundance of resources available that focus on the period between 12 months prior to transition, until day one of the members' first civilian occupation. However, seemingly less exists to address Vet mental health over the long-term.
My experience leaving the military was largely inconsequential for the first two years. Having been a SEAL, I had intentionally watched those who transitioned before me. I was aware that the process presented challenges for just about everyone, regardless of combat exposure or how confident they were in whatever they planned to do as a civilian. I witnessed friends and teammates navigate a resurfacing of past traumatic brain injuries, years after they'd been injured, a circumstance many GWOT Veterans come to realize only after separation.
I knew military transition had the ability to test ones mental health, however, I viewed the process as something that would take a couple of months, at most one year. There were resources available during that time, but I recall most being related to vocational transition. A lot of college information, resume writing, interview tips.
I did a lot of networking at that time, again, very focused on how to land a job. It never occurred to me to inquired how to transition the parts of my life that weren't connected to employment. Eventually, the vocational transition took place, I relocated, managed to maintain my relationships and avoided becoming an alcoholic. Overall, my thought was that I’d been successful.
Eventually, it became evident that much of what I left behind in the military, the way I defined myself had not been “transitioned.” At the time it was being replaced by seeking higher rungs of achievement and distracting myself with accomplishment. As Jud Kauffman eloquently explains in our interview, "attaching your identity to something as clear cut as being a Navy SEAL is fine, until it's time to leave." I realized that achievement, despite the context or size, provided no real satisfaction, and a new direction would have to be quickly established to avoid feeling empty. When life presented circumstances where I had to take a pause from work, outdoor sport, and/or physical endeavors, I found myself depressed, asking a lot of questions about meaning and the purpose of anything whatsoever.
I realized I’d not transitioned anything except from whom I received my paycheck. I was mistaken to think that I'd avoided having to do the real hard work in separating. In retrospect, I don’t think my ego was ready to accept that any hard work needed to be done.
THE TRANSITION is an archive of experiences from that point forward, lessons learned in the complexity of mental health, and what it means to define a new identity after leaving the military. It’s aim is to catalog discussions with other Vets, stories of tying times, and new ideas around how to enable a better post-military life.
I’ve yet to have it all figured out but what I now know is that the separation process is complex, unique to every individual and requires a lot of work. My goal is that this page encourages investment in the transition of the complete self, beyond occupational transfer and reminds readers that it's acceptable to be "transitioning" years after leaving the military.
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The content on THE TRANSITION, is largely due to the interactions and conversations I’ve had with other Vets. By subscribing, you’re helping this information reach more readers, which results in the sharing of more experiences, thus ultimately better more quality content.
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Thus far THE TRANSITION has been something that I’ve done because I enjoy it. In large part, writing and the role that it plays, has become a large part of my own “transition.” Regardless, creating meaningful content does take significant time, and support for this page will lead to better, more impactful outreach. Please support only if you feel compelled.
