A Better Civilian Life

This is the beginning of the upcoming mini-series: Before you Get Out. We are talking all things we need you to know before you leave the military and what to do if you already have. There will be special guests telling their stories and words of wisdom from the civilian side!

Before You Get Out (BYGO) of the military, here is some wisdom from my good friend and comrade, Dave Gambone. David Gambone is a 33 year old Massachusetts native who served 5 years of active duty in the United States Army as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic from 2013-2018. He was medically retired from the army after sustaining injuries during a training incident in which his neck was fractured. David lives in Central Massachusetts with his wife and three children and is a musician who also enjoys video gaming in his off time. Dave is doing some amazing work for veterans and their families. He created an organization that would take a practical approach to eradicating the suicide phenomenon and supporting the families who are immediately affected by it, The Minus 22 Foundation. Check it out here: Minus 22 | By Veterans For Veterans

Before You Get Out! This episode's guest, Dan Joseph, has such a compelling story and lots of advice for leaving the military. More about Dan below: Dan Joseph was an Army Combat Engineer (sapper platoon leader) who shipped out to basic training at 32 years old and was stationed at Fort Irwin during the lockdowns where he focused on maintaining the mental health of the troops while war gaming in the desert. His life changed when one of his Soldier's survived a suicide attempt while at the same time, his best friend in the military lost 13 men from his unit to suicide. Working closely and sparring Jiu-Jitsu with several combat Veterans brought deeper awareness about the psychological weight they carried each day, making it that much clearer how important healthy leadership is. Obtaining a Masters's in Organizational Psychology while in uniform helped him explore the neuroscience of good leadership. He wrote a book on mental health and resilience for new leaders based on advice given by several friends including officers and enlisted service members of every branch, ranging from pilots to special operators. Check out Dan's book and more about him here: https://www.combatpsych.com Backpack to Rucksack: Insight into leadership, & resilience by military experts https://www.amazon.com/Backpack-Rucksack-Leadership-Resilience-Military/dp/B0BRQB8HSY

Are you going out of your way to avoid feeling regret or disappointment or any other negative emotion? If yes, this episode talks about what that indecision is costing you.

This episode will build you up if you have been needing a boost! It's a look into a new way to think about your strengths and how to have access to more of them.

Remember the last time you pushed through and made it happen? Why did you do that?! This is the episode for you.

You can hold yourself accountable without treating yourself like garbage AND continue to work towards your goals while accepting yourself as you are. Both are possible.

What do your things say about you and do you need to keep them? This episode will help you navigate your own answers to those questions.

Just like crime scenes leave evidence, so does your life. You know more about what you want than you might initially think.

This episode is about when combat arms opened up to women and what to do when you are making life choices.

This episode is about all the feels that come with getting left behind, seeing our brothers and sisters successes in the military, and what to do about it.

Adventures in rappelling like a ninja and making decisions that shape our lives.

There is no prize for doing hard things just because they are hard. Do something hard that moves you towards your goals!

In the last episode, we talked about ways we walk our Veteran walk. This week is the opposite! It's all the requirements to be a Veteran in the first place, or so we think.

From military discounts to the way our brains work, here are a few ways we Veterans are alike. Let me know of any of your favorites that I missed!

A look into the bumpy transition of going from Soldier to Civilian and some unexpected lessons along the way. Welcome!