Tag: naive

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Sometimes You do the Wrong Things While in the Military

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Military news…

For the next few posts I will be shairng freebees, for veterans because veterans day is coming up on 11-11-2021

The first section will be restaurants:

Missing is Applebees. They have a free meal for all veterans on Veterans Day

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Veterans Day discounts and meals at restaurants

Bob Evans – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active-duty military receive a special menu of seven (7) homestyle favorites for FREE at local restaurants. Dine-in only. Visit the Bob Evans website for more details.

The Chop House – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active military receive a 50% discount off any entrée with a valid military ID on November 11. Dine-in only. Please call ahead to your local Chop House if you have any questions about your Veterans Day Discount, or visit the Chop House website for additional details.

Cotton Patch Café – November 11, 2021
All Veterans and active military members are being offered a Chicken Fried Steak or Chicken Fried Chicken FREE on November 11. Please call ahead to your local Cotton Patch Café if you have any questions about your Veterans Day Discount.

IHOP – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active-duty military are being offered FREE red, white and blue pancakes on November 11.

Lucille’s BBQ – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active-duty military receive a FREE Lucille’s Original Pulled Pork Sandwich and one side item on November 11. Must show proof of service. During the month of November, dine at any Lucille’s location to round up your bill to the nearest dollar where your generous donations will support Operation Homefront’s Holiday Meals for Military.

McCormick & Schmicks – November 7, 2021
Veterans, Gold Star parents and Gold Star spouses can enjoy a half-priced entrée from a special menu on Sunday, November 7, 2021, at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. Please contact your nearest location for details.

Red Robin – November 1-November 14, 2021
Veterans and active-duty military who are Red Robin Royalty members are being offered a free Tavern Double Burger and Bottomless Steak Fries anytime between Nov. 1-14 for dine-in or to-go. Visit the Red Robin website for details.

Yard House – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active-duty military get a complimentary appetizer on November 11. Please visit the Yard House website or contact your nearest location for details.

California Pizza Kitchen – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active military get a complimentary entrée and beverage when they dine in and show proof of service on November 11. In addition, all veterans who dine with California Pizza Kitchen will receive a BOGO, redeemable from November 12 through 20.

Chili’s – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active-duty service members get a free meal from a select menu on November 11. Available for in-restaurant only.

Denny’s – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active military personnel get a free Build Your Own Grand Slam on November 11, from 5 am to noon. Dine-in only.

Golden Corral – November 11, 2021
Golden Corral is hosting their Military Appreciation Night on November 11 from 5 pm to close. This includes a free “thank you” meal when dining in.

Mission BBQ – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active-duty military get a free sandwich on November 11.

Shoney’s – November 11, 2021
Veterans and active-duty service members get a free All You Care To Eat, Freshly Prepared Breakfast Bar on November 11 until 11 am. Dine-in only.

Texas Roadhouse – November 11, 2021
Texas Roadhouse will hand out dinner vouchers at the stores’ parking lots on November 11, from 11 am to 2 pm. Veterans and active-duty military can redeem their dinner vouchers when the restaurant opens for dinner, through May 30, 2022.

Logan’s Roadhouse – November 11, 2021
Logan’s Roadhouse will be offering all Veterans a free American Roadhouse Meal From 3 pm to 6 pm on Thursday November 11.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse – November 11, 2021
BJ’s is serving those who have served their country by once again teaming up with Dr Pepper®, offering a complimentary meal from a select menu and a Dr Pepper® beverage to all current military personnel and Veterans with proof of service.

Red Lobster – November 11, 2021
Free Appetizer or Dessert for Veterans Day: In honor of Veterans Day, and to thank veterans, active duty military, and reservists for their service, Red Lobster is offering a free appetizer or dessert on Thursday, November 11.

Olive Garden – November 11, 2021
Free entrée from a special menu for each Veteran and current member of the military. Simply show proof of military service. Dine-in only. All entrées include freshly baked garlic breadsticks, and your choice of homemade soup or famous house salad.

Veterans Canteen Service – November 10, 2021
Veterans Canteen Service locations are honoring Veterans with a free coffee or fountain beverage.

Buffalo Wild Wings – November 11, 2021
Veterans and service members get a free order of 10 boneless wings and fries. This offer is available for dine-in or takeout (online ordering excluded). Proof of service must be shown for redemption.

O’Charley’s – November 11, 2021
Veterans and service members receive a free meal from a special menu with proof of service.

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Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

White Lightning in West Virginia

While I was stationed at Ft Bragg, North Carolina, we went on maneuvers in West Virginia. We were out in the country hills right in the middle of farm land.

We had time off on one of the days there so a couple of others guys and me went on a walk through the farm land. As we came around a bend, we saw some men sitting up on a hill in lawn chairs laughing and carrying on. We thought we might as well get to know some of the locals.

As we got closer we saw that the men had rifles leaning up against their chairs. I started thinking about the movie, Deliverance. They were all in overalls, and were smoking pipes with who knows what in them. Beards were the style for all of them. They would fit right in with the people of, Duck Dynasty.

We said hi, and they invited us to sit with them for a while. I noticed one of them was drinking out of a Mason jar. It looked like water, but I knew better. One of my friends asked what it was. “We call it White Lightning, here,” said one of the men who looked like he may be the elder of the group.

I was such a naïve young man, that I had no idea what they meant by the term White Lightning. They laughed when I asked them.

They said I should take a taste of it to see for myself. They handed me a jar, and I took a sip. I thought my insides were going to explode. I made some kind of noise, because all the Virginia guys laughed when it looked like I was going to heave.

However,  the guys with me were “veteran,” drinkers and they tried a taste. They really liked it and drank the whole jar full. It wasn’t long before they started acting “silly.”

One of them liked it so much he asked for a refill. The “farmers,” had no trouble doing that. My friend sat there and drank another full jar of the concoction. He was getting very dizzy and incoherent about that time.

Then he started screaming, “I am going blind!” He said he couldn’t see. The hosts didn’t seem to get too worried. They said it is common to go temporarily blind for those who are new at drinking it.

It wasn’t funny for my group, and we helped our blind friend back to the camp area. He eventually got his sight back. It must have been interesting for him to explain how he was blinded in the first place.

In life we can start slowly doing things we maybe shouldn’t be, and think that it is OK. We keep doing the things we know we shouldn’t be doing, and then we see we are in too deep and fall.

It is no different than drinking White Lightning. It seems harmless at first, but then we are blinded by the force that has overcome us.

Be careful to always check out what is happening around you, wherever you may be. There things that look innocent, and yet can lead you down the wrong path.

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There is more to this, funny/not so funny, chapter, but I am making you order the book when it comes out to read the rest. 🙂

Come back to see more excerpts here. Better yet… Go to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe.” When you do all future posts go directly to your inbox.

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Check in on how you are doing my friend. Are things going smoothly, or are your paths rough and going no where?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 13,300 fellow veterans subscribed to this site who have your back.

If the path is just too much for you, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number to call 24/7. They have highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK. (By the way…it is free.)

1-800-272-8255…texting 838255.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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There Can be Some Very Embarrassing Times While in the Military

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Military news…

“You’re ridiculous,” one elected official told a former Cabinet secretary on live television yesterday. Lawmakers of both parties used the hearing, where they grilled former Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller and other witnesses over the Capitol Hill insurrection of Jan. 6, to grandstand for their constituents. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) called Miller ridiculous for going back on his previous position that former President Donald Trump instigated the riot.

“I stopped feeling like I mattered. Like what I was doing was insignificant,” is one of many reasons why troops choose to get out of the military. Haley Britzky writes that other big factors were the lack of family care plans and sheer exhaustion from the never-ending push for readiness and deployments. Haley’s story comes as the military struggles to meet its end-strength goals.

5 tips for how to successfully transition out of the military

1. Build a strong set of resumes. 

Translating your knowledge, skills, and abilities into multiple resume formats for the public and private sectors is the first step towards success when applying for post-military jobs.  

Chronological resume. This format is most likely what comes to mind first when you think of resumes. It lists your work experience in order, from most recent to oldest. Chronological resumes are standard in most careers fields and are the best option if you’ve been working in your desired area of interest for a while because it highlights your applicable experiences. 

Functional resume. This type of resume highlights your skills and abilities, rather than relying on work experience to make you a good candidate for a job. If you’re breaking into a new career field or are lacking experience for your desired job, you’ll want to create a functional resume to feature your potential to be the best candidate. If your education matches your career interest, make sure to highlight it here.

Federal resume. The federal job website USAjobs.gov relies heavily, though not exclusively, on automated filtering systems for portions of the hiring process and has specific requirements for your resume. A lot of your success in getting through the first round of screening is matching keywords in the job description to your resume. Set yourself up for success by using the websites FedsHireVets and FASClass – they’re key to helping you navigate the complex federal hiring system.

2. Take advantage of your benefits.

There are a multitude of benefits available to veterans through the VA – home loans, G.I. Bill for education, financial compensation for disability, and medical care, to name a few. Some former service members are hesitant to take advantage of what the VA has to offer, either from feeling like they didn’t do enough to earn disability compensation or fear of the process of applying for benefits being frustrating and time-consuming. VA benefits are not a handout, and applying for them doesn’t take anything away from anyone else who you think “had it worse.” There are a multitude of accredited Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) who can help you navigate the claims process.   

3. Transition your healthcare plan.

Moving from military health coverage to a private plan within 90 days of your separation is important to avoid gaps in medical care. Tricare offers 90 days of continued coverage after separation to give you time to find a new healthcare plan. But even if you’re retaining Tricare benefits as a retiree, you’ll still have to apply to continue your benefits. Most insurance plans have waiting periods before your coverage starts, so make sure to sign up with an insurance provider with ample time to spare before you lose coverage. If you are moving into the workforce post service, many employers offer insurance options in their benefits packages, so explore your options before committing.

4. Get life insurance coverage. 

Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) won’t provide you ongoing coverage after you leave the military, so it’s important to start shopping for life insurance coverage that suits your needs and the needs of your family. A lot of insurance providers offer a buffet of options to fit your stage of life and budget. There are some key things to consider, like if you want term coverage versus whole life coverage, and how much you’ll be paying in premiums. Who you buy your insurance from is just as important as the policy itself, so make sure to shop around and find what you need. There are a lot of veteran-friendly insurance providers who cater specifically to the needs of service members.

5. Take advantage of available resources. 

If you don’t know where to start or need a little help on your journey from service member to civilian, there are a lot of places to find help. Whether you need help making a resume, career counseling, financial planning, or mental health care, there are plenty of places to turn. Organizations like the USO, Hire Heroes, and Transition Assistance Program are just a few that offer support and assistance to transitioning service members. Becoming a fully integrated civilian doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process that requires time, patience, and a lot of adjustment. Not only is it OK to ask for help, but it is wise to do so. Entering the civilian workforce after military service can feel a bit bewildering, not unlike your first days of basic training. Seemingly simple things like searching for a job, choosing what to wear, or interviewing for a position can feel foreign and overwhelming at first. Getting help from a transition expert can help greatly reduce the stress and anxiety associated with leaving the military.

Transitioning out of the military is a monumental life change, whether you feel prepared for it or not. There are a lot of unknowns to navigate and an entirely new way of life to get used to. Planning ahead, using available resources, and finding the right partners are the best path forward.

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When I enlisted in the Army, I was only 18 years old. I was a very naive. I hadn’t even been away from my hometown.

Before you could officially be a service member you had to pass a physical. Two buddies and I went to Portland, Oregon to take the physical.

We came into a big room that looked like a gymnasium. There were about thirty enlistees there. They had us all stand in a line facing the far wall. Then two doctors came out of a side door and started going down the line to each man.

We weren’t military yet so we could watch what they were doing. I was horrified.

We all had to pull down our pants and take off our undies!

One of the doctors was in the front and the other was behind you.

The front doctor put his hand on your testicles and told you to couch. The other doctor put his finger up your rear and felt around.

That was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, up to that point.

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This is one of the many stories that are in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of life.

Keep coming back to see other excerpts, and updates on how the book is coming along.

Better yet, Subscribe right now to this site by going to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe.” When you do that all future post will go directly to your inbox.

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How is your day going? Did you have some embarrassing times while in the military, and do you have nightmares about them?

Fear Not!

There are over 11,800 fellow veterans on this site who have your back.

However, if it is just to much for you, GET HELP!

Here is a toll free number to call 24/7.

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are OK.

Never live through nightmares anymore!

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.