Tag: nightmares

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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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A Warrant Officer Was Marching us Into a bay, and Couldn’t Stop us.

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President Biden just received his approval rating and it is 52% That sounds pretty good, except that means 48% do not approve of him. Half the country.

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Military news

“The military justice system simply is in the wrong hands” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), specifically about military commanders’ ability to block the progress of sexual misconduct cases. But that could come to an end,. There is a Pentagon panel’s recommendation to remove prosecution authority for sexual misconduct cases from the chain of command. Instead, an independent civilian-led office would prosecute those cases.

The recommendation could be a huge step forward for holding military sex offenders accountable, advocacy groups say, but there is a long way to go before any lasting change might be made.

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“It bothers me a little bit that it’s just going to end like this,” one Marine veteran said about the possible withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan this Sept. 11. It’s one of many mixed emotions veterans shared with Jeff about the end of a 20-year long war that killed several of their friends, shaped their own lives, and which never seemed to produce any tangible results. In the end it seems like everyone’s left to their own interpretation of what it all meant.

“I want to believe that everything that we did over there made a difference,” said the Marine vet added. “That’s what I’d like to believe.”

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Dear media, ‘military-trained marksman’ doesn’t mean much

I am talking about the ‘expert marksman’ award, which is not nearly as impressive as it sounds. Unfortunately, it happened again when Nicholas Reardon, a police officer and a staff sergeant in the Ohio Air National Guard, fatally shot 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio last week. That’s bad because it implies Reardon was more likely to do this because of his military background, and not because of other issues which could be at work here, such as police violence or systemic racism.

+ I was an expert marksman. I am very proud of that, but I certainly understand how people might think like they do.

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I have an excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

While in Basic Training we were marched back and forth from the firing range. One day our drill sergeant couldn’t be there and asked a Warrant Officer to do it.

We saw that he was going to take us back, and we made a sudden decision. We would only take correct orders when he was marching us.

We were all standing around at the firing range when he said, “Let’s get together men.” No one moved. He said it again. No movement. He finally asked one of the sergeants there tell him what to say. He finally said. “Get into formation men.”

We did, and the he tried to start marching us. We were all in formation and facing him.

He look flustered. He couldn’t figure out how to get us into marching form. He again asked one of the sergeants what to say. He then said, “Right face,” We did it.

He again was frustrated because he didn’t know how to get us started. He went back to the sergeant, who by this time was not happy.

The officer then said “Forward march,” We started marching, and the officer was happy. He didn’t do any form a cadence, but we march for him anyway. We were moving along pretty good when we saw we were heading for a boat ramp on the bay. The officer saw that and yelled, “Stop!” We kept going. He yelled it again, “Stop!”

The front of the formation was in the water.

I was in the water soon. The officer screamed for help and there was a sergeant near that ran over to stop us, but that time, the front was swimming around and we were all laughing.

The officer finally got us to our barracks, and we were dismissed by a sergeant there.

All hell broke loose, because the commander didn’t like what we did. At least we thought he didn’t like what we did.

He got us in formation, and chewed us out, but then as he was walking away, He had a big grin on his face.

*This and many other military stories will be in the book. Keep checking in to see the progress.

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How are your doing? Have the nights turned into nightmares. Has the pain of your wounds not gone away?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 11, 900 fellow veterans here who have your back.

If it is just too overwhelming for you, GET HELP!

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

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

Never take on this, not so friendly world, alone.

1-800-27308255 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!

_________________________________

+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.

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We Must Not Forget Those Military Who Are Deployed During Holidays.

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Had a wonderful Easter with my family.

All my children were there. Lots of good food. Lots of laughter and story telling about each other. No masks, and lots of hugging.

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We must not forget

those brothers and sisters who had to spend Easter out in the cold, with not much good to eat. They are sacrificing their time to keep us free.

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President Biden

is quickly turning both parties against him. His policies are causing havoc. He made the Major League Offices move the All Star Game away from Atlanta, because of the new legislation the state had put in place. It was strict rules on voting, and Biden didn’t like it.

He seems to be causing his own demise.

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During my deployment to South Korea,

I wasn’t happy when the holidays came. I wasn’t with my family,

I so appreciate those who are serving during these times.

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Update on my new book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In an Out of the Trenches of life.

Just need to clean up some interviews

The more I see the results of them the more I am sure you will like them.

I am also adding a new appendix

It will share some titles of good books for the military. There are some outstanding books that are very accurate and have amazing true stories.

Then it will be off to the publisher.

I have one picked out that I have already checked out. They will do a fabulous job.

I hope to have it ready for fall this year.

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I am checking in on you.

How are your days going? Do you not sleep well? Are the nightmares too fearful? Are you still struggling with PTSD?

Fear not!

There are over 11.725 fellow veterans on this site who have you back. There have been there and done that.

But! If the struggle is too much for you right now, GET HELP!

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

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

Never, ever, take on this not so friendly world alone!

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1

___________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

___________________________________

+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.