Active duty personnel who are preparing to separate or retire from the military will not only be ending their career with the military. They will also be making a tremendous life change. Reaching this decision is not the same as choosing to switch from one job to a more suitable position. Leaving the military involves more than just hanging up your uniform and getting used to being called “Mr.”, “Miss” or “Mrs”. It is a complete life change. For some retiring active duty personnel, this can be the first transition to civilian life that they have ever known, since their teenage years.
Identity crisis
One of the biggest shocks that separating or retiring active duty personnel have to cope with is their loss of military identity. As active duty, they had a rank and knew where they slotted into place in the chain of command. But upon the date of their separation or retirement, one thing that they will not be able to take with them is their rank. They will no longer be entitled to sign their e-mails “Sgt Smith” or “Capt Lewis”. Once personnel get used to this concept, they can then make the transition more easily. During active duty, some people may not even be overly concerned about who they are, as they had a place and position. But gradually building a new life outside the military before leaving can help to cushion the blow. Making friends with civilians and getting involved in non-military community events is one way that can help with this identity crisis, so that members are not completely reliant upon the military for their identity. This will enable military personnel to see and explore a life outside their base or camp. Military life can be very insular, which is a comfort for many while they are on active duty, but in some ways it does not prepare people for the reality of civilian life.
Settling down
The two main reasons why people join the military is to receive free funding for higher education and to see the world. But all this will change once a person leaves the military. Some funding for education may still be available, but it will no longer be free. The world will still be there to see, but the military will no longer pay for tours to far flung corners of the globe. During even a short time in the military, active duty personnel get the opportunity to be stationed in different countries. Regular moves every few years soon become the norm. But a return to civilian life is more static and tends to involve staying in the same home for a few, if not many years. This is often a hard concept to get used to. Working a 9:00-5:00pm job is not the same as being sent to another country for training or on a deployment. However, one of the benefits of this is that parents and spouses can spend more time together, rather than cope for months at a time apart.
Finances
A military career guarantees a steady salary to its active duty members. It arrives on time and can be generous, depending on the location. In countries and areas that are considered to have a high cost of living, such as Hawaii or some parts of Europe, active duty personnel are compensated with a cost of living allowance, that helps defray some of their household expenses on the local economy. This safety net is removed once the active duty member separates or retires. Retirees will receive a pension for the rest of their lives, but it will be nowhere near the amount of money they were used to receiving. This can come as a shock, but with some careful planning and a sensible budget, it does not have to plunge the family into dire straits. If the active duty member is married, one option is for their spouse to look for work, if they are not already employed. Or the couple can cut back on some of their expenses until they are able to find new employment.
More family time!
Military personnel are bound to their jobs and the purpose that they enlisted or were commissioned for during their time on active duty. That means family life has had to come second. Short absences, training, remote unaccompanied tours and deployments keep families apart. For example, it is not uncommon to hear of a husband and father who has missed the birth of his children and some of his wedding anniversaries because he was away during each occasion. It is a frequent occurrence, which places families under a lot of strain. But once the active duty member leaves the military, they can spend this time with their family and not have to choose a job where spending time apart is expected.
Friendships
The military often fosters very close ties with one another. As such, the military community is often referred to as a “family” unit. Some agree with this notion and happily subscribe to it, forming deep bonds of friendship with others who are in the same position as them and know what the military lifestyle is like. After leaving the military, there is not always that same feeling of camaraderie and closeness that there was during active duty. People who remain on active duty will move and this can also make it harder to sustain friendships with people who have separated or retired. That is why it is important to form friendships with people who do not all have a connection to the military. If these friends are genuine, they will still be there long after the active duty member has left the military.
Medical
Retirees will be entitled to take advantage of the medical facilities at their local military installation. The one difference they will notice is that they will no longer be treated as priority cases, as they once were when they were on active duty. That means active duty personnel and their spouses will have priority over their health needs and will tend to be seen before them. Certain services are not available for free once a person retires. For example, in some branches of the military, laser eye surgery is carried out for free for active duty personnel, but retirees must pay if they want this surgery performed.
