Starting to Plan for Life After the Military.

My career in the United States Air Force will come to an end next year and Bea and I have been trying to figure out exactly what our next move will be. Ever since we have been together we have talked about starting our life out of the military in my home state of Florida. Then eventually we will make our way back to Germany so Bea can be close to her family and friends. But the problem with going to either one of those places is the ability to find work. And the last option we thought about was moving to Ireland, where Bea knows she can get a great job in Dublin, but she has a love-hate relationship with the cold and rainy weather.

From the moment we moved to Las Vegas and bought our house, we knew we weren’t going to stay here when I finally did separate. That’s why we have been focusing so much on little updates and changes to our house. Hoping we can squeeze every last penny out of the value to hopefully set us up nicely for what could possibly be our forever home in Florida. But before we move anywhere and I separate I have to finish my bachelor’s degree. This is the number one priority because once we are established in Florida I plan on using my Post 9/11 GI Bill and pursuing a Masters in Health Care Services.

My ultimate goal is to work for a Veterans Affairs Hospital or clinic as a healthcare administrator. And to help me get there, I recently learned about a program called the Skill Bridge program, which will allow me, with my commander’s approval, to intern up to my last six months of active duty service. Then once the internship is over, I could be hired on the spot for a job. Meaning that if it all worked out I would have a secured job and will be able to provide for my family right off the bat. Which would be amazing. The possibility of separating and not having a job when I do is one of the most nerve-racking things.

I know a lot of you are reading this and thinking, you have over a year left, why are you planning already? And the answer is separating from the military has so many working parts it’s crazy. I don’t know how all of these people start planning just a few months before they separate and just hope for the best. But I guess I am the Overthinking Dad, and I have been thinking about this for the last year or so. So often that I’m sure I have annoyed Bea with my nagging about what we want to do with our lives over the last few years. And now that we have Jameson, having a plan is even more important.

Now, I know there is a lot of planning involved in trying to move my entire family, two dogs, and a chinchilla across the country, but I know with the proper planning and a ton of patients, we will be able to do it with minimal stress.