The Kids Are Back in School, Why Aren’t You?

SGT Shontae Patsaricas, US ARMY

(Image provided by American Military University)

Summer is over and the kids are back in school. Is the timing right for you too? Whether you’re a military spouse, currently serving or a veteran—many military parents take advantage of this newfound time to focus on individual goals when school is back in session. For many, completing a degree implies more opportunities. Based on my career serving as a former senior admissions representative, recently promoted to Veteran Liaison, serving American Military University (AMU) students, there are five guidelines I’ve defined for students looking to return back to school.

Make your education fit into your hectic schedule

Time management is a key component to success as a student, online or traditional. Since most online learning is asynchronous, students have the option of fitting education into their schedule. This means you can learn 24/7 using your mobile device or computer and complete your weekly assignments based on a schedule you choose that fits your busy life. This enables you to log in to complete your classroom discussions, writing assignments, and tests at your optimal time of day. This flexibility is incredibly empowering whether you’re an on-the-go spouse or deployed military.

Maximize military experience for additional credits

No matter where you decide to attend, be sure that the school offers military transcript evaluations. I encourage you to work with your college advisors to explore all of your options. AMU provides and Transfer Credit Evaluation and Prior Learning Assessment programs to help you get the credit you’ve earned through your military training, job experience, or other learning outside of the traditional classroom. You can also optimize your credits by choosing a program that closely relates to your military background like criminal justice, cybersecurity (IT), intelligence studies or homeland security, among many others options.

Educate yourself on your financial aid options

There are many options to choose from including military Tuition Assistance (if Active Duty, Guard, or Reserve), Veteran’s Benefits, Federal Student Aid, Employer Benefits, as well as self-pay. It’s important that you work with a respected, affordable university that understands military life so that you’re able to maximize the benefits you and your family have earned.

Find and connect with other military-community students while you study

Social media communities are a great way to connect with fellow students online. These groups are a great way to see motivational student success stories, school announcements, and are an open environment to ask questions and get feedback from students and alumni. AMU has a major presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and RallyPoint – just to name a few. We utilize these channels to connect with our students at a deeper level, and find it’s a great way to communicate with them. If you’re currently serving, you can locate one of our many Military Outreach Representatives near your local military installation. Don’t be afraid to network because there are many people out there who are eager to help you with your educational goals.

You’ll always have a strong support network.

Get Started

Research the programs that are of interest to you. Every school has their own set of requirements, and you’ll want to make sure that it’s accredited. Also ensure that they have accommodating features to your military career, and shift in priorities. If you’re ready to take the next step with AMU, I invite you to contact me or a member our helpful admissions team at 1-877-777-9081. You can also apply now online here.

There is no better time than today to think about your educational goals and what school would be a good fit for you. Whether you are state-side, currently deployed, or transitioning to your post-military career, know that there are options available if you’re serious about seeking a degree and a peer community online.  

If you have any specific questions, please comment here.

Design Your Exit Strategy Before You Submit Your Resignation from the Military

CPT Endre Barath, US ARMY

Design your exit strategy, or should I say your transition strategy, from the military to the civilian world. This is advice from someone who has discovered that the transition from the military to entrepreneurship is one of the most challenging and difficult journeys one can take, especially if there is lack of research, lack of knowledge and just a misplaced cocky attitude.

An exit plan should be addressed as early as possible, because transitioning from a military career to the civilian world is not as easy as most people imagine. For example, I left the military in 1983 as a young Airborne Ranger Infantry Captain and thought that I would be welcomed with open arms and have the civilian world in the palm of my hands.

There were many opportunities that I chose not to take. One of which was to enter the shadow world of the State Department and some of its subsidiary companies, i.e. their semi-civilian corporations. I did not reach out to the Military Industrial Sector, nor did I choose to go back home to become a fireman or a police officer. These were all good choices and opportunities that I did not pursue. Keep in mind that once you close these doors, there are no second chances.

Instead I went to a high-powered New York City recruiter for one of the largest head hunter companies of the time.  He, in turn, looked at my resume and said that Infantry Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Acting Company Commander, and Brigade Headquarters’ Commandant for an Infantry Brigade were all very impressive milestones that I had achieved.  Then he suggested that I join one of the high-powered companies in the medical, biotech, or financial fields and become a sales trainee. He had high hopes that with my drive, I would succeed. I, on the other hand, was hoping to be a Senior Manager or a Company CEO. He smiled and said, “You are not a retiring General with connections. You need to start at the bottom and work your way up.”  

The military taught me to set goals, design a road map and work at it until it was achieved. The road has been colorful at best. I left behind a steady paycheck, retirement options, potential retirement benefits, health care benefits, etc. Just to keep it simple: there are no vacations or sick days and you are working 24/7 if you want to succeed.

I, instead, took the road less traveled. The road lead me to Contract Security Management and ultimately real estate for the past 20+ years in the Boston, MA and the Greater Los Angeles, CA real estate market. The competition is high and the opportunities are higher, but you can never take your eye off the goal.

This is universal to all businesses and particularly to the sales field. With true passion, perseverance, and focus, you will succeed. When you interview for a position, make sure that you get this point across and at the same time remember the interview is a two way street. Get to know the organization’s climate and see if it is a good fit for you. Do not focus on just getting the job, but rather focus on whether or not you can stay the course for years to come.

If this idea is too challenging, then you might consider staying the course and serving until retirement. Enjoy the camaraderie that is not as prevalent in the civilian world as it is in the military. Either way, best wishes for success in all your endeavors!

Read more Command Posts, here!

Advice for the Micromanager

LCDR Bill Wright, US NAVY

During my last tour on active duty I got to see my peers take early commands as O-4s in the Navy.  Many of these Commanding Officers were friends and as such, we spent time talking about issues they would not discuss with most people.  One thing I noticed is that our community had developed a group of micromanagers as part of our culture.  There was this extreme fear of even the smallest of errors.  People referred to it as the “zero defect mentality”. Many of these COs felt like they had to do everything themselves, which resulted in them working themselves to death.  Some of the worst offenders almost never left the ship.  Many got divorced and still did not have a successful tour, ensuring they would never command again.   As I worked thorough my latest class, “Inclusive Leadership Training: Becoming a Successful Leader”, I became aware that some of the people on this forum could learn a lesson from this story and become better leaders within their organizations.  

As I tried to help my friends realize that they had a team of good people to help bear the burden of their command, I would tell them these two rules about every person on their ship:

1. They are smarter than you on something or things.

2. They will never do a task exactly the way you do.

The problem was fear.  Fear that someone would mess up and one defect would ruin everything.  But in reality, sailors understand their jobs. They know their tasks, roles, and functions on the ship.  We have the best Navy in the world because we have the best sailors.  The problem is to get the leadership to let them do what they need to do in order to get the job done.  As I said, this was a culture in the SWO community, so the CO did not trust the Officers, then the Officers did not trust the Chiefs, and so on.  This is where they were missing the critical mark of a good leader, which is to empower someone to be accountable and make good decisions.  Every person wants the opportunity to succeed.   In my opinion, no one wakes up in the morning and says to themselves “How can I screw things up today?”

So the good leader must let go and let their team support the mission.  This process may take longer and be painful for the leader to watch.  This brings up a corollary to the second fact about people, which is that it may not be the same way but is it good enough.  In reality, things are never perfect and never have to be.  To quote George S. Patton, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”

That is the mark of a true leader.  Unfortunately, I think sometimes we get too caught up in this “zero defect mentality” to realize that we are hurting our organization.  Hurting it today because our sailors do not feel valued and worthy of our trust and thus not operating at full potential.  Hurting it in the future because these sailors grow up to be the leaders of tomorrow’s Navy.

A leader’s responsibility is to encourage and support their team to make decisions and grow.  They should run top cover and ensure the team has all the tools and knowledge to be successful.   Only then will their team feel fully engaged and working at full throttle.  Allowing them to get their jobs done frees up time for mentoring and coaching.  But, don’t use that newfound “free” time to look over their shoulders and fall back into that old habit of micromanagement.

In today’s Navy and Military we need transformational leaders.  Gone are the days where it was an ole boy’s sailing club where what happened at sea stayed at sea.  The fact is that we are a diverse, transparent organization where something could happen today and be the trending topic on Twitter tonight.  Leaders have to get away from that “us vs. them” mentality and encourage feedback on ways to better the organization.  Everyone from the senior officer to the junior seaman has to feel valued enough to be able to point out ways we can improve our system.  We need transformational leaders that are willing to value both the differences of our teams and make each person know their opinion is considered.

I was honored to serve with many good COs and leaders in my 24 years of active duty and now in industry.  I think each one of them had their strengths and weaknesses, but the good leaders always made me feel valued and encouraged me to make decisions without fear of messing up.  I think that is the mark of a true leader.  We are all part of a team and have never accomplished anything great on our own.  Embrace your team and don’t be that micromanager that has a death grip on everything under their control.  We are all leaders in some aspect of our lives and this applies to each one of us.  

Read more Command Posts, here!

The Tyranny of Low Expectations

Jeff Anderson, US Navy

A few years ago I went to look at purchasing a used vehicle. The salesman quoted me $14,000, and I responded that I'd be more interested in paying around $12,000. At that point, I locked myself into a battle that I couldn't win and he couldn't lose-he could "fight" me over the $2000 to make me feel like I got a good deal, but in hindsight I realize that anything over about $8000 was going to bring them money, and I was responsible for paying more than I needed to. I set my expectations too low. Thankfully, I didn't end up purchasing the vehicle.

As Sailors, do we make expectations for ourselves that are too small? Do we let others put us into a box that is too small for us?

A typical E4, when asked what they want to get out of their enlistment, will say something like "make E5 and ESWS". Those are safe answers, with little chance to fail as long as a minimum of effort is put forward.

Leaders, would you accept that answer?

When I arrived at my first ship, I told my LPO that I wanted to make First Class by six years in, and while I don't remember his answer, my shipmates laughed. They had made themselves the expectation that Second Class was so hard to get they'd never make First. But while I didn't make it by six years, I did make it under eight-much faster than what seemed possible at the time.

Our culture talks a lot about living your dreams, but the day to day grind of military life can make that difficult to do. Whatever your experience, either as an E2 or an O6, there are opportunities to surpass the expectations of our peers and give our nation more value as a service member. This doesn't happen by waiting for success to arrive, but rather by charging ahead and taking control of your career, and setting your own expectations.

Here's an example you can work through: write down the goals you had when you first reported to your current command. What did you want to do? Have you done it yet? Have they been displaced or discarded? If the former, have you made new goals that surpass what you originally thought could be possible? If the latter, have you reevaluated the goals to determine if they are achievable?

When my ship's Command Master Chief challenged a number of my peers to attain their Junior Officer of the Deck qualification, I didn't wait for his invitation-I charged ahead and earned it, helped my shipmates study for it, and together with another shipmate, was the first to earn it through the new qualification process. Learning new things and qualifications happen to be strengths of mine, and I leveraged those strengths to exceed my command's expectations of me.

By taking charge of my career, I put the goalposts where I want them to be-in a place where I can make the most of my strengths to make me a more useful Sailor to my command.

I certainly have weaknesses-too many to fit into a quick blog post-but am confident that by taking control of my expectations I am giving a net positive to the Navy. Nobody expected me to earn my JOOD qualification, but by doing so, the watchbill coordinator has that much more flexibility in writing a watchbill. Our ship's readiness is increased, and we are more capable of accomplishing the mission. That, ultimately, is what we are here to do.

Oh, and my first ship? Her motto remains with me today: "Fortune favors the bold".

Be bold, shipmates.

--

ET1(SW) Jeff Anderson currently serves on board the USS Independence. His articles have been featured on CIMSEC, the US Naval Institute Blog, Defense Entrepreneurs Forum Blog, and more. Follow Jeff on Twitter @NavyInnovator .

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Leaving the Military? Become a Veteran Leader

SSG Gabriel Lord, US ARMY

Humans are tribal creatures. Each of us belongs to a group larger than ourselves. Family, posse, company, church, biker gang or sewing circle – we’re all part of something big. With the existence of these groups comes the need for leadership.

Any military veteran can tell you but without leadership, there is no purpose, direction or motivation and the group will not accomplish its mission. As service members transition from the military, it quickly becomes evident to many that there is a leadership vacuum in the civilian world. Tough words? Maybe. True? Perhaps. Leadership roles are not as clearly defined out here. Authority in many cases is based on title. Are there exceptions? Of course. There are some great leaders doing magnificent things every day. Do we need more of these great leaders? Like you wouldn’t believe.

This is the part where you come in. I’m talking to the service member who’s on his/her way out of uniform for the last time and to the veteran who took off the boots months or even years ago and has had a tough time de-militarizing to fit back into the civilian world.

I have great news: You don’t have to turn off the military!

There is no switch or lever that needs to be flipped to transform you into a civilian. In fact, the world needs what you have and you’d be doing all of us a tremendous service if you just stay who you are and make an impact in a way that is uniquely yours.

Does this mean you should kick in the door to a new job and declare yourself the new CEO? Probably not, but if you’ve done it like that and it works,  then congratulations! What it does mean is that you must intentionally start engaging and seeking out ways to continue your service. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

- Join the VFW or American Legion

- Support a local election campaign

- Throw your hat in the ring and be in a local election

- Go to church, they’ll put you to work quick

- Join the IAVA, Team Rubicon and Team Red White & Blue

- Start a business that helps people

- Start a blog that helps people

- Start anything, just keep moving

As you move forward, reach back and pull someone else with you. The possibilities are plentiful. Just as your country needed you to go to a God-forsaken desert/valley/jungle/ (fill in the blank here) and endure what you endured, it needs you now. We need you to engage. The leadership part will happen when you do.

Many of us are already there, others of us are in limbo. Don’t be. Get up and get in step. Your mission to serve continues. You will provide the purpose, direction and motivation we need. Above all else, continue to be you. Bring your scars, skills, shrapnel, grit, resilience, and dedication. If anybody has earned the right to be himself/herself, that would be you.

Read more posts like this, here!

Job Hunting & Frustration

1SG Daniel Thorstad, US Army

After completing over 20 years in the Army, I thought finding a civilian sector job would be a piece of cake. I had leadership and training experience and I could make difficult decisions in very stressful situations without batting an eye. I live by the values I learned in the military. What employer wouldn't want these traits in his/her company? They all say they want to hire Veterans because we bring these intangibles. I led and trained hundreds of troops, so how hard could job searching be? Tough…tougher than anything I had ever done.

The Army trains to prepare you for a myriad of situations you may find yourself in. But when you leave the military, you leave that support group that you had grown accustomed to. You are on your own and it's the most frightening feeling you can have.

I was getting really anxious after 4 months of searching! So much so that when I finally got a job offer as a satellite TV installer, I jumped right on it! I didn't care that I was over 40 with a bad back, arthritic knees (the military is tough on a person), and I'd be installing satellite dishes in the middle of North Dakota winters. I just wanted a job and a chance to prove myself. I would have worked through the pain and been the most dedicated satellite installer in the company! I took some painkillers and pushed myself through the physical and occupational test. I steeled myself for the upcoming training and winter! Luckily for me, I found another job and was hired before I had to sacrifice my body to these installations.

I felt your frustrations. In some ways, I still feel it. More of my life was spent in the military than being a civilian. There are days when I wish I would've pulled my retirement packet and lingered in the Army until mandatory retirement. I still struggle with assimilating but it gets better every day.

If you are still searching and considering relocating, North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate and the fastest growing economy in the nation. There are always 25,000 jobs to be filled, and they are not all oil or energy related. Fargo has a very robust and diverse economy.

If you have time, you can visit: http://www.experience.nd.gov/live/ to learn more or give me a shout. Best of luck!

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