Do you feel your military service has made you lose sight of who you really are as a person since or near retirement?

Absolutely I did. Not only do you feel lost with your life outside the military, I felt lost inside the military. By the time you roll around to 18-19 years, no doubt the military you joined has changed a great deal. For me the mission, values, careers, everything had changed. It wasn't bad change, but it was greatly different from what I came up in.

Then when I retired, I felt lost as a person. I was just starting a new career and life in a world I had never been a part of. People at work acted differently ---a completely different culture. To an extent you will always feel that way. Part of the nature of being a retired military. You chose to get waist-deep in two different swimming pools as opposed to completely submerged in just one. It's not a bad thing.

Veterans often think in a military manner.

Not really. You will be who you are. Your experiences should allow you to revert to whichever role most suits the situation from your past when working. When dealing with society as a whole you will have to determine how your values fit into that environment. You should be who you are. It is no different than asking someone who has 22 years with a certain work environment or culture how they will, or will they have to adapt. Just my thoughts. Thank you for your service.