What are some of the preconceived notions that Veterans face once leaving the military?

I can't speak for the workplace because I still work for Uncle Sam. But, I still feel on the outside when it comes to the civilian populace. Fortunately, I live in a place that is heavily populated with military. Both active and retired. The non-military in our area tend to be from the upper middle class to the upper class and have no idea how to relate to us. They are polite and friendly, but will keep you at arms length which I personally believe stems from their fear of us. They probably think we are all dangerous...ticking time bombs...trained killers. They have no idea that many of us are technical nerds that have never fired a shot in combat.

Job interview six months ago got the statement "being in the military your just told what to do" as if there was no thought process involved on the path to a vision. I asked, "Don't you work for someone? Don't they tell you what to do?", and had to explain that we are all given objectives but how we get there is a matter of leadership and experience.

Oh boy. Where to begin. Every civilian is different in my opinion. Some think of military as individuals that didn't have another option available. We are lucky to have a current generation of children that their parents are teaching them about patriotism and respect for service members and the sacrifices we make. For me the biggest thing is a lack of understanding of what we do/did that makes it hard for some to communicate effectively with us and for us a lack of desire to create comradeship with civilians.

I have found that I surround myself with fellow veterans or first responders, my comfort zone.