Does anybody have any advice for a prior servicemember that got back in with kids?

2019-12-17T15:10:31-05:00

Anyone else life go to shit when they got out with divorce and kids and say @#!& it and get back in. I was active duty USMC then got out then went in the reserves component then got out recently. I started my sleeve so no way to get in plus tried before and it was nearly impossible so im thinking about the Army. i feel bad thinking about it cause i have kids but damn i miss the military and having a difficult time finding where i belong in civilian life. never had this issue in the USMC. reserve life only lasted 2 days then it was back to reality. I feel like i'm missing something since i got out and have not been able to find it. I'd be a POG going to some combat arms job just dont know what.

any advice?

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Dec 17 at 2019 3:36 PM

2019-12-17T15:36:15-05:00

I think you know the positives and negatives if you were an active duty Marine. Biggest negative is you probably won't be stationed close to your children and if you get deployed out of CONUS, it can be difficult to get back on normal leaves. I would think that the upside for a man with children is paid insurance, there are a number of college payment options for them now, and you get lots of time off, at least compared to most civilian jobs. The pay isn't horrible any more either.
I think a lot of us come out, often for some good and compelling reasons, and wish we hadn't or wanted go back. I came out after 13 years active and guard because of some serious family issues that I thought would require a lot of my attention. In hindsight, it didn't accomplish anything and I would have been better off staying in and going to Panama.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 17 at 2019 8:53 PM

2019-12-17T20:53:45-05:00

Although there are some differences between the Army and Marines, being prior service I think you already understand what that life looks like.
Sit down and assess your options, where you want to be in 5-10 years, and look at the best avenues to get there.

Going back to active duty might be right for you in this situation, but it also might not be a good fit for your goals.
Maybe consider national guard or active guard/reserve assignments in the army and networking for career opportunities in your reserve units.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 17 at 2019 10:29 PM

2019-12-17T22:29:40-05:00

I eas’ed from the Marines March 2016, I tried school, working different jobs... it just wasn’t the same man, June 2017 I walked into an Army recruiters office and I shipped for mos school in October 2017 and just reenlisted last month for four more years....

Response by Sgt Cam Giannetti made Dec 18 at 2019 1:33 PM

2019-12-18T13:33:34-05:00

Devil Dog, do you have a resume? What are your goals? There is no civilian job that's exactly like the Corps. There are certain aspects that are similar, some good and some bad. The first thing you need to do is figure out what you want out of life. When you have identified your goals, then you can make a plan to go after what you want. One of the greatest things that happened to me personally is finding The Lord. After that, my outlook on life was hopeful, my relationships got better and I became a better employee and a better human being. You can have that too, but you need to stop running first, be thoughtful and deliberate about what you do next and most of all take responsibility for your faults so that you can do something about them. Let me know if you want to connect offline.