During your transition from Soldier to Civilian, what were the biggest differences between your expectations and reality?

The civilian world makes fun of our dedication to mission because a lot of them don't want to do the job!

SFC Jason Evans I had a good plan in place and everything worked according to plan. Two observations: In college, I expected folks to be there that wanted to obtain a degree. Instead, I found many folks that were there to have fun and party. I was also working full time, and was strictly focused on my degree plan. I was discharged in 1972, so I also encountered folks that did not like the military and veterans. Also, as you observed, I encountered many co-workers that did not have my work ethic which was unsettling.

I was going to be an internet bazillionaire. Didn't happen - 30% unrealistic expectations, 20% didn't try hard enough, and 50% loss of focus when distracted by life events. Number 1 lesson learned: Take your GI Bill and go get a degree immediately! Immediately. Also, immediately. I agree with anyone who complains about college degrees being overrated by corporate America - however, if you want to get good jobs without having to fight tooth-and-nail for them, then get a college degree.

Also, I was frustrated during my service with some of the small, inconsequential-but-irritating things that came down from high above in the Army - everything from obsessions with earplug cases and reflective PT belts to ideas that just didn't make sense. I had the impression that since the civilian world was so wealthy (this was the 90s), apparently so happy, and moving along rapidly (again, the 90s), that they just HAD to be smarter than we were.

They're not.

Be prepared to mutter to yourself, "You've got to f---- kidding me," from time to time. I expected everything to be well-oiled, high-speed low-drag, with common sense ruling the day and everybody just getting rich. That's not reality. But you can earn a good living.

Also, anyone coming off active duty is probably used to dealing with folks who understand simple things like how to brief people, how to supervise or manage a collective action of some sort, and the necessity of someone being ultimately responsible for getting something done. The civilian corporate world is peopled by folks who have never, ever, ever come in contact with anything like troop leading procedures or brief-backs or in-depth discussions of leadership. Things are very loose by comparison to the active duty Army. Some companies embrace management fads that seem to distribute responsibility in as ambiguous and ethereal a manner as possible. However, this varies by company and industry (and I've seen it change slightly inside a company over time).

The most important thing I could have done would have been to have gotten a degree immediately upon leaving the regular Army. Now, you can get one online. I got mine through UMUC. A Soldier could start on that while they're still on active duty, though I think the Army should set up a special program that accommodates the chaotic schedules of some units. A degree in an industry-relevant, in-demand field (read STEM, by the way), is critically important.