Hi all - I've long been affiliated with The American Legion, at least since attending Boys State in New Jersey in 1986. Since then, I've covered a lot of ground, via the U.S. Naval Academy and a successful 27-year career in the U.S. Navy. I retired in 2018 to continue my adventure, this time following my bride on assignment to Jakarta, Indonesia! What a beautiful country full of lovely people - who love Americans! (Post COVID, I recommend EVERYONE visit Bali and get out to the other islands as well!)
Unfortunately, we were evacuated due to COVID and have spent the better part of the last year pending her re-assignment, as she is a federal civil servant (GS employee) with the Dept. of the Navy.
I managed to apply for and land a GS position with the Navy as well, but I gotta tell ya, the process was not easy or straightforward and my hiring was caught up several times by hitches and glitches throughout. I was offered the position in July 2020 and I will finally depart on orders to fill it (and start getting paid) the end of April 2021. It's been a difficult process, despite many good people working hard for this successful outcome.
So, I started capturing all the issues, in what I intended to be an angry email or letter to someone. Then I started looking up the rules and regs and writing how it should go ... and then I shared those lessons with a friend who was also returning to the federal civil service and he loved it. Said it helped him get extra pay and leave, both!
Well, now I've written a book to share with everyone. A Veteran's Guide to Transition: Active Duty to Government Service.
It's available on Amazon for FREE with Kindle Unlimited (you can sign up for a free trial of that program too) for less than a cup of coffee: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Z83W9BK/.
If you're looking for positions on USAJobs or want to work for the federal government, check it out! If you're working with veterans you think could benefit from it, let me know, I can send you a copy!
But the real moral of the story, worth sharing here: If you're going through something, find a positive outlet for your frustrations and look for ways to help others avoid similar issues down the road. Maybe writing is your outlet? Maybe blogging or v-logging, or YouTube videos. I don't know, but choose something and get it out - out of your head and out into the community for our mutual benefit!
Wishing you all the best!
#ADtoGS
