Ethan N.’s Post

As I woke up this morning, I found myself writing down a few thoughts concerning my life these past few years in the military. My last direct deposit from the military hit my bank account today. I am proud to have served this country for the past 6 years. I have had the privilege of getting to know, befriend, collaborate, and serve in-country and overseas with many amazing individuals during my time in the U.S. Air Force. My separation date is approaching closer every day, and leaving the service has never been a harder pill to swallow, albeit for the first time this morning I am realizing that it’s also an exciting thing, my family and I will be starting a new chapter of our lives. The experiences that I have had as a member of a military family and an active duty service member led me to various forks in my life that have fostered my individual growth in ways that I could not have imagined. I’ve realized that there are many facets of my life that I would like to prioritize in a different manner, and in leaving the military I am taking those first steps into uncharted territory in this journey that we call life. Whether you serve 4 or twenty to twenty plus years, separating from our active-duty ties and returning to civilian life is never an easy ordeal. We are all dealing with a variety of situations as we exit the service. I am lucky to have been stationed in an area that led me to meet my wife, who stays by my side and has endured so much with me, and I could not fathom what my post-military life would look like had I not received the lessons, skills, and experience that the Air Force and those I’ve worked with have provided to me. The bottom line is that the individuals that we work with are EVERYTHING, it does not matter how much of a subject matter expert YOU are, it does not matter how great YOU are, it does not matter what YOU can do, and it does not matter what you think you CANNOT do. What matters is that YOU CAN DO ANYTHING and that the TEAM that you are, want to, or will be a part of can become the BEST at what they do because EACH of YOU support one another. Prioritize emotional intelligence and check-in with those that surround you, we are all dealing with different or shockingly similar hardships that we don’t discuss. To my fallen, past, present, and future brothers and sisters in arms thank you for paying the ultimate sacrifice, you will forever be remembered, thank you for creating a future for those of us who served with or after you, and thank you all for your service. For the first time, in a long time, I find myself able to say that I look forward to finding out what’s in store for my future and becoming a military Veteran who has transitioned to civilian life.