Career

Forget about who you were and discover who you are

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 Leave a Comment

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That homily makes a great e-mail signature or bumper sticker, but it also carries a warning to a particular segment of veterans. The military excels at giving its members a ready-made identity: you're not an individual, you're part of a team. You take responsibility and behave at a higher standard. You're a leader. The … [Read more...] about Forget about who you were and discover who you are

The transition to a bridge career

"The Military Guide" is full of advice and stories from dozens of servicemembers and veterans who hope that you'll benefit from sharing their experience. I don't tell their stories in the blog (you'll have to read the book!) but I'll post the stories that didn't make the manuscript. As you read this next story, think about whether you'd … [Read more...] about The transition to a bridge career

“So, Nords, how did you start blogging?”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 2 Comments

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A friend's e-mail inspired this post. They asked: "How did you get started?" "What software/host do you use?" "Is there an understandable how-to out there for the non-technical?" I've only been blogging for 18 weeks and the blog is slowly gaining traction. You readers are contributing 50-60 views per day, and the recent "Fog of Work" post hit … [Read more...] about “So, Nords, how did you start blogging?”

The “Fog of Work”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: July 17, 2018 2 Comments

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This essay caps off the book's first seven chapters of ways to leverage your military career & benefits for financial independence and retirement. I wrote it after an exchange with Tomcat98 at Early-Retirement.org. We realized how often the daily grind of work gets in the way of planning, let alone recognizing new opportunities or being able … [Read more...] about The “Fog of Work”

Mobilizing with the Reserves and National Guard

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: July 13, 2018 Leave a Comment

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When you're trying to balance the Reserves/NG with a civilian career, an extended deployment can be a crippling drawback-- or a unique opportunity. For active-duty servicemembers, deployments are just another part of the lifestyle that includes extensive support and assistance for both the deployer and their families. During the Cold War, … [Read more...] about Mobilizing with the Reserves and National Guard

Reserves and National Guard – Another Way to Earn a Military Retirement

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: July 13, 2018 2 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

Another way to get to 20 years for the pension & TRICARE Everyone who approaches the end of a military obligation has a tough decision: Stay in or get out? The decision is even tougher after the first 10 years: Stay in for retirement, or get out while it's still easier to transition to a bridge career? Servicemembers aren't the … [Read more...] about Reserves and National Guard – Another Way to Earn a Military Retirement

Writing and Publishing – A Behind the Scenes Look at The Military Guide

I seem to spend a lot of time on the finances & lifestyle issues of military retirement and early retirement. Let me shift gears for a bit and talk about the book's creation. Over our years of service we veterans accumulate wisdom, experience, and martial culture that is politely referred to in the Navy as "sea stories". Witty repartee is … [Read more...] about Writing and Publishing – A Behind the Scenes Look at The Military Guide