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Transition "GPS" workshop readies service members for civilian life

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gaddie
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Whether it's retiring after a career or separating after an enlistment, preparing for life after the military can be daunting.

The Airman and Family Readiness Center holds a bi-monthly Transition Goals, Plans, Success workshop to help make a service member's road to civilian life easier.

The Transition GPS Workshop equips service members with information the member needs to make informed decisions, and helps them plan according to their individual situations, according to Diana Lawrence, AFRC.

"Service members may have ideas on what they want to do when they leave the military, but those ideas have to be evaluated, researched and carefully thought out, or they can set themselves up for failure," she said.  "The more knowledge a service member has, the better prepared they will be for the challenges that lie ahead."

Attendance to the five-day DOD workshop is recommended for anyone within one year of separation or two years of retirement, she added.  The course is mandatory for all service members separating or retiring from the military.

During the first two days, participants receive pre-separation briefings, including VA briefings and participate in "DoD Day." There, they review their finances, create a 12-month budget, examine assets and liabilities and receive guidance on investing for retirement.  They also have their military skills reviewed for translation to civilian language.

"They've learned a lot in the military, in addition to their occupation," Lawrence said. "We show them how to make their military training, team building skills, etc., apply on a civilian resume."  

Master Sgt. Keshaun Major, a fuels management operations section chief, will reach his 19-year mark in November.  He said he wants to apply for federal positions.

"I've never written a resume for a civilian job, and have only been on one interview, when I was 16," he said.  "I'm extremely stressed and nervous about the transition, so the workshop is helping to ease some of the stress."

The next three days are a Department of Labor workshop. Topics include: personal appraisal; career exploration; effective job search strategies; job interviews; and reviewing job offers.

Attendees are also briefed on transition opportunities outside of the workshop.  They are:

- Accessing higher education, a two-day class conducted by the education center, where eligible patrons can evaluate different schools and learn different avenues to apply for colleges.

- A VA career technical training class to help best utilize VA benefits and evaluating schools and searching for specific lines of education.

- A two-day small business entrepreneur class that covers topics such as business ownership and small business plan development.  The Small Business Administration also puts eligible patrons in touch with small business executives and offers an eight-week online program to further business education.

Lt. Col. Debbie McKitrick, a 96th Medical Group pediatric nurse, said she thought the workshop was 'excellent.'

"It helped me be better prepared when I leave the military," the 25-year Air Force veteran said.  "It provided many tools to help me move forward in the next area of my life."