Preparing for Post-Retirement Success in the Civilian Market
By Colonel Robert K. Carnahan, U.S. Army - Retired
Whether you are retiring or transitioning from active duty to civilian life, this decision and the process can be quite emotional and stressful on you and your family. The experience can be overwhelming, and there is no single document that tells you what you need to do in every situation since everyone has unique circumstances. The good news is that for the Foreign Area Officer (FAO), this event should be an excellent opportunity to move to another new and exciting career that can be very rewarding. This chapter will help guide you and your family through this move, and hopefully ease any anxiety you may be feeling during this transition. The key to a successful transition is planning, knowing what you bring to the table and what opportunities are available, and knowing how best to promote your skills and experiences to achieve your ultimate objective, getting the job you want.
Success in every transition is a good plan. For retirement or transition, this means you need to start early. It does not make a difference if you are CONUS or OCONUS, although I would highly recommend if you are currently OCONUS, you do need to be much more proactive due to distances from the resources available on post and potential employers. A good rule of thumb is to start the transition process a year to 18 months out. If you are certain that you are ready to make the move to retirement either by choice or because of a mandatory retirement date, start to socialize this decision with friends and potential employers. Establish a LinkedIn profile now if you don’t already have one and start building it. More importantly, start working your network now. Most retired officers get jobs based on connections they already have. If you want to take some time off before starting a job, evaluate your financial situation. It is fine if you want to take a break, but keep in mind you have a shelf life for your current experience and contacts. When you start the job search, do not be surprised or frustrated if potential employers do not immediately come back to you with offers. Businesses do not get serious about making an offer until you are about six months out from retirement.
Once you have made the decision to transition or retire, one of the first things you should do is talk to someone who has recently retired; there is no better way to create a personal roadmap. Then schedule yourself to attend one of the military’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) courses. You can attend this course a year to 18 months out from retirement or one year from transitioning. It is not unusual for service members to attend the TAP course twice. Depending on your situation and where you are currently assigned, this may be to your advantage. The TAP offers two course options. The option depends on your rank -- the Executive Course, which is for O-6s and above, and the regular course, which includes all ranks. Both courses are excellent, teach the same subject matter, and are mandatory. The quality of the regular course varies from post to post, and some are weak at properly explaining Veterans Administration (VA) benefits. But, no matter what course you take, there will be useful information, resources, and tools that will make your transition as smooth as possible. TAP will assist you in preparing your resume and for job interviews, and fine tuning your LinkedIn profile, and depending on when you attend, they often host job fairs with local industry. The TAP course will also help you with different resources available to you such as how to obtain a veteran’s loan, grants, and develop a business plan if you aim to start your own business. You can also attend your out-processing briefing more than once, which is also a good idea.
Your retirement physical, dental, and eye exams are important. Do not take these appointments for granted, and if you have medical problems, start early to have them documented in your medical records before your retirement exams. This is critical because while you may not feel that your medical problems are major concerns now, as you get older, these problems will become more sever, causing secondary problems, and you will need further medical treatment from the VA. However, if you do miss accounting for a medical issue prior to your retirement exams, make sure you address them then. It is not too late. Remember, if it is not in your medical records as an injury that occurred while you were on active duty, it could become problematic when it becomes more serious and you need treatment. If you have ever been on a medical profile, even as a junior officer, tell your examiner. Explain all your aches and pains, no matter how insignificant they are now. Based on what level of VA disability you qualify for, it can be a fairly significant supplemental income that is tax free post- retirement. Do not feel like you are milking the system. You gave the best years of your life to the Army and endured a lot.
Once you have completed your retirement medical exams, make two copies of your medical records, one for you and one for the VA, and then go to a Veterans Support Organization such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). If you are retiring from CONUS, these organizations usually have offices on post. They have experts that will review your medical records and prepare your VA claim for free. The VA will then determine your disability pay, which is tax free, although this is not always a quick process. If you want to appeal your VA disability rating, your Veterans Support Organization will help you with this as well.
Don’t forget your GI Bill. This is a significant benefit that you have earned. Depending on your situation, you may want to retain it for yourself or you may want to share it with a spouse or a child. If you want to use it to help fund a spouse’s or child’s education, you need to address this a year or more out from your transition or retirement. It is a very simple process that you can do online, but it needs to be accomplished early in order to make sure it goes into effect after you leave the service.
As you begin the process of starting your transition from active duty to civilian life, what skill set and job opportunities await you? Retiring as a FAO and military officer, you are fortunate to possess several skills that are highly sought and valued on the civilian market. As a military officer, you bring decades of experience in leadership and management of people and organizations. You know how to plan, motivate, mentor, identify, and use resources to achieve success.
As a FAO, you bring knowledge of the inter-agency process, national security and foreign policy expertise, and understanding of foreign military sales, regional and cultural skills, diplomacy, language, analysis, program management, a security clearance, senior U.S. and foreign contacts, and media training.
In addition to the special skill set you bring with you to a civilian career, FAOs also have the ability to live and work in parts of the world that require a little more self-reliance, initiative, and the ability to operate in an unstructured environment with little supervision and minimal guidance. Believe it or not, many Americans, although happy to travel abroad for vacation, do not want to live and work overseas. Having this experience and willingness to travel and work abroad is another asset that FAOs bring with them into the civilian marketplace.
Knowing that you possess unique skill sets, what jobs are there that may be best for you to pursue? As you have a more unique skill set to offer the market than that of your civilian colleagues, job opportunities are great. You just have to decide what you enjoy doing most and then pursue opportunities that best match your goal. Potential opportunities for a FAO include work in the defense industry as a business developer or in government relations. You have at least a Masters degree, and you can work as an Adjunct or Assistant Professor; you do not need to have a PhD, but if you do you can work toward becoming a tenured professor. You can work in government as a civilian GS employee, in the State Department, at one of the regional Combatant Commands (COCOM), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to name just a few of the organizations that have positions available for a former or retired FAO. Consulting, either for an established firm such as Booz Allen, PWC or KPMG, or starting your own business, is also an excellent opportunity for an experienced FAO.
If you are looking to do something a little different, you may want to start your own business, something that you have always wanted to do but couldn’t. Working for a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is also an opportunity to give back and still use your FAO skills. If these opportunities don’t appeal to you, maybe politics will. Knowing the government, inter-agency and diplomacy, you can either work for a politician or become one. Media outlets are also looking for Subject Matter Experts (SME) to have on their programs to discuss regional, political, and military issues, although these normally do not pay, but do raise your professional profile.
After you have decided on a career path you want to pursue after retirement, how do you get the job? The first step is to get the word out. Reach out to your network of friends, colleagues, and business contacts and let them know you are ready to retire and make the transition to civilian life. No matter what they say, it is always best to have a advocate who will support you in the organization or company you would like to join. Companies would rather have a known candidate verses an unknown one. This is still as true today as it was in the past. Second, visit the employment websites of the companies or organizations you are interested in and fill out their applications and submit your resume. Third, update your LinkedIn account and let recruiters know that you are seeking employment. Headhunters and company Human Resource Departments are constantly monitoring LinkedIn for potential candidates for positions with their firms and will reach out to you and inquire about your availability. Fourth, register and attend government and industry job fairs. Research and find when and where these job fairs are being held. Most companies will attend these events, and they are a good place to engage with a potential employers and make human to human contact, which helps you separate yourself from just a resume and gives you a chance to make an initial positive impression.
Once you have attracted the attention of a potential employer, they will want to start the process of getting to know you better. They have your resume and they may even have met you once, but now is the time for them to start to dig deeper into you and understand what you will bring to their organization. The good news is you have made it through an initial screening of potential candidates and now the company has identified you as a potential fit for their organization. The interview process is the start of the hiring process. Normally it will be a series of interviews, each one screening you for the next level of interviews, ending with the person that will be your future boss.
The initial interview will mostly likely be telephonic. This is to make sure you are still available, haven’t accept employment elsewhere, and to ensure you are a serious candidate for the position. Usually, this interview will be conducted by someone from the Human Resource Department and they will ask basic questions such as personnel information, answer any additional questions you may have about the position and company, and they will let you know who the people are that you will be interviewing with, as well as ask your date of employment availability. The interview will end one of two ways; either they will tell you that they will contact you shortly to schedule the next interview, or they will arrange the next interview during the call.
It is highly recommended that before your next interview, you conduct additional research on the company, their products, and leadership, as well as the person you are scheduled to interview with next. A good source for all companies is their company website and LinkedIn page. The more you know, the more relaxed you will be during the interview and the better informed you will be to answer questions. Remember, each interview with any company means there are fewer and fewer competitors for the position. Each interview is a gate that must be passed in order to get to the next and final decision maker.
In the in-person or Zoom interview, appearance is critical. You need to look the part. If you want to work for a Lockheed Martin or Boeing, a good dark colored suit with a white shirt is your uniform. The Security Assistance Officer blue blazer and Docker slacks are not appropriate. Show up at least 15 minutes early for the interview so you can prepare yourself mentally before walking into the interview room. It will also give you time to correct any issue that may have arisen last minute. As you enter the interview room project confidence, remember you have several skills that your potential employer wants, otherwise they would not have reached out to you and invited you to an interview. This said, be confident but do not become cocky. Always be polite, respectful, show humility, be sociable, and most importantly, listen.
Once a corporation has decided that you are the person they would like to hire, they will make you an initial offer. This is the first step in the negotiation process. Part of your initial planning for retirement or transition should have also been researching what your worth is on the market. This changes every year and you will never know exactly, but ask former FAOs who are currently working in the civilian market and other colleagues that you may know working in a similar position. If you are seeking a government job, pay and benefits are public knowledge and are easy to find on the internet. Private industry, however, is a different situation and the more you know beforehand on what is available, the better you will be at getting the most for your services and skills.
The company’s initial offer will include a base salary with a compliment of benefits. Depending if you are accepting a position CONUS or OCONUS affects what benefits you will be entitled to. CONUS benefits usually include health insurance, 401K, life insurance, paid holiday, vacation and medical leave, and participation in the company’s bonus program. Other benefits you may want to consider are a company car, paid gym membership, options to work from home, performance bonuses, and childcare benefits. For an OCONUS position, the typical offer will also include benefits such as housing or an allowance, vehicle or an allowance, annual home leave, airline tickets back to your home of record in the U.S., post differential pay (normally tied to the U.S. State Department approved percentage), hardship pay (depending on location), international health insurance, household good shipment, dependent education, tax preparation, tax equalization, and passports and visa costs for you and your family. Additional benefits, depending on location and your hired position, you may also want to ask for are a pre-assignment house hunting trip, language training, company cell phone, initial clothing allowance, household good storage, pool/yard maintenance allowance, pet shipment, spousal employment assistance, and a driver and maid. Each company is different in what they will allow as part of their offer, but it is important to know what type of benefits exist. This will help you negotiate the best possible package. No one else is going to assist you.
During your transition, how you use your excess leave and Permissive TDY is typically based on the situation. If you can manage it, it is recommended that you plan to take both benefits to get yourself and you family situated before starting your next career. Using your remaining leave, rather than selling it back at the date of your retirement, allows you to continue to receive your BAH and separate rations. This is leave you have earned, so plan accordingly to use it.
This time could be used to find a new home, unpack household goods and storage, take a vacation, and visit family. With a career that was 20 to 30 years long, you and your family have been away from parents, grandparents, and others for a long time. Take advantage of this time to get organized at home and caught up with family before going on your next adventure. You and your family will definitely appreciate this in the long run, and it is also a key event in your transition from military life back into the civilian world.
At your final out, the most critical document you need to make sure you get and make sure that it is 100 percent correct is your DD214. This document will ensure you get all the benefits that you are entitled to as a retiree. It has your final rank, date of service, awards, military education, forwarding mailing address and most important, the type of discharge you received, honorable. If you want a retirement ceremony, this also depends on where you are when you retire. Most major military installations hold a monthly retirement ceremony, which you are eligible to attend. If you are able to participate this is a nice way to end your service. Other retirees elect to hold a private retirement ceremony at their last duty assignment. This is also a nice way to celebrate the end of a successful career with fellow colleagues, family, and friends.
Once you have arrived at your home, post military career, it is time to get established into your new community. One of the key tasks as a retiree is to get you and your family registered in Tricare or Tricare Plus. Again, this is a personal decision based on you and your family’s situation. Tricare is preferred if you are near a military installation that has medical facilities you want to and can use. Tricare Plus is an option that allows you to use private medical facilities of your choice in the area you reside. This decision can be made either at a military installation near you or on the phone with your Tricare provider. In addition to Tricare enrollment, it is also recommended that you register for the VA health care system. You can fill out an application online to be able to receive treatment at VA facilities. This normally takes a few months, so make sure you are in Tricare.
Retirement can be a stressful time and a little anxiety is totally normal. The FAO, however, should know that this is a time of new opportunities and more adventure. Unlike when you graduated from college, you now possess decades of experience and skills that make you a valuable commodity on the open market. Plan you transition early, use your network, and go for what you want.
Helpful Websites
Veterans Affair (Disability) www.va.gov
US Government Jobs www.usajobs.gov
Military Compensation (Retirement Pay) www.militarypay.defense.gov
US State Department Careers www.careers.state.gov
US State Department – Office of Allowances www.aoprals.state.gov
Tri Care www.Tricare.mil
BENEFEDS www.BENEFEDS.com
DFAS (Retirement Calculator) www.dfas.com
Military One Source www.militaryonesource.com
Troops to Teachers www.proudtoserveagain.com
About the Author
Colonel Kyle Carnahan is currently Vice President Business Development for the Middle East, Navistar Defense (2019 – Present). Previously he was Vice President and General Manager, BAE Systems (2013 – 2019). As an Army FAO, his assignments included; Defense & Army Attaché Riyadh (2011-2013), Deputy Chief and Chief, Foreign Military Sales Division OMC – Egypt (2009 – 2011), Defense & Army Attaché Tripoli (2005 – 2008), Defense & Army Attaché Beirut (2003 – 2005) and Joint Action & Training Officer MAP – Jordan (2000 – 2003)