Blue Yonder
Blue Yonder
Podcast Description
Leaving the military is not an easy processes, leaving what you have known as work for most of your adult life for a different career or options is no easy task. I will talk to those who have left the military at different times in their career from after the first enlistment to 30+ years of service. When I left I was laser focused on the job that I would transition into, little did I know at the time that was the smallest of my concerns! Throughout discussion we will talk about what life lessons were learned, what regrets if any, and establish a new community that may not understand you at all.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Main topics include the challenges of military-to-civilian transition, personal growth stories, and building new communities, with episode examples like Ryan's transition to real estate and discussions on lessons learned from military service.
Leaving the military is not an easy processes, leaving what you have known as work for most of your adult life for a different career or options is no easy task. I will talk to those who have left the military at different times in their career from after the first enlistment to 30+ years of service. When I left I was laser focused on the job that I would transition into, little did I know at the time that was the smallest of my concerns! Throughout discussion we will talk about what life lessons were learned, what regrets if any, and establish a new community that may not understand you at all.
In this candid conversation, Jake sits down with retired Air Force Master Sergeant Michael Rainer to explore the highs, lows, and unexpected realities of life after the military. Michael opens up about the decision to join the Air Force, the challenges of staying in, and the pivotal moment when he chose retirement—not because he was ready to stop serving, but because his family needed stability.
He talks through the emotional complexity of letting go of the uniform, struggling through five different jobs post-retirement, and how the cultural shock of civilian life caught him off guard. Michael’s story also touches on the importance of community, the quiet weight of losing daily purpose, and the emotional trigger behind a simple act like shaving his beard.
For anyone navigating the military-to-civilian transition—or supporting someone who is—this episode offers raw insight, practical reflections, and a powerful reminder: taking care of yourself is not selfish; it’s survival.
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