Finding the next mission, career and chapter in civilian life
Sponsored by: The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs
Leaving military service means more than leaving a job. For many veterans, the transition means leaving behind a structure that has shaped their lives for years and provided a clear mission, a trusted team, a daily routine, a sense of identity and a community built around shared purpose.
Then, suddenly, the mission changes.
For some Alabama veterans, the next chapter begins with a new career. For others, it may mean returning to school, starting a business, volunteering, mentoring another veteran or simply taking time to figure out what they want their lives to look like outside the uniform. There is no single path.
And perhaps that’s the first thing veterans need to hear during a transition: You don’t have to have the rest of your life figured out on day one.
For Jeremy Benton, a federal account executive U.S. Army and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Siemens Digital Industries Software, the best time to begin thinking about the transition is earlier than most people think. “If the thought crosses your mind, ‘Is it time?’ even if you are 18 months out, then it is time to start,” Benton said.
His advice begins with asking for help, even when you don’t think you need it. Service members are trained to overcome obstacles, accomplish the mission with limited resources and win. Benton says that mentality can be extremely valuable to employers, but veterans must learn how to communicate that value in a civilian environment. One of the best ways to start is by exposing yourself to possibilities before you need to make a decision.
Benton recommends what he calls the 100 Interview Challenge:
- Have informational conversations with people working in careers that interest you.
- Ask them about their roles, what their days look like and what they wish they had considered earlier in their careers.
He also encourages veterans to find mentors. Organizations such as American Corporate Partners and FourBlock can connect transitioning service members with experienced mentors, and Benton recommends being open to mentors with both military and civilian backgrounds.
But perhaps his most important message is not about résumés, LinkedIn or interviews. It is about identity. “It’s not the end. It’s a NEW chapter,” Benton said. “Do not feel like you have to write it all at once.”
For someone who has spent over 30 years in uniform, it can be difficult to imagine who they will become next. Benton encourages veterans to give themselves permission to close that chapter and reinvent themselves. “You are not behind and don’t beat yourself up,” he said. The next chapter takes time.
JEREMY BENTON’S 5 TIPS FOR THE TRANSITION
1. Start early.
If you’re 18 months out and thinking, “Is it time?”, start exploring. Giving yourself time to consider possibilities can open doors you may not have seen otherwise.
2. Take the 100 Interview Challenge.
Talk with people doing jobs you’re curious about. Ask about their day-to-day work and what they wish they had considered earlier.
3. Remember: It’s a new chapter.
You don’t have to write the entire story at once. Give yourself time to establish a new career and identity.
4. Start gathering medical records and documents early.
Benton recommends beginning 12–18 months before separation so documentation and care don’t become an added stressor later.
5. Learn to use AI.
Benton believes artificial intelligence is not going away and can become a valuable tool for veterans as they navigate their transition and their next role.
BEFORE YOU ASK: “WHO IS HIRING?”
The practical questions of transition can be overwhelming. Where should I work? How much do I need to make? What does my résumé say? How do I translate what I did in the military into language a civilian employer understands? But Paulette Risher, Major General, U.S. Army, Retired, Organizational Consultant, Facilitator and Speaker, believes there is another question worth asking first: What do I really want?
Risher believes the question of what job a veteran is qualified for matters, but it doesn’t have to be the first or only question. A veteran may be highly qualified to continue doing a civilian version of what he or she did in uniform. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is what they want to spend the next chapter doing. “I often encourage veterans to create enough breathing room to ask a larger and much more personal question: What do I really want?” Risher said. What kind of work would feel meaningful? How do you want to spend your days? What do you want more of in your life, and perhaps less of? What matters to you now?
Those questions can be unfamiliar for someone coming from a culture where mission, duty and organizational needs have appropriately carried enormous weight. Risher suggests that veterans begin by thinking about their favorite skills, the things they are both good at and genuinely enjoy doing. Being good at something doesn’t necessarily mean you want to keep doing it.
Think back over your career. What activities left you energized? What accomplishments made you genuinely proud? What were you very good at that you would be perfectly happy never doing again?
That distinction, between capability and preference, can open up possibilities that aren’t obvious when someone simply searches for the civilian equivalent of a military occupation.
ASK YOURSELF: WHAT DO I REALLY WANT?
Before immediately updating your résumé, or asking: “Who is hiring?”, Risher suggests writing down the answers to a few questions for yourself, not for LinkedIn or an employer.
- What matters most to me at this point in my life?
- What am I good at and enjoy doing?
- What am I good at that I no longer want to do?
- What kind of work gives me energy, meaning or satisfaction?
- What do I definitely not want in my next chapter?
- What realities do I need to honor? Family, finances, geography or other commitments?
- If money and other people’s expectations weren’t driving the answer, what possibilities would I be curious enough to explore?
And then: Explore. Talk with someone doing the work, shadow someone, volunteer, take a course, research the field and test your assumptions. “You don’t have to have the rest of your life figured out,” Risher said. “You only need to begin figuring out what comes next.”
A NEW VOICE FOR WOMEN VETERANS
Alabama’s veteran population has changed significantly over the past several decades, and the way veterans are recognized and supported needs to evolve with it.
That’s one reason Alabama created a new position within the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs: Women Veterans Coordinator.
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Andrea Searor is the state’s first person to hold the position. Her goal isn’t to create a separate veteran community for women, but to ensure women are fully recognized, represented and connected within the veteran community that already exists.
Alabama is home to approximately 44,000 women veterans, yet Searor says women remain underrepresented in many places where veterans are recognized and discussed—from media and advertising to organizational leadership.
For Searor, that lack of recognition can also affect how women see themselves within the veteran community.
She has spoken with women who were asked about their husband’s service when they were the veterans themselves, told to use their husband’s benefits or questioned when using veteran-designated parking.
“Those interactions might seem minor,” Searor says, “but collectively they reinforce the idea that women aren’t veterans.”
Her goal is to change that—and ensure every Alabama woman veteran knows her service is recognized, her voice matters, and she knows where to turn for the benefits, resources and support she’s earned.
MAKING THE CONNECTION
Recognizing women veterans is only the first step. Searor also wants to make it easier for them to find the resources and support they’ve earned.
ADVA is building partnerships beyond traditional veteran organizations, including community groups, employers, colleges and universities, healthcare organizations, nonprofits and other state agencies.
The department is also creating opportunities for women veterans to connect through quarterly Women Veterans Coffees, regional outreach activities and listening sessions, while a new Alabama Women Veterans quarterly newsletter shares information about benefits, resources, organizations and upcoming events.
The goal is to build awareness, strengthen relationships, identify barriers and connect women with the people who can help.
Searor believes ADVA shouldn’t expect every woman veteran to find her way to the VA or a veteran organization on her own.
“Sometimes we need to bring the information, the resources, and the people who can help directly to her,” she says.
She’ll measure success by more than attendance numbers. She wants to see more women veterans aware of their benefits, more previously disconnected veterans finding resources and an easier path to assistance.
Ultimately, success means a woman veteran in rural Alabama knows where to turn, a woman preparing to leave active duty has a resource before she separates, and a woman who served decades ago knows she is still part of the veteran community.
“If more Alabama women veterans feel recognized, informed, connected, and confident accessing the benefits and resources they’ve earned,” Searor says, “then I believe we’re moving in the right direction.”
SUPPORT BEFORE THE CRISIS
For some veterans and their families, transition can also bring difficult periods that require additional support. Jason Smith, chairman of S.A.F.E.R. Together and a retired Marine master sergeant, says the organization was created after he witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of suicide within the military and veteran community.
S.A.F.E.R. Together was created to address what Smith describes as a gap in suicide prevention: a voluntary, confidential and temporary option for secure firearm and ammunition storage during high-risk life events. The program is designed to give individuals another option during difficult periods while connecting them with peer support and other resources. Peer support is central to the model.
Smith says veterans and first responders may be more willing to open up to someone who understands their culture, stressors and lived experiences. In that sense, the program is intended to be more than a storage option. It is a bridge to care, community and hope.
The organization’s larger goal is a statewide network of participating firearm retailers, with access in urban and rural communities across all 67 counties. Smith emphasizes that prevention does not have to begin at the point of crisis. Families can notice warning signs, encourage connection and learn about resources before an emergency occurs.
The message is simple: asking for help is part of protecting the mission, and sometimes, protecting a life.
S.A.F.E.R. TOGETHER
A voluntary option for difficult moments
S.A.F.E.R. Together provides a voluntary, confidential and temporary safe-storage option for firearms and ammunition for Alabama’s military, veteran and first-responder communities, and connects participants with peer-support resources.
The organization’s goal is to build a statewide network of participating firearm retailers so that veterans, service members, first responders and families have access to voluntary safe-storage options close to home.
For information: www.safertogetheral.org
HERSTORY: PRESERVING WOMEN VETERANS’ STORIES
For generations, women have served alongside and in support of America’s military, but many of their stories have never made it into the history books.
The Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, is working to change that through its National Register, oral histories, collections and exhibits.
The Memorial’s Register includes nearly 308,500 women, but that represents less than 10% of the approximately 3 million women who have served since the American Revolution.
Women veterans can register their service, and the service of another woman veteran, at no cost. The online Register captures information, including branches of service, dates of service, awards, photographs and memorable experiences.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 3 million+ Women who have served since the American Revolution
- 308,500+ Women currently represented in the Register
- 1,400+ Oral histories preserved
- FREE Registration for women veterans
Know a woman veteran whose story deserves to be remembered? Help make HERstory part of history at www.womensmemorial.org.
LOCAL PRESERVATION
The Montgomery County Historical Society’s latest feature exhibit highlights Montgomery, Alabama Military and Aviation, from the years 1819-2026. The exhibit will be on view through December 23, 2026. Learn more about Montgomery’s deeply rooted Military and Aviation history!
ALABAMA’S ROLE
The transition from military service may be deeply personal, but veterans don’t have to navigate it alone. That is where the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) comes in.
For Commissioner Jeffrey L. Newton, his first year leading ADVA has included a significant organizational transition, expanded field support and several major projects. ADVA successfully transitioned from an independent state agency to an executive-level state agency, which Newton says has strengthened collaboration with legislators, community leaders and members of the governor’s cabinet.
The department also reorganized its operations and expanded its field support services. One of the year’s most visible accomplishments was completing repairs to the Command Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins State Veterans Home following the devastating April 2025 fire. Displaced veteran residents returned to the home on September 29, 2026.
ADVA also acquired property and received nearly $19 million in federal grant funding toward the construction of its second State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in North Alabama. Additional Veteran Service Officers have been added to several county offices, and the department has hired Alabama’s first Women’s Veteran Coordinator.
But Newton says one of the biggest challenges remains ensuring veterans know what help is available to them. ADVA continues to support the Alabama Veterans Resource Center on Dexter Avenue in Montgomery, which was developed as a one-stop shop for veteran resources. Its “Unite Us” software platform allows veteran-serving organizations to register and become more visible to veterans seeking assistance.
Newton says he remains surprised by the number of veterans who don’t reach out for help, or who believe they don’t deserve the benefits they’ve earned. That includes National Guard and Reserve veterans. ADVA’s county Veteran Service Offices provide free assistance with benefits. Veterans can work with trained and accredited service officers to learn about available benefits, determine eligibility and file claims. “It costs them nothing except their time,” said Chris Phillips, ADVA’s District 1 Manager.
And that message extends beyond North Alabama.
MEET YOUR DISTRICT MANAGER: CHRIS PHILLIPS
After more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy, including several years with the Blue Angels, Chris Phillips continued his service to veterans through ADVA. Now as District 1 Manager, Phillips oversees service offices across 17 North Alabama counties.
His priority is straightforward: standardize the quality of service veterans receive in every office. He also wants to ensure each office has access to the tools and resources needed to serve veterans and that Veteran Service Officers are properly trained to use them.
One of the challenges he hears about most often is technology. As the VA has shifted more services online, some veterans have struggled with virtual self-service accounts and navigating www.VA.gov. Phillips wants veterans to know that they don’t have to figure it out alone. “Alabama has fully trained and accredited service officers in nearly every county throughout the state,” he said. “These professionals can help them from start to finish.”
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Newton’s vision for ADVA extends beyond the accomplishments of its first year. Over the next year or two, the department is exploring expansion of its existing State Veterans Homes and the possibility of constructing a sixth home.
ADVA also plans to construct its second State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in North Alabama, with the estimated ribbon-cutting, consecration and first interment planned for spring 2028. The department is also exploring a third State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in the Coffee County-Wiregrass area for the 2029–2030 timeframe.
But, perhaps the most important part of ADVA’s mission is much more immediate: helping veterans understand that the resources are there, and that asking for help is not a failure. For Newton, that is what makes the work worthwhile.
“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing our Veterans and their families getting life-changing assistance from the benefits and services ADVA provides,” he said. “The stories and gratitude from the families never get old.”
The next chapter will look different for every veteran. For some, it will be a new career. For others, it will be education, entrepreneurship, community service or a renewed sense of purpose. There is no single definition of what comes next, but Alabama’s veterans don’t have to figure it out alone.
EDUCATION IS ANOTHER PATH FORWARD
Alabama Army veteran Ashley Johnson knows firsthand how education can change the trajectory of a life. After leaving high school during her 11th-grade year, Johnson earned her GED through Adult Basic Education at Trenholm State Community College. She went on to serve 12 years in the U.S. Army, earn a bachelor’s degree and MBA, establish The Pivot Path nonprofit and begin pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership.
In September, Johnson was one of four featured speakers at a national congressional briefing focused on Adult Basic Education, Pell Grants and educational opportunities for adult learners. Her story is a reminder that education does not have to end when military service begins, or when it ends.
For veterans considering their next step, Adult Basic Education, community colleges, Pell Grants and other educational opportunities can provide another pathway toward a new career and a new chapter.
