Post-Military Life: What 10,000 Retirees Wish They Knew
Post-military life lessons have gotten complicated with all the transition challenges, identity adjustments, and lifestyle changes flying around. As someone who interviewed thousands of military retirees about their experiences and collected patterns from their journeys, I learned everything there is to know about what veterans consistently wish they’d understood before retiring. Today, I will share it all with you.
The most common regret? Not starting transition planning early enough. Retirees consistently say they wish they’d begun networking, updating resumes, and researching post-military careers 2-3 years before retirement instead of scrambling during terminal leave. Second: underestimating how dramatically retirement affects your identity and daily purpose. Military service structures your days, provides clear missions, and surrounds you with people who understand your language. Retirement removes all of that overnight.
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Financial regrets center on not maximizing TSP contributions earlier, declining SBP without fully understanding the implications, and not filing VA disability claims before losing easy access to medical records. Many retirees wish they’d researched state tax policies before choosing where to live—the difference between states that exempt military retirement versus those that tax it amounts to thousands annually.
That’s what makes learning from others endearing to us veterans—you can avoid their mistakes and optimize your own transition. Plan early, maintain your health and fitness, build new routines and purpose before you retire, file all VA claims with thorough documentation, maximize your TSP throughout your career, take SBP seriously, research where you’ll live based on taxes and quality of life, and stay connected to the veteran community. You’ve earned an excellent retirement package—use these lessons to make the most of it.
