The military is an amazing place to be as long as you have the right mindset. As I approach my 22nd year, I am looking back on some of the things I learned along the way. Let me know if you want to see more military content like this in the comments. These are in no particular order.
1) Be on time. Timeliness is a trait that everyone expects from a person in uniform. Don’t disappoint them.
2) Try to be clean and organized. Life happens, but a military person should take the time to clean their work and living spaces.
3) Be a good follower. Most of the time you will not know exactly what is happening. Then one day, you will be the person who knows the most. Until that day, listen and learn.
4) Treat your team as if they are family. Family can be hard on each other, but it is for the betterment of that individual. Do not belittle or demean others.
5) Take care of your family. Taking care of family is more than being there for their dentist appointments. You have an obligation to your family to try and achieve higher success in the military.
6) Do everything you can to get promoted. There comes a time where your career is in your hands. You have decision making authority. You can go to college, volunteer for deployment, go to a job school, etc. Do everything in your power to be successful, no one else will do it for you.
7) Communicate with your spouse. If you do need to volunteer for deployment or a long school, explain why this is important for your career. The more they know, the more they can understand why you make certain decisions.
8) Seek mentorship. It’s not your superiors’ job to seek you out and guide you. Most people want to assist younger military members, but they are not going to hunt you down. Let them know that you are hungry for knowledge.
9) Have fun. This will be the best of times and the worst of times, but when you look back, it is almost always the best of times. Don’t spend your time complaining.
10) Make friends. You will form lifelong friends throughout your service. People from all walks of life. You don’t know who is who, so spend some time getting to know everyone.
11) Make the best of each duty station. You may end up in the desert or the snow, east coast or west coast, Japan or Korea, etc. Make the best of it. If you stay positive, you will have an amazing time.
12) Follow the rules. It is that simple, follow the rules. You do not want to lose your career over something as small as this.
13) Manage your money. Please, learn how to take care of your money. Learn how to save and invest, as well as stay out of debt and keep your expenses low. You will be a lot happier when you are not living paycheck to paycheck.
14) Ask invasive questions. Some of your buddies may fall upon hard times, and you will need to be able to ask the direct question. “Are you feeling suicidal?” This should be a question that you can ask any one of your buddies. I recently lost a Marine to suicide, trust me, it is not fun.
15) Celebrate together. Part of what separates the military from being a civilian is our closeness to each other. Make sure that you celebrate victories, mission accomplishments, weddings, babies, and everything in between.
16) Take pictures. I am so glad I took so many pictures. (You can find some here: https://militaryfamilyinvesting.com/tag/marine-corps-life ) Looking back is a blast from the past. And you never know what the future holds.
17) Be humble. “Infinite power corrupts infinitely” “With great power comes great responsibility”. These are two great quotes. You are a leader and there to serve others. Remember this.
18) Learn the definition of leadership. “Leadership is the art of influencing others to accomplish a mission”. The words “art” and “influence” stick out to me. Nowhere does it say yell at, demean, belittle or backstab. You need to learn about your people in order to effectively lead them.
19) Talk about their futures. If you want to truly be a great leader, ask your people about their future. What are their plans for promotion? What job do they want when they get out? How can you assist them in order to achieve their goals? These questions will buy you infinite dividends with your team. Also, make sure you follow up with them from time to time.
20) Challenge yourself. The military has a way of challenging you already. Whether it is going to combat or public speaking, you will constantly find yourself out of your comfort zone. However, you can challenge yourself even more. No need to hide.
21) It is an honor to lead other humans through their life. You are an important part of someone else’s life. They will probably never forget you. Do you want to be a good memory or a bad one?
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Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I am an Amazon Affiliate. Please research any investment vehicles that are being considered. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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