"Not all veterans are equal..."

Earn your "V"

But what do you mean??? A friend and veteran shared this article with me recently during a phone call. We try to keep in contact monthly and see how things are going and help each other. As I read through this article and started reflecting on the content, I realized that it is common for veterans to get entitled to something just because they served. I realized that I was that person.

Dan Sheehan wrote, "Not all veterans are equal. There are veterans, and then there are Veterans. The difference has nothing to do with what we did in the military. The capital "V" is earned after leaving the service." He couldn't be more correct. What we do after service is the true reflection on who we become as "Veterans" in our life after service. It is a significant change in our life no matter if we served four years or forty years. Our country has been in a time of war for over two decades. Americans of all ages have supported this global war in many ways, but that was then and is now.

How can we use those skills that we learned while in service to impact our new life significantly? I served in the Infantry during my time in the Marine Corps, and my job was rewarding; it was fun, exciting, and had my fair share of ups and downs. I wasn't an officer, didn't go to specialized schools, but I always performed above my peers, not for myself but my Marines.

Hard Work or Work Hard

I have learned to leverage the "soft skills" that I learned during my 20-year career as a Marine Leader in the business world. I am finding ways to be a voice and help veterans in my community. I am finding ways to mentor those younger than me to see things from different perspectives. There are ways to say "I am a Veteran" without having a giant sign to have the spotlight directly on you. Our actions should speak louder than our words. I learned this phrase as a young leader, and I have used it as my motto for over ten years "hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard." Whether physically or mentally, how hard you work will define how others view you as a Veteran, either through a positive lens or negative. The first impression that we give to society when we leave service will be the image of all future veterans.

How will you earn your "V."

Read the article you might learn something new!

Semper,

Aaron