--- title: "I Found Meaning After The Military In Many Places, Not Just One" date: "2018-10-31" modified: "2018-10-31" authors: - name: "Tom Ricks" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/tom-ricks/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/i-found-meaning-after-the-military-in-many-places-not-just-one/" categories: - "Opinion" --- # I Found Meaning After The Military In Many Places, Not Just One ![]() *Here is our third entry in our* *contest* *about finding meaningful employment after leaving the military. *If you care to send an entry, just go to The Long March* *homepage* *and use the e-mail button on the upper left, next to the postage stamp photograph of me! —Tom** **Chad Storlie writes:** “The problem with military veterans looking for the ‘one thing’ to re-create the purpose that they found in the military ignores the uniqueness of military service and the attributes of service that so many who have served discovered. I served 20+ years as an Army Special Forces Officer, which allowed me to shoot weapons, develop leaders, teach and train others, live with foreign soldiers, speak foreign languages, invade a foreign country (Iraq), help bring peace to another (Bosnia), and help teach the next generation of leaders. There are no other jobs like this – period and end of story. What military veterans must do is to look for purposes and not just purpose. Looking for a single purpose and dedication like the military will in 999 out of 1,000 times be a task of disappointment. When we look for purposes, then we open ourselves to more potential for contribution and satisfaction. Today, I teach at a college. I do strategy for my business. I watch Russian history (in Russian) to help my foreign understanding. I have a great wife and Family. I mentor military veterans through ACP & Veterati. I publish articles on how to apply military skills to solve business challenges. If I looked for the sole purpose to find what I had in the military, I would be lost. What makes me ‘found’ is the ability to create multiples purposes that lead to a satisfying and fulfilling post-military life. The secret: find your purposes.” ![]()