How has your military training helped outside the military

[Litefoot]

Drafted in 1967... Served 25.5 years, 2 so called wars...
Trained in mortars &Infantry, Infantryman in Vietnam, Also worked as a F.O. for the artillery,
Drill Instructor at Ft Lewis and Ft Gordon, Mailman at Ft Gordon,
Communications NCO, Chemical NCO / Training NCO at Ft Hood,

Top Secret Nuclear Security Clearance,
COMSEC at 90% of my duty stations, Controlled, Issued, Inventoried, Destroyed all code books etc.
Controlled Nuclear Keys and codes at ????? Too secret.... I could tell you but I have to kill you.
Signal Corp's for most of my career, Can install/operate/maintain just about any system that X-mits and Rec's in the military inventory, Install/operate all switchboards & LL phone systems in the military,
Assigned to an armor unit in Iraq, Learned how to operate a tank, assemble/disassemble a 50 cal machine gun, Units served with Infantry, Signal, Armor, Artillery, Training Schools, Postal and ??? My memory fails me at my advanced years of old age but the sparks still fly...

Also worked as a 1st Sgt, Sgt Major, S-3 Ops during my tenure at Ft Sill and in Germany.
Learned how to jump out of planes, Repel from buildings and helicopters, Blow up buildings and bunkers etc, Drive tanks and anything with wheels,

Schools included where COMSEC, Nuclear, Chemical, FM/ Security & maintenance, AM/FM Radio maintenance, All LL phones and switchboards, Radio/TT systems, Postal, Power distribution & generators, Explosives, Bus Driver, BNCO, ADNCO, 1st Sgt Course, and others I cannot remember off the top of my head.

After retirement worked as an Car salesman, Service manager, Electrician, Store manager, Warehouse distribution, Manufacture Supervisor and finally a Service representative for the local electrical Co-op. Retired from there about 5 years ago.

Overall I would say the military training prepared me for just about anything short of rocket science, a pilot, or the medical field even though they do have courses for that too...

SO, yes I did use my military training after the military......

[jertheber]

Army, 1965-1971, if I learned anything from my service time it would be that you can do things you ordinarily wouldn't have felt possible, why? Ordered to do things without the luxury of quitting was the main factor in "building the soldier", the Army's first goal relative to their initial training in boot camp. That entire training exercise is aimed at creating a "conditioned response" to whatever you may be ordered to do, over a lifetime that response becomes a self initiated aspect of decision making and the will to follow through with whatever it is that you determine as the best course.

Through my life I've noted a distinct difference in those who served as opposed to those who didn't. It's hard to define with any certainty but overall I'd say it's a quality of their self confidence, a willingness to help others, and the fact that most know the hardship of endurance and what that means when things get rough, when the chips are down you'd be fortunate to find one of these people in your midst, they're do-ers when doing is the difference......

[baxendale]

My MOS was 0311 (grunt) and as I recall from my DD214 it said that my related civilian occupation was something like "professional director of small arms." When I got out I couldn't find any people with small arms to direct, so I just had to figure it out for myself.