Chris Allen

As I sit here at Fort Benning completing my last day of our processing , I’m realizing that a lot has happened lately within our country with regard to Osama Bin Laden’s death, friends I’ve left behind, and the wife and girls I will see tomorrow evening when I fly home. Needless to say, while waiting in line for dental checks, shots, and exams, I’ve had some time to think about the past year and some time to think about what I wanted to write about in this latest blog entry.

No, nobody died. RIP in Army terms stands for Relief in Place. And, that’s exactly what I am doing right now. I intended to write about V&B (Vine & Branch, the Not-For-Profit I hope to open for Veterans and their families) during this post, but I’ve been utterly busy the entire week getting my replacement situated before I return to the States. I am tired and honestly do not feel like writing. With that said, I simply decided not to write about V&B today. My mind can’t concentrate on it. Instead, I want to capture my feelings in the moment so that other people can understand something about military culture.

What happens when you plan a vacation? Do you get excited about the upcoming trip you are getting ready to take? Of course you get excited! If you don’t, there’s probably something wrong and what you’re taking probably shouldn’t be considered a vacation. You probably plan your itinerary with regards to what you will see, who you will visit, what foods you will eat, what memories you will make, and what you will pack.

Why do we take vacations? Do we take them to get away from stress and to forget about current circumstances? Do we take them so that we might re-connect with the people and friends that we love? The answer to all of these questions is undoubtedly “yes” for most of us. But, what happens when we come home from our time away on vacation? For awhile, we are relaxed but inevitably the problems we sought to avoid come back to haunt us with a vengeance. The healing and rejuvenation that we expected disappears for many of us.

My last blog spent a considerable amount of time highlighting some cultural considerations for Veterans and their families. If you haven’t read So What Factor 2, I encourage you to do so prior to reading this one. Today, I will discuss private industry considerations, the Veteran Market, and Partnership Potential for you as a Counselor.