It’s Not Transition; It’s Transformation

When we talk about leaving the military, the term we often hear is transition. It’s a word that implies a change in position, state, or condition—a shift from one place to another. While this might work at a systemic level, it’s an antiquated and incomplete way to describe what really happens when someone departs military service. Life itself is transitory, but leaving the military is far more than a logistical or situational change. It’s a transformation—a profound and deeply personal evolution.

Transition vs. Transformation

Military Transition Theory (MTT) attempts to address systemic challenges in supporting service members as they move into civilian life. It focuses on resources: job placement, education, and career support. These efforts are critical but miss the deeper, more personal aspects of the process. Transition operates on a systemic level; transformation operates on the individual level.

When we leave the military, it’s not just a career shift—it’s the abrupt loss of identity, purpose, and community. Whether you’ve served three years or thirty, military life rewires you. Basic training itself is designed to instill a new identity (a service member), a higher purpose (defending the Constitution), and a tribe (your fellow warriors). These elements are reinforced every day through rituals, structure, and shared experience. This is necessary for the mission. It allows the military to function as a cohesive, effective force.

But when you leave, this carefully constructed identity is ripped away—often overnight. No matter how prepared you feel, it’s a seismic shift, one that leaves many veterans feeling unmoored. This is not “trauma” as a trendy buzzword but in its true sense: an experience causing severe emotional or psychological distress. Identity, purpose, and community are not easily replaced, yet we focus disproportionately on helping veterans find a job instead of helping them find themselves.

Why Transformation Matters

The data tells a clear story: veterans are employed at higher rates than the general population, but they are often underemployed, stuck in low-skill, low-wage positions. This underemployment stems not from a lack of capability but from the misalignment of their skills, potential, and identity. Veterans are leaders. They’ve worked under immense pressure, overcome obstacles, and inspired others to achieve the impossible. Yet, they’re often relegated to roles that fail to recognize or utilize their unique strengths.

This disconnect can exacerbate a host of problems: a loss of self-worth, difficulty reintegrating into civilian life, and, tragically, an increasing suicide rate. We’ve created a system that prioritizes jobs over transformation, band-aids over deeper healing.

The Role of Transformational Learning

Jack Mezirow’s framework for Transformational Learning offers a better way. It focuses on individuals, helping them critically reflect on their experiences, question long-held assumptions, and rebuild a new identity, purpose, and community. It’s a process that acknowledges the profound emotional and intellectual engagement required for real change.

Mezirow’s steps, such as self-examination, critical assessment, and reintegration, are especially relevant for veterans. They provide a roadmap for navigating the disorienting dilemma of leaving the military. Veterans must design a life they want—one that aligns with their values, skills, and passions—before finding a job. This is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity.

At the same time, Military Transition Theory is still vital. We need systems that address large-scale challenges, modernize resources, and align national priorities. But we also need to complement this with transformational learning at the individual level. It’s not either/or—it’s both/and.

A Call to Action

It’s time we stop calling it transition and start calling it what it truly is: transformation. This isn’t just semantics; it’s a shift in mindset that reframes the conversation. Transformation is hopeful. It’s about growth, evolution, and designing a fulfilling life. By embracing this dual approach—leveraging MTT for systemic support and transformational learning for personal growth—we can better serve those who’ve served us.

We must move beyond checking the box of employment and invest in the whole person. Identity, purpose, and community aren’t tangential; they’re foundational. By addressing these needs first, we can empower veterans to not only survive but thrive in their new chapters.

Let’s recognize the magnitude of what leaving the military entails and give our veterans the tools to transform—not just transition. By doing so, we may not only reduce underemployment and job churn but also make a real dent in the rising suicide rate. More importantly, we’ll honor their service by helping them lead purposeful, fulfilling lives beyond the uniform.

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This first appeared in The Havok Journal on December 7, 2024.

JC Glick serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The COMMIT Foundation. JC brings with him a wealth of experience as a leadership consultant and career Army officer and is driven by a deep commitment to supporting veterans in their transition journey. Since transitioning from 20 years of military service in 2015, JC has been a founder and partner of two leadership companies, where his clients included Fortune 500 companies, international non-profit organizations, government agencies, the NFL, numerous NFL and NBA teams, and multiple NCAA programs.

Over the course of his Army career, JC spent over seven years in the Ranger regiment, serving in two Ranger Battalions as well as Regimental Headquarters, participating in the Best Ranger Competition twice, and has over seven and a half years of command time with 11 operational and combat deployments to Haiti, Bangladesh, Iraq, and Afghanistan. JC is the author of two books, including A Light in the Darkness: Leadership Development for the Unknown. In 2017, he was selected as a TEDX Speaker and delivered Rethinking Leadership at TEDX Hammond. JC is also an adjunct professor at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. He holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Rhode Island and is a Liberty Fellow, part of the Aspen Institute.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.