Episode 007: It Is Never Too Early to Think About Your Future After the Military with Anne Meree Craig

Sam Whitehurst, your host, addresses in today’s episode the matter of transitioning from military services to civilian society, a matter that was also discussed in previous podcasts.

 

It is never too early to think about your future after the military, but it is often easier said than done. Service members usually start thinking about transitioning once they are already “in the breach”; why do they wait so long? The struggle of what will be the next career is shared by many military members. The COMMIT Foundation is an organization that assists service members in figuring out the answer to that question and finding the best next thing to do that is going to bring value to their lives and help them to find their purpose.

 

In today’s episode, Sam is talking with Anne Meree Craig, the co-founder and CEO of The COMMIT Foundation; she shares her story and describes how the foundation helps high-performance service members find their purpose and become contributing members of their communities.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:51] Sam shares his story of transitioning into civilian society.

[3:49] Anne Meree talks about herself and the beginnings of The COMMIT Foundation.

[6:38] What does high-performance service members actually mean?

[7:30] How do you translate your skills from military services to the civilian world?

[10:11] Sam talks about his own story of feeling lost at the beginning of his transition.

[13:38] What sets The COMMIT Foundation apart from other organizations that help veterans?

[20:06] Success does not mean the same to all veterans.

[20:55] Anne Meree talks about The COMMIT Foundation’s new initiatives.

[25:50] Anne Meree shares how they are addressing the most important and current issues to tackle, like racism and integration.

[28:25] Anne Meree talks about the “Let’s Talk Race” initiative.

[30:05] The military is a great example of diversity, inclusion, and integration.

[32:25] Anne Meree shares her thoughts in regards to what can be the best call to action.

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Dixon Center: Reaching America

At Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, we believe our veterans and military families can succeed where they live.

Dixon Center is named after Staff Sergeant Donnie Dixon, who was killed in action on September 29, 2007, in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Dixon was a father, husband, and Soldier who always placed the mission first and the safety of his fellow Soldiers above his own. Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services stands as a testament to his example and leadership.

Dixon Center on Facebook

Dixon Center on Twitter

Dixon Center on Instagram

 

The COMMIT Foundation

 

Tweetables and quotes:

“Quality of service is so much more important than the quantity served.”

 

“The COMMIT Foundation created a space that provides military servers to remember who they are, what their values are, to help them assess where their strengths are and what served them well in the military and needs to be translated into their current lives.”

 

.css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}