After the JAG Corps: Navigating Your Career Progression

As military officers, we aspire to be viewed by our contemporaries and subordinates as a good or effective leader.  And as we prepare to leave the service, many of us (me included) will often include "Leader" somewhere on our LinkedIn profile or assert it in a resume.  But what does leadership look like and how does one quantify it during a job interview?  I talked Sean Georges, a former U.S. Marine judge advocate who left the Corps as a major, taking a job with a civilian law firm before serving 22 years a general counsel at a publicly-traded company.  Along with his childhood friend and fellow retired Marine, John Buford, Ph.D, Sean distilled their observations and lessons learned about leadership in a book, On Mission: Your Journey to Authentic Leadership.  As I prepare for my impending retirement (sometime in the next 15 months), I found the opportunity to have a conversation with someone who has not only speaks from experience, both in and out of uniform, but is passionate about the subject. This conversation was recorded on August 3, 2022, just days after the book was released.  Sean's LinkedIn profile is available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-georges-031b486/.

CAPT Kevin O'Neil, JAGC, U.S. Navy (Retired), was serving as a military judge, a job which he absolutely loved, when he was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer and began a long and courageous battle for his health. Medically retired in 2015 and finally turning a corner in his health battle, Kevin realized he was bored in retirement and found a way to return to the bench as an administrative law judge for the State of California's Department of Social Services.  Like many JAGs in retirement, although he had experience as a judge, Kevin had to learn a completely new area of the law.  This week's podcast is an opportunity to learn about working at the state level and an opportunity to hear about Kevin's remarkable journey. Kevin's LinkedIn profile is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-o-neil-181772aa/. Our conversation was recorded in August 2022.

David Bean served less than 5 years as an Army JAG, but, as he explains in this podcast, the experiences he gained during while wearing the uniform have served him well as he has moved from "Big Law" to corporate law.  David takes us through his year-long search for a job (which included many rejections), how former JAGs of all services were always willing to give him a hand or introduce him to their networks, and how corporate America values military veterans and the experiences, knowledge and skills JAGs bring.  David also invites separating and retiring JAGs to contact him.  David's LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bean-0a4baa145/.  This conversation was recorded August 3, 2022.

FourBlock is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting separating/retiring service members in their transition from military service to meaningful civilian careers. In this episode, Eric Stetson, a retired Army officer, gives us the gouge on FourBlock. Eric’s LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericstetson1. Information on FourBlock is available at https://fourblock.org/.

Don King retired from the Navy JAG Corps about two years ago.  As Don explains in this episode, he wanted to get off the bench and back in front of it.  You will hear how he envisioned having a small practice in Southern California, leaving him plenty of time to play golf and enjoy beautiful Coronado.  Things, however, have not turned out as planned.  Not only is Don not playing much golf due to his thriving practice, but he has had to hire other attorneys to handle the caseload.  In this week's episode, recorded on July 2, 2022, Don talks about making the decision to retire, how his plans were impacted by the COVID pandemic, and the launching of King Military Law (https://kingmilitarylaw.com).     Don also talks about the need for experienced former judge advocates to provide pro bono services to veterans with PTSD who have received unfavorable discharges from the services due to attempts to self-medicate following years of combat, and organizations with which you can affiliate to help our heroes receive the help and benefits they need. This episode is for anyone thinking about hanging a shingle after they leave the JAG Corps as Don extends an invitation to you to learn how to avoid the unnecessary mistakes that he made.  Don can be reached via LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/kingmilitarylaw) or via his firm web page. PROGRAMMING NOTE: It has been a busy summer during which I have not had much time to talk to people.  As a result, I am down to one interview.  I am looking for more guests to share their journeys as well as others who could speak about ancillary items associated with transitioning such as the VA disability system.  If you have any interest or recommendations, please e-mail me at afterthejagc@gmail.com

Adam Kantor left the Navy JAG Corps after 7 years back in 2005, a decision which he describes as one of the hardest adult decisions of his life.  In this episode, Adam tells us how a recommendation from a friend to talk to an attorney in Tampa, Florida, put him in the position of making a career change, how his seven years of active-duty service prepared him for his civilian law practice and offers words of encouragement to those who are facing the decision to separate or retire.  Adam's LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-kantor-b533715a/. A couple side notes.  First, I had never interacted with Adam until our conversation on July 1, 2022, but the podcast you will hear is largely unedited.  The point is that despite our lack of familiarity, it was like we had known each other for years.  This is a common and unique phenomenon among military veterans that is a huge advantage when it comes to networking.  Everyone tells you that, but, as I listened to our conversation two weeks later, I was struck by how easy it was for us to immediately strike up a conversation.  In fact, Adam introduced me to someone in his network as I pursue my own career progression plans. Second, this summer has been a very busy travel season for me (this is the third Saturday in a row that I am on the road).  Accordingly, I apologize to both guests and audience for not putting in the same amount of time to edit these podcasts.

Mike Millios enjoyed his time in the Army, transitioning to the Reserve Component upon separation. It was while in civilian practice that he recognized how the pressures of today's law practice lead to unhealthy habits and lifestyles. Now in Minnesota, Mike has evolved his practice from criminal defense to mediation, and also become a Wellness and Life Coach, assisting other attorneys and communities embrace Mindfulness and other exercises to live more joyful and less anxious lives. (Apologies to Mike and the audience as this is not my best editing job.  I am on the road the next two weeks and thus unable to devote extended time to editing the clips.) Mike's LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmillios/ This conversation was recorded on July 1, 2022.

This week, we shift gears a little by talking to an active-duty judge advocate who has made the decision to separate from the Navy and begin her post-military career, which has nothing to do with the law.  LCDR Leslie Stephenson has served for almost 10 years, but has decided to shift colors and will return to school to pursue a completely different line of work.  What that career is, however, requires you to listen to this episode.  Leslie explains the factors that led her to this decision, the preparations she had undertaken and even provides some additional resources for separating and retiring military members, especially female military members.  What those resources are, again, requires you to listen to this episode. LCDR Stephenson's LinkedIn Profile can be accessed at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliestephenson/ This conversation was recorded on May 27, 2022.

Happy Fourth of July! Career military officers approaching retirement have a lot on their plate just to get out of the service as well as finding a second career.  One of the things that is not really considered is whether to pursue an alternative to the Survivor Benefit Plan, which costs the retiree 6.5% of their retirement pay over 30 years and provides the surviving spouse with 55% of the member's retainer pay.  In this episode, I talk with Scott Tucker, a USMA graduate and former Army officer, about this issue.  If you are approaching retirement, I recommend you listen to this podcast so that you can thoughtfully make a decision as going the insurance route is something you need some lead time to consider.  Scott's LinkedIn profile can be accessed here.  Additional information and resources can be found at USVetWealth's webpage here or his YouTube channel here.

Mike Green became the first judge advocate assigned to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in 2000 because Admiral "Skip" Bowman insisted on having a JAG assigned to his staff.  Proving once again that timing is everything in life, Mike was able to leverage his experience at his last assignment to a follow-on career as an attorney at a law firm and then as in-house counsel with a nuclear energy firm before moving over to TerraPower, LLC, this past May, when this conversation was recorded.  Mike entered the Navy in 1984 as a naval aviator and retired in 2004 as a judge advocate.  With 18 years of post-Navy law experience under his belt, Mike shares his wisdom on what is important for retiring and separating judge advocates should consider as they decide what to do next as well as a look back in his time in uniform.  As always, Mike's LinkedIn profile can be accessed by clicking HERE.