Nov
03

Living la Vida the Navy SEAL way

By | FunFile, H.U.A. Blog

2 Comments

8 lessons from a 31 day up close and personal life refit of one civilian & his Navy SEAL trainerOne, super successful, already unafraid to shake things up American male, Jesse Itzler, felt he needed a clarion call to change in his life. So he hired a U.S. Navy SEAL to live with him-for a month. Oh, yeah. He got the expected early get your butt out of bed call plus 7 more big life tips share here as part of MilSuccessNet’s WoW – Words on Wednesdays.

The article posted by Inc. writer @BillMurphyJr is found below.

‘The SEAL’ as our warrior trainer is referred to, remains anonymous and was in transition out of military service at the time of his newly contracted 31 day duty.

The average reader of humorous, lifestyle and fitness books should be forewarned just by the headline, what is expected of a person committed to following the advice of a Navy SEAL.  (HK) 

Want to Lead a Truly Exceptional Life? A Navy SEAL Says Always Do These Things [Read more…]

Sep
24

Job transition ups status & stress for civilian now supervising co-workers

By | Guest Posts, H.U.A. Blog

Leave a Comment

Rising in the ranks can create changes in the team dynamics. Today’s Q & A presents a civilian who’s earned added ‘stripes’ by taking on a new, leadership role supervising former colleagues.

BossStress can rear its head for the team and for the one bestowed with new duties and perceived status. You’ll find this insight from both Pamela and from Shaun Collins useful. Their response to a query posted in their regular He Said She Said column was featured first in Ft. Leonard Wood‘s My Guidon and is reprinted with a light edit here for our community:

The Q:   I’m a Department of the Army civilian employee and have recently taken on a team leadership role at work. Two of the women in my section, whom I consider to be very good friends, have had trouble accepting this change. They refuse to help when I ask for their support, so I end up doing the work myself. My supervisor told me that I should not be doing their work for them. How can I convince my co-workers to give me a break? [Read more…]

Aug
09

One woman’s military life. Is this how it is?

By | Guest Posts, H.U.A. Blog

Leave a Comment

What it’s really like to be a woman in the military

This reader-submitted article appeared earlier in Hello Giggles The content is all the original attributed to the author cited below. MilitarySuccessNetowrk, however,  has added the colored highlights. The banner photo is of Gina, a female soldier photographed by a MilSuccessNet team member during their 07-09 deployment. Thank you, all, for your dedication and service. (HK)
Less than one percent of everyone in the USA joins the armed forces. Women make up only eighteen percent of that, but as a woman in the military myself, I can say with absolute certainty that that eighteen percent gives it their best and more.That’s not to say that it’s easy. The training is tough, the uncertainty and being far away from your friends and family is even harder. It puts a strain on your body and on your mind, no matter how tough you are going in. So what does it take join the military as a woman?
It takes other women.

[Read more…]

Jul
26

A soldier’s Coming Out in a season of Pride

By | Guest Posts, H.U.A. Blog

Leave a Comment

For a soldier, as for any citizen who is leading a whole life there are seasons of growth, study, work and family. At each stage, there is reflection and there are decisions and hopefully support for them.

Advice columnists

Advice columnists

A soldier seeks an answer on how to stay true to his identity as a gay man and also to share this with his unit. A timely question, it is answered here by Shaun and Pamela Collins in their He Said She Said column. It appeared at Ft. Leonard Wood‘s publication, the Guidon under the original title: Soldier considers ‘coming out’ as partner moves here.

MilSuccessNet is reposting it given that USA now has the Marriage Equality Act and it’s the season of Pride events across the country.

Here in their own words, including the soldier who wrote in: 

Ever since “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed I have wanted to be more honest with my unit about my sexuality. [Read more…]

Jun
14

USO’s 23 facts on the US Army’s 240th birthday

By | H.U.A. Blog

Leave a Comment

Happy 240th Birthday US Army! Can we celebrate any better than to take note and enjoy the 23 fun and significant facts laid out for us so beautifully by the USO itself?
Indeed.
Army Strong! 

23 Facts for the Army’s 240th Birthday

~

[Read more…]

Jun
06

How D-Day led Maj. Dick Winters to be a Monastic Warrior

By | H.U.A. Blog, History

Leave a Comment

Readers of The Art of Manliness, from within the Military Success Network community brought this timely post to our attention. It’s the lessons from a D-Day fighter on leading a warrior life.

Major Dick Winters suggested this as a personal plan.

As a Monastic Warrior, his advice is just as relevant now in the din of all we do, post, read, hear, feel as it was in the solace of quiet and calm post World War II veterans sought. It meant not only “cultivate sharp minds and fighters’ bodies, but to develop themselves into men of the highest moral caliber.”

Winters believed that the cornerstone of character was: Honesty.

From there you worked to develop a moral compass that was guided by the virtues of:

  • Courage
  • Fairness
  • Consistency
  • Selflessness
  • Respect for your fellow men.

Winters felt that integrity was paramount.  “It’s easier to do the right thing when everyone is looking,” but “more difficult to do what you should do when you are alone.”

And because Winters added to these core values, his own ascetic precepts such as choosing to abstain from canoodling with women, drinking alcohol (he was a lifelong teetotaler), and swearing……  we now move to share the comprehensive and eminently comprehensive and well written original piece our post is taken from today… and Brett and Kate Mckay’s own words: [Read more…]

May
08

Military Spouse Appreciation Day honors patriot life partners

By | H.U.A. Blog, History

Leave a Comment

Just in time! For end of school term, PCS, end of service, deployment days. You name it! Always a good time to celebrate a military spouse.

Military spouse appreciation day observed in 2015 This year’s short n’ sweet post on social media by the Department of Defense (DOD) “On Military Spouse Appreciation Day, the Department of Defense would like to take the opportunity to thank and honor the husbands and wives of our service members. Salute.”  It is worth visiting the DOD on Facebook to read the tributes from military personnel to their sweethearts, so strong and true.  [Read more…]

Jan
17

Aloha to USA’s 50th Star State – Hawaii

By | H.U.A. Blog, History

Leave a Comment

On Jan. 17, 1893, the ruler of then independent Hawaii, Queen Lili`uokalani was overthrown by U.S. Marines who arrested her at gunpoint.
Why do we have President William McKinley in this post? Because ultimately, on June 16 1897, he signed and forwarded the Treaty of Annexation of Hawaii to the United States, to the U.S. Senate for ratification.
It would take another year until President William McKinley signed it into law in July 1898 as it required a joint resolution of Congress authorizing the annexation.
The few voices that objected the morality of the annexation were drowned by the drums of conquest. At that time, our nation was caught in the fever of the war with Spain. The three months war put United States in control of Guam, Puerto Rico, Wake Island, Philippines and Cuba. So Hawaii just went with the flow.

[Read more…]

Jan
14

Steps to smoother moves out of military milieu

By | Guest Posts, H.U.A. Blog

8 Comments

Uniform2_thumbShaun Collins’ personal essay explored 1st hand some changes he experienced after he retired and stepped out of his uniform. The post resonated with many service members both in transition or planning on their move from a military to civilian milieu.

In part 2 we look into the source of part 1’s title:

 “If You Are What You Do – When You Don’t – You Aren’t”

And how he found his next steps a while into retirement from his military roles.

Shaun Collins spoke of his process to the Military Success Network site’s editor, Helena Kaufman. What follows is an excerpt from a conversation that took place on the phone just prior to the publishing of part 1 and Collins’ original writing on his transition.

Shaun, and I’ll call you that as I pose questions to you, based on your gentle request of others to do so in your essay. …You said your next steps were to figure out how to answer the question “What do you do”? [Read more…]

Jan
05

Who are you when you’re no longer in uniform?

By | Guest Posts, H.U.A. Blog

19 Comments

Are we done yet with the season of  resolutions? Our lists of what we should do, change, improve, learn, stop, start? Can we now focus on our actual identity and how we want to BE rather than just do?

Guest columnist and military veteran, CW4 (Ret.) Shaun Collins explores how to be – when you find yourself on the civilian side of life. How to be – just a stone’s throw from your quarter century of service, carrying a rucksack full of memories and making your way through the transition zone. 

  • Part 1 – Asking: Who am I now?
  •                 And, how did I get here?
  • Part 2 – Answering to: What do you do?”

“If You Are What You Do – When You Don’t – You Aren’t”

by: Shaun Collins

Uniform2_thumbA few years ago, as I was retiring from the U.S. Army, I was asked by the Military Success Network’s leadership team to write about my preparation for the impending life change.  Although the preparation I engaged in was meaningful, I wish I had known about some of the emotional impact my retirement would have, especially on my identity. I could perhaps have better prepared for the mental and psychological perspectives  – both expected and not.

[Read more…]

« Previous Page
Next Page »