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Jan
14

Steps to smoother moves out of military milieu

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

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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…]

Sep
13

Garden harvest sows discontent with pushy neighbor

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

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Career Soldiers with more than 50 years of service between them, MilSuccessNet guest writers Shaun and Pamela Collins have hardly gone to seed in “retirement.” They’ve tended their own well planted garden of career and lifestyle transition. It has yielded opportunities to apply their training and experience as they teach, travel, contribute to their community and write.

With fall’s arrival comes this column of practical advice on handling a neighbor with big eyes. It is reprinted with kind permission from their original column in The Guidon at Ft. Leonard Wood.

Here is this week’s question that they answer entirely in their own words …..

QUESTION:   I have a small garden at my house, and when I mean small, I mean several potted tomatoes and two cucumber plants and one pepper plant. Barely enough for my own Family, but my neighbor asks me every day when am I going to be bringing him some produce. 

……At first I thought he was joking, actually rubbing it in about the size of my “farm” but the other day my wife picked four cucumbers and he asked if he could have two. I wasn’t home, but he told my wife that I had said he could share the results. She brushed it off as joking, but he did not. [Read more…]

Mar
25

Advice column reader asks about gun control – part 1 of 2

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

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“Is it gun control or constitutional infringement?“, asks a reader of the popular advice column called He Said She Said in the Guidon at Ft. Leonard Wood.

Questions you might have

Questions you might have

Here, the expanded version of the question includes the reader’s discovery that the He Said She Said columnist duo also guest blog for MilSuccessNet. Formerly known as Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Shaun and Pam Collins are now fully retired and out of the closet where columnists with pseudonyms are kept working, under cover.

Shaun Collins responds today and next time we’ll read Pam’s point of view. It should be noted that what they write, represents their own personal opinion based on their work and life experiences.

But first, the question! [Read more…]

Feb
14

Military source for advice on Valentine’s Day?

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

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It’s LOVE DAY out in the world, and all heart week at Military Success Network. We are introducing new guest bloggers on the soul of resilient military to civilian transition and a NEW ADVICE COLUMN. 

TO THE RESCUE today, is the 1st of many valuable columns to come! Reprinted with permission of  GUIDON in Ft. Leonard Wood. They are graciously sharing the HE SAID SHE SAID advice column, written by our own new dynamic duo of guest bloggers and veterans Pam Collins and her partner in life and practical advice prose, Shaun Collins. (Formerly, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, till both officially retired from military service and entered civilian life, with resilience!!)

Today, they address a universal quandary. Oh, I hope it’s not too late for you today. Our MilSuccessNet editor was found this morning, way past deadline,  hunched over, asleep and clutching  a half empty heart shaped virtual box of chocolate… on the screen.

He Said, She Said: Husband stumped at what to buy wife for Valentine’s Day 

He Said She Said

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Read more…]

Feb
02

Love, work and the whole damn thing part 2

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

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Pamela Collins continues her own story of  resilient transition from Part 1 and in today’s post she talks about:

Pam Collins, writer of the He Said She Said column

Pam Collins

  • Adjustment to a new daily routine
  • Mentorship’s value
  • Birth of the He Said She Said column 
  • Creative connection to military and giving back

Have you guessed yet who is on her team?

Find out who they are NOW and check back again for the full confession of who this popular columnist and her writing partner really WERE before you met them here on Military Success Network…. 

…  we return now to read ...in her own words… [Read more…]