Just Kamping

Leaving Active Duty

As of December 14th, I have officially separated from Active Duty service. No longer will I shave and suit up every day in my Air Force uniform. Rather, since early November I’ve begun to embrace my life as a full-time student. I’m sporting a (sort-of) beard, my hair is beginning to cover my ears, and I’ve been waking up between 7:00-8:00 am daily. Quite the change from my last routine. All this might change of course. For now, I’m enjoying it!

Sarah and I are currently in a weird transition period. We’ve moved into a comfortable home but still await our household goods to come from Japan. We’re currently crafting our baby nursery and with every added item we slowly transition into parenthood. We recently drove an hour and a half to buy a Jenny Lind crib. How do I know what a “Jenny Lind” item is? Well, I’m becoming a parent. And Sarah told me about it.

But for both Sarah and I, we’re looking forward and the view isn’t so clear. In the military, it seemed like we had a plan for everything. We could project what bases we’d go to, career progression, schools. We knew our set income, could easily plan vacations (not with COVID of course), and we could estimate when it would all end. All this was perceived control of course. Nothing was ever really in our hands.

But even though our sense of control was left behind in Japan, I am so thankful we made this decision. If you know me, you know I’ve sat on this fence since the Fall of 2013, when I decided to take my first extension. With each opportunity to leave came morbid indecisiveness. I badly wanted to leave, yet always felt it wasn’t the right time or that there was better work to be done if I stayed. Or even better, I thought God was “calling me” to stay in. This year brought the same indecision. But by the grace of God, I decided to walk by faith and leave. Covered of course, in the prayers and affirmations of Sarah, our family, and our friends.

I could talk about the loss we’ve undertaken; leaving the Air Force isn’t easy. Even with all the bureaucracy and inconvenience, it was still a great gig (for the most part). But I’ll leave that for a separate post. For now, this post is about walking equipped into the unknown.

Let me encourage anyone who is contemplating doing something similar: it’s worth pursuing. Leaving any job, even the military, seems crazy when you’re like me and it’s all you’ve ever known. But if you feel better equipped or even called to serve in a different area, you can pursue it.

How have we found confidence in this transition? Here it is:

1. We’re aiming at something.

2. We have a fairly clear vision of how God has formed us and how he wants to employ our family for his purposes.

3. We’ve rehearsed the rhythms and practices that bring peace and life into our home, while also anchoring our identity in Christ.

4. Our plans have been considered and affirmed by our family, church family, and others whose opinions we highly respect (people like Dave Nickerson).

 (It also helps that we’ve accumulated the resources, both treasure and skills, to provide for us as we transition.)

Maybe you feel like you’re in a similar situation. If you’re considering a career move or just a big life move in any way, I’d be happy to chat about our journey and pray with you as you process your next steps. I am not an expert, just a friend going through it. Feel free to leave me a comment or hit me up on social media! I’d be glad to connect.

Also, just for fun- here’s a funny picture from Basic Training. Much has changed!