How to Grow a Beard

“How to Grow a Beard: A Military Transition Guide Back Into Civilian Life” is primarily based on 10-year Marine Corps veteran R.Graves' story on how he weaved back into the civilian life, but it is also the voice of every single veteran who has been thrown out to the wolves, to fend for themselves. Thrown out to learn the protocols of the civilian world and endure an—at times—intense mental battle. Thrown out to learn how to reintegrate with the real world again all over again. This book covers topics such as reframing what sacrifice means to an individual, learning what we're worth in the civilian workplace, converting military service into civilian language for resumes and interviews, lessons on humility, integrating with friends and family again, and even lessons on swallowing your pride and allowing others to help out with our transition. Because transition will come—faster than you may realize. But, as ready as you are to start your new life, you will at some point find yourself in the situations introduced in this book. With veteran suicide, and veteran homelessness at an all-time high, it is no secret that transition can be hard and overwhelming. Graves' intent with this book is to make the military transition as smooth as possible for his fellow veterans, by providing tools and lessons learned. Whether you are about to leave the service or have been out in the civilian trenches for a while, this book is the tool created for you to transition—successfully.