"AT EASE" Foreword
By Col. Brad Wenstrup, DPM, U.S. Army Reserve (Ret.), member of Congress
I met Emily King through a mutual friend who described her as someone dedicated to the welfare of our nation’s military service members and veterans. She is passionate about eliminating the divide that still exists between military and civilian cultures and has dedicated considerable energy, time, and talent to helping people on both sides who are moving through this complex and sometimes fraught journey. As an early thought leader on this topic, Emily’s expertise has been sought by Army generals and corporate CEOs alike. Her first book, Field Tested, is a seminal guide for both veterans and business leaders since its release in 2011, helping countless veterans and their employers to avoid or mitigate predictable pitfalls. Now, more than a decade later, Emily again steps into uncharted territory by lifting the veil on what remains undiscussed: the emotional and psychological impact of military transition. As a retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel, veteran of the Iraq War, and lawmaker dedicated to veterans issues, I am honored to be part of this important book.
My own career as physician, military officer, and, in more recent years, member of Congress, has offered multiple perspectives on the realities of military service and how we can best serve those who served our country. I was deeply moved by a story Emily shared with me the first time we met. In response to a question, I asked about her dedication to veterans issues, even though she herself has never served, she told me about a poignant moment that inspired her life’s mission. Her client, a recently retired colonel, had been assessed by his civilian superiors as lacking basic leadership skills. He was distraught and incredulous; Emily was at a loss and wanted answers. As a behavioral scientist, Emily launched an organization-wide study of other leaders. Her results were shocking. Most, if not all, former military leaders struggled to succeed there, and for similar reasons. Emily’s solution included targeted coaching and training, which resulted in an about-face for her client and the company at large. At Johns Hopkins University, she expanded her study to other large employers of military officers and replicated her findings. The problem was not a lack of leadership, but a lack of translation from one strong culture to another: the complex cultural difference between leading in the military and leading in the private sector. That was twenty years ago.
Today, this subject continues to be lost in the noise of “how to write a resume,” and “how to find a job.” Those are important tasks, but they do not constitute military transition, which is, fundamentally, not about executing tasks, but about strategic analysis of Self. Without this, a veteran may find a job (or two, or three) before facing the hard reality that they have lost their sense of purpose, mission, and identity. This is often a moment of crisis for veterans—and this book can help lead them on the journey of discovery that should really begin in the earliest days of transition from military service. We need to do better at preparing veterans for this task.
Military service isn’t just a career, and the transition from service to civilian employment requires more than just help with resumes and job hunting; it requires focus on individual well-being during the transition from service to civilian life. Imagine how much better our military recruitment could be if we embraced this approach from day one and strove to prepare veterans for the best first civilian job imaginable. We could exponentially improve the available talent pool if we did so. Our military, our veterans, and the civilian organizations that hire them would all benefit if we stopped presenting military service as a self-identity with a lifetime commitment, and instead as an important step in the career ladder of a successful professional.
A lofty yet worthy aspiration. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of extremely capable military service members separate each year, and unfortunately too many do not have the information and tools available to successfully navigate the significant life change that is military transition. In my experience, as a Reservist, I was fortunate and accustomed to both the civilian and military workforce leadership roles—not all service members have that opportunity. At Ease is a book that hands veterans (and their employers!) the tools needed so they can bring their significant experience and leadership not just to the next job, but to the next chapter of success in their lives.
A Military Transition Journey
Emily King talks with Michael Pett, Head of Military & Veteran Hiring at Uber and Accenture; disabled veteran, about his military transition journey, civilian career, and his thoughts on "AT EASE."
"AT EASE" is available for purchase at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Bookshop.org.
Advance Praise for "AT EASE"
Peter Jensen, PhD
Lieutenant Colonel,
U.S. Army
(Retired)
"AT EASE is the insightful and pragmatic wealth of information that I wish I’d had as a military veteran new to the business world. Save yourself a lot of confusion by putting to work this must-have blueprint for any military veteran who cares not just about career success as a civilian, but happiness as well.”
Scott Eblin
Globally recognized executive coach and best-selling author of "The Next Level: What Insiders Know about Executive Success"
 “Emily King is the expert on how both veterans and employers can successfully navigate the transition from a military to a private-sector career. In AT EASE, she generously shares her two decades of experience in coaching leaders on both sides of that transition to provide a practical and actionable road map for mutual success and satisfaction.”
Jon Sanchez
Former U.S. Navy SEAL
CEO
Team Performance Institute
"AT EASE is a road map to an empowered transition from military service to civilian employment. Make no mistake: it is a major life change, but it doesn’t have to be a grind. Author Emily King is an accomplished thought leader and expert in this arena. This book should be in the hands of every veteran seeking to make a successful transition.”
Frank Ball
Faculty Member, Georgetown University Leadership Coaching Program
(2000-2014), U.S. Marine for life
"AT EASE: The Guide to a Smooth and Successful Military Transition stands apart from other books about career transitions by the author’s insights into what makes military transitions unique and the effectiveness of the approach outlined in the book. Because it looks beyond the externalities of job descriptions and résumés into internal factors such as purpose, values, and personal leadership and culture, this book is an especially valuable resource for family members and professional coaches supporting the transitioning military person.”
Greg Gadson
Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired)
Actor, speaker, and author of "Finding Waypoints:
A Warrior's Journey Toward Peace and Purpose"
 “Every service member looking at transition needs to read AT EASE for the real story on what you'll experience, and tools for dealing with it. As the author says, military transition is about so much more than a résumé. It is about purpose and mission, and this book is an invaluable tool for that objective.”
