#85 🎙️ Retired Life, Real Talk: 22 Years, 4 Deployments, and Finding Purpose After the Army | Guest: Winway Bertley
Podcast: Military Retirement PodcastPublished On: Fri May 09 2025
Description: Welcome back to the Military Retirement Podcast — the show by veterans, for veterans. Today, John is joined by Winway Bertley, a U.S. Army retiree with 22 years and 8 days of service, to talk about life during and after the military.In this episode:🇺🇸 Infantry Roots to Logistics Leadership: The journey through Army life🚁 Four Deployments, 54 Months Overseas: The emotional toll of 16-month deployments and missing key life events🧳 Transition After Deployment: Adjusting from combat to family life🛡️ Veteran Benefits 101: Starting VA disability claims early and preparing medical records🐾 New Passions: Why Winway is pursuing a dream in wildlife conservation instead of staying in logistics🏡 Post-Retirement Jobs: Working at CIF and embracing a low-stress civilian life💬 Real Talk About Friendships: Rebuilding a social network post-service✈️ The Importance of Decompression and Vacations: Finally taking that first real vacation after two decades of service📚 Resources for Retirees: TSP matching, military hotels, and taking advantage of your veteran benefitsTo all the brave men and women out there still protecting our freedom 🇺🇸 🫡 Thank you for your service! Timestamps:0:00 - Intro0:40 - Winway’s background: Infantry to Logistics2:00 - Why Army deployments were so long4:00 - R&R experiences in Qatar9:00 - Reconnecting with family after deployments12:00 - Being present for major family milestones17:00 - Life immediately after retiring: first civilian job at CIF23:00 - Transitioning out of the "always on" military mindset29:00 - Building a second career and choosing happiness32:00 - Wildlife conservation goals after the Army36:00 - VA Disability claims: tips and hard lessons45:00 - Finding purpose after military retirement53:00 - The importance of preparing financially for retirement1:00:00 - Dealing with the weirdness of civilian friendships1:10:00 - Taking your first real vacation after retirement1:20:00 - Final advice for transitioning service membersResources Mentioned:Book: Bottom Line Up Front: What You Need to Know Before You Leave the Militaryhttps://amzn.to/4jUiPkyFacebook Group: Military Retirement Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/981767756191573Military Retirement Podcast on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@militaryretirementpodcastThe Green Logbook on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@thegreenlogbooksome links may result in commissions for the site
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