In February, I had a chance to sit down with Colonel Ian Brasure, USMC (Retired), who, after a 30-year military career went onto work with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) before taking a job with the Department of Homeland Security. Our conversation covered his desire to do something different and meaningful and what led him to return to Government Service and why he continues to serve. Ian also discussed USAJobs, onboarding when a security clearance has lapsed, the importanc...
Apr 16, 2022•30 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast In this podcast, we hear from Captain William "Bill" Toti, who served in the Navy for 25 years, including as a CO of a nuclear fast-attack submarine, and in other command positions before moving on to serve in various leadership positions within industry, including as CEO. Over the course of his career in industry, Bill kept notes on things that were either not taught or taught correctly during the transition courses, and his observations of common mistakes made by military personnel trying to t...
Apr 09, 2022•30 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast As the title states this is part two of our conversation. A huge thanks to BGen Baker, who was recently sworn in as the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of North Carolina and Butch Bracknell, who retired from the Marine Corps in 2014. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tom-welsh/support
Apr 02, 2022•25 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Proving once again that timing is everything in life, the launch of "After the JAG Corps" occurred just as BGen Baker was retiring from the Marine Corps. Seeing a comment about the podcast on LinkedIn, General Baker and LtCol Bracknell volunteered to sit down for a virtual conversation about their recent and not-so-recent experiences, offer insights, and "play it forward" to future retiring and separating judge advocates. The result was a free-flowing conversation that lasted about one hour. Acc...
Mar 26, 2022•26 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast When Aimee retired from the Army on December 1, 2021, it not only meant the end of a 21-year career as an officer, but also meant stepping away from the only life she had known since entering the United States Military Academy as a plebe. Long a mental health and resiliency advocate, Aimee talked candidly about the loss of identity that can come with leaving the military after decades of service, the importance of having a transition buddy, and above all, to ask for help if struggling. Leaving t...
Mar 19, 2022•30 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Ben Whitehouse only spent five years in the Navy JAG Corps, during which time he served as a defense counsel, trial counsel, and staff judge advocate, both overseas and at sea, before moving back to Tennessee where he ended up specializing in insurance regulation before moving onto private practice. Ben explains how his Navy career prepared him to jump into this field where he found his niche in the Volunteer State. Recorded July 2021. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.c...
Mar 12, 2022•22 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast I caught up with Tom Jones, who retired from the Navy JAG Corps in December 2019, this past July, explaining how he went from serving as the deputy staff judge advocate at a combatant command to the panhandle of Oklahoma, where he is a now a rancher, lawyer, and holding public officer. (Spoiler alert: he is not Kevin Costner in Yellowstone.) Along the way, Tom explains how he had to take the indirect approach in order to gain admission to the Oklahoma bar without sitting for a bar examination, h...
Mar 05, 2022•20 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast “Preparation doesn't assure victory, it assures confidence.” ― Amit Kalantri, 'Wealth Of Words'. Landing your desired job after leaving the military is no different than what we have done while on active duty. In this episode, I sit down with Mike Wallace, a retired Navy aviator, who, along with some former shipmates, founded Blue Water Advisors, a professional coaching firm, to equip separating and retiring military members with the knowledge, skill sets and tools to achieve success...
Feb 26, 2022•30 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast In July 2021, I sat down with Captain Todd Huntley (retired) who serves as the Director of the National Security Law Program and Lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center. His road to Georgetown, however, is an interesting one and an example of how our experiences from our JAG Corps careers as well as some great timing are able to benefit us as we look toward the proverbial next chapter. Todd's LinkedIn profile can be viewed at https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-huntley-08b1a164/ This ep...
Feb 19, 2022•26 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast As you listen to today's podcast, you will discover an individual who had a most unusual career path, including one of the rare instances in which an individual left active duty, affiliated with the Reserves, and later returned to active duty. As I listened to our conversation multiple times during the editing process, I realized that John's journey in the Navy, in hindsight, was preparing him for his post-military calling in a number of ways; from sacrificing his own desire to remain on a...
Feb 12, 2022•21 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Retired Navy Captain Mike Luken shares his journey of going from the bench as a military judge in Norfolk, Virginia, to become the Program Director, Global Anti-Corruption at Walmart's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. His story underscores the importance of keeping an open mind when considering "the next chapter," how his prior experience as a litigator, staff judge advocate, ethics counselor and serving overseas prepared him for his job as a corporate attorney. Mike also provides insight ...
Feb 05, 2022•29 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Beau Higgins is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer who since August 2016, has spearheaded Amazon's efforts to hire military veterans and military spouses. Although not a lawyer, Beau's insight on seeking employment after the military transcends all military occupation specialties. In this conversation, Beau talks about being prepared when opportunities present themselves, the value and skills military veterans bring to the civilian sector, the Skillbridge program, the importance of ...
Jan 29, 2022•29 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast On July 3, 3021, Amanda (McNeil) Williams sat down with me (via Zoom) to talk about her decision to transfer from the active component of the U.S. Army, and the importance of networking and doing your research as you pursue a job outside of the military. Additionally, as the Executive Director of the Judge Advocates Association, Amanda talked about the annual Jobs for JAGs workshop (which was just held this month) as well as the resources and networking opportunities with the American Bar ...
Jan 22, 2022•25 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, recorded on July 1, 2021, Captain Steve Barney (retired) takes us through his Navy career and his post-Navy service as counsel for the Senate Armed Services Committee and as a Commissioner on the National Commission on National, Military and Public Service, which produced a report entitled "Inspired to Serve", a copy of which can be downloaded at https://www.volckeralliance.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Final%20Report%20-%20National%20Commission.pdf. --- Suppo...
Jan 06, 2022•20 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast On June 29, 2021, I had the opportunity to interview (via Zoom) Erin Stone, who retired from the Navy JAG Corps in 2017. Erin now serves as the Senior Director, Council and Chapter Affairs at Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). In telling us the story of her own career progression from military to civilian service, Erin underlined the importance of looking inward when determining what to do next and the importance of being flexible and prepared to take (and enjoy) the in...
Dec 28, 2021•20 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast This podcast is intended for judge advocates who are either contemplating retirement or separation from the military. This trailer provides additional background on my motivation for embarking on this endeavor. I am hoping that you will find these episodes to be informative and helpful as you embark on the next chapter of your professional careers. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tom-welsh/support...
Dec 27, 2021•9 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
