WHAT’S NEXT Transition to Civilian Life By Eve Nasby eve@infused.work
From Fighter Jet to Front Office: Lessons from 1,000 Miles Over Shark-Infested Waters By Ed Rush
You haven’t truly experienced loneliness until you’re in a broken F-18, 1,000 miles fromland, with only one good engine and a lot of ocean between you and the nearest cold beer. It started with a sound: “deedle-deedle”—the emergency tone pilots know and love (but mostly don’t love). Iglanced down and saw “L ENG PR” blinking like a neon sign at a bad motel. Translation: My left engine was about to become a very expensive paperweight. So, like any good Marine pilot, I shut her down, trimmed the jet, and started doing math—airborne math. Which, if you’ve ever tried it, is like calculating your mortgage while skydiving. I figured I had about 800 miles to Wake Island and enough fuel to get there if I flew smart and prayed hard. Meanwhile, my entire squadron flew off into the sunset like a patriotic screensaver. I was alone, slow, and possibly shark bait. But I made it. And when I finally landed, the crew chief crawled out from under the jet and said, “Well sir, you’re lucky. That engine was seconds away from exploding. Good thing you shut her down.” 36
WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / June 2025
Now, what does this airborne horror story have to do with transitioning from the military to civilian life?
Everything. See, leaving the service can feel a lot like that flight— things go dark, your support system disappears, and you’re left doing life math at 500 mph. But just like I trusted my training in that jet, you can trust what you’ve already learned in uniform. Here are three things you already know that will save your bacon on the ground: 1. Fly the Jet – In chaos, do the next right thing. When everything feels uncertain, just fly the jet. Make the call. Send the email. Show up. Action beats paralysis every time. 2. Debrief Everything – After every flight, we’d debrief what went right and what didn’t. Life’s no different. Learn from what worked, laugh at what didn’t, and keep moving. 3. Trust Your Wingmen – You’re not meant to do this alone. Find your people. Your new tribe might not wear flight suits, but they’re out there. And they’ll help you navigate the new terrain.