NPR

Advice From A Vet On The 'Rude Awakening' Of Transition To Civilian Life

Cameron Cook just got his discharge papers after a 23-year career in the U.S. Army. He talks with retired Army medic Jarrad Turner about the ups and downs of returning to civilian life.
After 23 years, Cameron Cook (left) is leaving the service. Jarrad Turner (right) left in 2010.

When you're facing a major life change, it helps to talk to someone who has already been through it. All Things Considered is connecting people on either side of a shared experience, and they're letting us eavesdrop on their conversations in our series Been There.

Cameron Cook signed up for the U.S. Army in 1994, three days after his high school

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
The Announcement Of A New Prime Minister Divides Haiti's Transitional Council
A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti's new prime minister is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled country.
NPR3 min readAmerican Government
NPR Poll: Democrats Fear Fascism, And Republicans Worry About A Lack Of Values
A new 2024 election poll from NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist shows fundamental divides over concerns for America's future and what to teach the next generation.
NPR5 min read
Here's This Year's List Of The Most Endangered Historic Places In The U.S.
The National Trust's annual list includes Eatonville, the all-Black Florida town memorialized by Zora Neale Hurston, Alaska's Sitka Tlingit Clan houses, and the home of country singer Cindy Walker.

Related Books & Audiobooks