After a 20-year military career that began as a submarine officer and transitioned into a role as a Judge Advocate General (JAG), I found myself at a crossroads. Like many veterans leaving active duty, I knew I wanted to do something different, but I wasn’t entirely sure what. I’d always toyed with the idea of starting my own law firm, but it took some time to commit to that path. When the time came, I had a built in safety net that allowed me to take the risk and start my own business, largely due to the VA benefits that I maximized along the way.
Here’s how I navigated my exit from active duty and how my VA benefits helped me pivot into a completely new career.
Pursuing an MBA with the GI Bill
I knew I wanted to shift into the private sector and be my own boss. While sitting in TAP class, I considered how I could use by education benefits to help further my goal of running my own business. I decided that getting an MBA was the right move and used my GI Bill to attend UCLA. Going back to school was a big change after two decades in uniform, but business school opened up new possibilities, help me think strategically about how to build a business, but most importantly gave me the confidence I needed to launch my own firm.
Lean Beginnings: The GI Bill’s Housing Allowance
Anyone who’s started a business knows how lean the early days can be. I was juggling business school, working on my new law practice, and making sure my family was taken care of. The housing allowance from the GI Bill was a huge help during this time, covering a big chunk of my living expenses and giving me the breathing room I needed to focus on my studies and building my business. It almost replaced my BAH dollar for dollar, and like BAH, it was tax free.
Applying for Disability Benefits: A Game Changer
Like many veterans, I had my fair share of service-related conditions. After leaving active duty, I applied for disability and made sure to apply for every possible condition. I new the importance of getting the highest rating I could, and how a higher rating unlocked more benefits. Disabled American Veterans helped review and organize my medical records, but I had to do a lot of the research and work myself, making sure I could apply the documented conditions in my record to the standards the VA has to determine ratings. With a lot of time and attention to detail, I ultimately received a 100% disability rating!
The benefits it opened up were crucial to my business and my family. At 100%, I was able to have the additional student loans I had taken out for living expenses while earning my MBA and starting my law firm. This was a massive weight off my shoulders, allowing me to focus on growing my business rather than being tied down by debt.
Property Taxes and Educational Benefits for My Kids
Another unexpected but welcome benefit of my 100% disability rating was the reduction in property taxes. It might seem small, but every bit helps when you’re starting out. Additionally, my disability rating ensured that my kids could attend UC and CSU schools with in-state tuition fully waived. On top of that, they receive a stipend while attending college—a benefit that takes tremendous financial pressure off of my wife and I.
VA Loan Perks
If you’re a veteran looking to buy a home, you already know about the VA loan. But one perk that often goes overlooked is the waiver of the VA loan funding fee for those with a disability rating. This benefit saved me thousands of dollars when buying our family home and helped us establish a solid financial foundation during my transition out of the military.
The Freedom to Focus on My Mission
Thanks to the benefits I was able to maximize—from the GI Bill to my disability rating—I was able to successfully transition into a new career and start my own law firm. These benefits gave me the financial freedom to focus on what really matters: helping veterans like myself navigate their own transitions and achieve their goals.
If you’re leaving the military and thinking about your next step, my advice is to explore every VA benefit available to you. Apply for disability, leverage the GI Bill, and take advantage of every opportunity. These benefits are here to help us build our future, and they’ve been essential in helping me build mine.
