Pain doesn’t need to disappear to stop defining you. When hardship becomes identity, it narrows judgment, relationships, and leadership. When it becomes perspective, it sharpens boundaries, restores choice, and expands range. By shifting from rumination to meaning, from reaction to values, and from rigidity to clarity, experience becomes a compass instead of a cage. Pain informs growth without controlling who you’re becoming.

Transition Drill Podcast Episode 227: Michael D'Angelo a veteran origin story long before the uniform. Growing up amid addiction, instability, and street violence, the path forward narrowed fast. Near arrests with the law, constant exposure to danger, and a life-altering injury forced a hard decision: stay and lose, or leave and rebuild. It’s an honest look at how early chaos, personal responsibility, and choosing structure over survival mode led to the Marine Corps and a fut

Tactical Transition Tips Round 102: Leaving the uniform isn’t just a career change, it’s an identity shift. Real transition preparation means managing the pull of old habits, people, and routines while deliberately building new structure, belonging, and purpose. Those closest to transition must audit what pulls them backward, those with time must build new tribes early, and those far out must decide who they refuse to become. Identity doesn’t disappear after service; it's pro