Loss of camaraderie from the service family
And it wasn’t just my “old” self that I lost when I transitioned - I lost my military family. It felt like I’d never find the kind of relationships that I had in the military because the military is more than just a job - it’s your people, and so you lose your sense of belonging. - Military Veteran
Many serving members find they have two families - one at home and their service family. The sense of belonging and camaraderie and the nature of shared experience can be crucial to withstanding the challenges of the job. The loss of what may have been a major support can be so powerful that it interferes with the transition to civilian life.
Loss the spouse/family may experience
If the Veteran is struggling with the separation from colleagues, some family may feel left out and that they aren’t “enough”. You may also be struggling with expected and unexpected separations from people who have been supporting you too.
Delayed reactions
I don’t think you really understand how retirement will affect you until you’re sort of transitioning - that loss, and I did have a crash. It happened several years after I actually retired. Counselling has been a big help. - RCMP Veteran
Sometimes the signs of loss, grief, and trauma are obvious early on. Other times, they’re not. It is not uncommon for reactions to retirement to occur months or years after leaving the service. This isn’t surprising as the Veteran may have shut down emotionally to do their job, get home safely, and survive emotionally.