Website Kickoff
When I started down the path of developing my guide, I only intended to build it for me and my friends at the U.S. Naval War College. It started with a checklist, and it slowly grew to a 15-page pamphlet. As I started off on my SkillBridge Internship I had time to ponder additional questions and research those topics.
Distribution Issues. Initially, I just emailed the guide to a few people. I don’t recall exactly who suggested it, but someone pointed me to distribution via LinkedIn - and thus began my dilemma. I thought posting the guide would solve my distribution problem; however, many people experienced download issues and reached out to me to ask if I could email them a copy of the guide. As the months went by, the demand for the guide began to increase to the point where I was spending 30-45 minutes per night replying to questions and emailing copies to people.
Revision Control. I recently looked at a copy of my original guide – yikes! Not only had the guide grown from a 15-page pamphlet to 77 pages, but the content had also changed significantly. As I continued to do my research, I found lots of new information to deep dive into and modified information that I previously published. A few weeks ago, I began adding change bars and a revision log at the back, but that doesn’t help someone who has a version of the guide they received in the Summer of 2022.
What’s Next? I decided to build a website as the next logical step to improve visibility, distribution, and revision control. If there is a continued demand signal, I will work to update and add to the guide (e.g., add state veteran benefit information for additional states). I think there is a need for the guide, and I am working to increase distribution to assist those who are separating or retiring from the Navy (90% of the contents is also applicable to the other Services).
Bottom Line: I don’t have all the answers, but my goal is to provide access to resources and provide my experiences to enable you to make decisions that are right for you.