The Morning Formation (TMF) Podcast
In life, we all face battles—some are visible, and others are fought within. The Morning Formation Podcast dives into the journeys of those who have not only survived adversity but transformed it into strength, success, and purpose. Hosted by KP Phillips, a combat military veteran, Bronze Star recipient, law enforcement veteran, and leader with years of experience in tactical training, this podcast explores stories of resilience, survivability, and transformation.
From the frontlines of Mosul during Operation Iraqi Freedom to the heart of Southern California, KP knows what it means to adapt and thrive beyond struggle. With guests ranging from veterans to athletes, entrepreneurs to community leaders, each episode uncovers how hardship forged their paths and led them to rise above and inspire others.
Whether it’s about bouncing back from personal loss, rebuilding careers after setbacks, or finding new missions in life, The Morning Formation Podcast takes you beyond the struggle and into the heart of real-life triumphs. Tune in, and discover how you, too, can turn obstacles into opportunities, survive the toughest of battles, and emerge a hero of your own story.
Warriors, Fall-In! it’s time for formation.
The Morning Formation (TMF) Podcast
From Air Force to Academia: Autumn's Story
What happens when a dedicated Air Force member’s career is abruptly altered by an unexpected illness? Join us as we sit down with Autumn, a former RPA sensor operator, who bravely recounts her journey from enlisting straight out of high school to facing a medical retirement after contracting COVID-19. Autumn’s story is one of resilience as she navigates multiple asthma attacks, hospitalizations, and a divorce, all while transitioning back to civilian life. With unwavering support from her family, particularly her parents, she moved back to Texas to regain stability and focus on her health, highlighting the critical role of a strong support system during challenging times.
Ever wondered how veterans cope with backlash and misconceptions about their service? Autumn opens up about her experiences sharing her personal story on social media, confronting negative feedback, and finding solace in a supportive community. As we dissect civilian opinions on military matters, Autumn’s insights emphasize the importance of veterans authentically telling their stories. She also shares invaluable advice for young adults considering a military career, stressing the necessity of investing in oneself through education and personal development, despite the hardships encountered.
Financial literacy, self-investment, and therapy are pivotal in Autumn’s post-military journey. She candidly discusses the difficulties of translating military experience into civilian terms during job interviews and the essential role of better transition programs. Autumn’s move to the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in psychology and her aspirations in child therapy or military mental health serve as an inspiration. Her story underscores the importance of embracing new life chapters and viewing transitions positively, no matter the age or circumstances. Join us for a heartfelt conversation that offers hope and practical advice for those navigating similar paths.
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Episode Powered By Act Now Education
Warriors fall in. It's time for formation. Today I have a guest that I met while I was well. I guess I met on my end.
Speaker 1:I officially met her today, but I was scrolling through TikTok about a year ago and this gal that I have as a guest today was telling a story about how she was in the Air Force and a lot of unexpectedness happened. Life happened and she found herself getting medically discharged out of the Air Force unexpectedly and at the same time life kind of threw her a curveball and some other personal matters and she was going through a lot and it kind of spoke to me in a way that I think is my reasoning behind volunteering as a board member for Act no Education, and it's part of the reason why I do this podcast. So I reached out to Autumn and just said hey, if you're ever interested in telling your story, please let me know. I'm interested in sharing it because I don't believe that any type of obstacle life obstacle that we go through should ever be in vain. It should be shared so that others can learn and grow as well. And so today I want to welcome to the show Autumn. Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 2:Hello, Hi. How are you Excited to be here?
Speaker 1:I am fantastic Now. Do you prefer Monty or Autumn?
Speaker 2:I go by both. So Monty's fine, autumn's fine.
Speaker 1:Outstanding. So, autumn, I just want to give you an opportunity to introduce yourself and then go into your story and let us know basically you know why you're here today basically, you know why you're here today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I grew up in a small town in Texas and I graduated with about like 98 people, I think it was. I did not want to go, or I did not plan to go to college because it was just not financially. I wasn't financially ready to go to college and personally I was being lazy, but I didn't feel like filling out any scholarships or anything like that. And so my junior year I decided you know, my uncle went into the army. So I decided, well, and he told me not to go army. I don't know what he was like. No, you don't need to go there, because he had. He has his own story to tell. You don't need to go there because he has his own story to tell. So I ended up going into the Air Force straight out of high school. It was like I graduated and a week later I went straight into the military. I went into basic and, yeah, so I stayed in, or I went in oh my gosh, it feels like forever ago, in June of 2019. And then I was an RPA sensor operator, so I worked the camera and laser on the MQ-9 drones, and so I went to basic and then, yeah, I loved it. I had no plans to get out, no aspirations to get out. I was fine, I loved what I did. I had to train for my job for like over two years, almost two years and as soon as, like my two years and I, my two year mark came and I was already, I just graduated from my trainings and everything COVID hit. And then I contracted COVID in 2020. And then, by the beginning of 2021 is when I started feeling all of the like long-term effects that I started feeling, and so I had my first asthma attack in about February of 2021. And then, after that, it was just history. I was in and out of the hospital pneumonia, I was hospitalized and sedated, and sedated all in 2021. And so the Air Force decided to medically retire me and so I got out in February of 2022. So that whole year I was in and out of the hospital of 2021. And then, yeah, I had no plans. It kind of it was very it felt sudden, even though, like saying it out, within months, like within a year, it doesn't seem sudden, but it felt sudden like living it, because one moment I was just going to my job, working my 12-hour shift, going home and doing what I do, and then, all of a sudden is when I got the first asthma attack, and after that it was just one after another, after another and, yeah, I got out February 2022.
Speaker 2:And now it's been, oh my gosh, two years and my life like transitioning from the civilian world, even though I was only. I was in for three years. But especially when you're not prepared and you come out of it like that, it kind of like it's a culture shock, like I wasn't prepared. I lived in South Carolina when I got out of the Air Force and then I came back to Texas with my family and so it was just everything hit me. I also was going through a divorce, as we're, as I was getting out of like, transitioning out of the Air Force, and it was just life happened and so I had to come back to Texas. And it was just life happened and so I had to come back to Texas and then, um, yeah, just try to transition.
Speaker 2:Thankfully, I'm so thankful for my parents. If it wasn't for them, I don't know what would happen, because I was essentially, I wasn't going to be making enough money to pay like a living, like have a living for myself, and I wasn't in the obviously like physical aspect to get a job and get like myself back together. So thankfully I do have the most great, like greatest family ever that they let me. You know, come back home, not have a job, get healthy that was their main concern. I had to get healthy. Thankfully the Texas doctors knew better than the South Carolina doctors and then I got myself back on my feet, not by myself, I had my family and friends support and yeah, so I'm finally with July 2024.
Speaker 1:And now we're here hear that you're feeling a lot better. I followed you on TikTok and you kind of journaled your way through life and so I saw where you were really upset about getting out of the military, upset about the divorce, and then following that, you got upset about having to move back in with your parents, like, to some extent, can you? Did you feel like you were a failure? And also, too, talk to me about the whole social media aspect of it. Did that help you cope?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I definitely did feel like a failure. I started therapy as well when I got out. I think that was one of my main things of helping myself not feel like that, because, of course, I was on my own for three years of my life. I bought my, I ended up buying my own house in South Carolina and I was just essentially on my own, and so coming back to the small town that I grew up in, it was kind of like now I know I wasn't a failure, but at that point in my life I felt like, okay, I did all of that, for what? Now I'm back at square one, like it feels like I accomplished nothing, which wasn't true. I like did all of that within three years, but at the time I just felt hopeless and helpless. I didn't. I was so depressed.
Speaker 2:I stayed in bed. I probably was awake two to four hours a day, and the other like 20 hours I was asleep. I was, I slept constantly. I had no motivation at all, and I come from a Hispanic family and so my dad, being the dad that he is, he was like no, you need to get up, we need to find out what's wrong. Like you have to get out of bed like you can't keep doing this. He's like I understand you're struggling, but you need to get out of bed. Like you can't keep doing this. He's like I understand you're struggling, but you need to get out of bed.
Speaker 2:And at the time I was like like, get away from me, like I didn't want help, because you know it takes when you're at that step in life, it takes for you wanting to get help, to get help, like a lot of people could sit here and tell you you need to get help but until you're ready to get up and get help, then you won't get it. But yeah, I was super down, depressed and so finally I got on like multiple vitamins and medication to get my body back to where I need to to be able to work. So I ended up starting to work. I was a substitute, transitioning from that in my small town and, yeah, there was definitely moments getting on my medicine and getting the help that I needed. It really helped me grow. And yeah, I worked at the school and then, yeah, I've done a lot of things since then. You know like transitioning from the military into civilian world was very different and yeah, there was a lot of points.
Speaker 1:So does it kind of surprise you to know that someone like me was kind of on the other end of your social media watching your progression as you transitioned out of the military? Because you mentioning substitute teacher, I remember that I remember you getting asked about becoming a substitute teacher and I thought to myself like wow, that's great, like I'm glad that she's getting and I don't even know you, but can you talk about some of the social media and like, what kind of feedback did you get from that?
Speaker 1:Was it a positive experience for you to journal, like your overall transition out of the military, or was it something that you probably should have like held back from?
Speaker 2:so the reason I started posting about social media, because one before I even went into the military, like I love being able to create content and try to just like help people understand, I guess, where I'm coming from. And so I started social media like kind of when I was in, but kind of not because I didn't want, because my job was such a unique job like we're told we can't post about it, and so it was kind of like I hesitate to like share what I share, but I also want you know, want other women in the military to be shown on the social media aspect. And so when I got out I was like, like you said, journaling my story is a lot. There's a lot to unpack with what happened with me, to unpack with what happened with me. And so I just started posting the content that I did. And it's crazy because one of the first TikToks I posted that went semi-viral was about the divorce in my house and that got like 2.5 million views and that feedback was not good, it was all negative. It was a lot of like people asking like what did I do? What happened, blah, blah, blah, and it was just very negative and so that's why I have it privated now I don't like I don't, I'm going to unprivate it soon. I was talking to my sister about it, but I don't. I didn't want anybody to see that because I was like that was a lot.
Speaker 2:And then once they saw they would like see that video. And then obviously like click on my profile. And then that's when my they started seeing my military videos. And then that's when they started seeing me saying that I got medically retired, because I use medically retired and medically discharged like synonymously. And so people were like are you medically retired, are you medically discharged? What's your percentage? And like there was a lot of negative feedback when it came to my military content because they're like this is why women shouldn't serve. And there was just a lot of like little keyboard warriors, like just trying to paint me in a negative light because I was a female getting out of the military. And they're like well, you're just taking advantage of the military.
Speaker 2:And I was like I promise you guys, I don't have any plan after the military. I was like I wanted to keep, like I wanted to start my career, like I didn't want I had no aspirations to go into college. I, I wanted to stay in. It was just what I wanted to do. I had no aspirations to go into college. I wanted to stay in. It was just what I wanted to do. I was like I promise you, if it was my health over like they would say, stealing benefits from the military I would choose my health all the time, like I. People ask me all the time like would you rather have stayed in? Yes, I would rather stay in healthy doing what I was doing, other than having to get out.
Speaker 2:And then I was very unhealthy and so, you know, when I had posted that on social media, I got a lot of negative feedback, but there was also a lot of positive ones, of people saying can you speak on this more? I'm going through the same thing. I'm going through the medical examination board. I'm going through the same thing. I'm going through the medical examination board. Can you please explain how you filled out certain paperwork and your process on that? And then I really felt like I wasn't in a position to talk about it because I was going through it. So I was just as confused as everybody else. But what I what happened was I did all my research and I made a few videos for people, but and then grief happened. We had a loss of a family member, and so I stopped posting, posting and just everything happened all over again and I was just very down. But I am going to start posting more. So social media is a big part of my life and my story and that I need to tell.
Speaker 1:It's a double-edged sword, for sure.
Speaker 1:And it wasn't all negative, because here you are today on a podcast and talking about your story and in a sense, I'm kind of glad, autumn, that you went through that, because I can tell you, as a veteran that's been out, you say you joined the military. It seems like a lifetime ago. So, autumn, I joined the military in 1999. Okay, so that's what I joined, and then I got out in 2007. But, as a veteran that's quite a bit ahead of you in years I can tell you that you are always going to hear the opinions of the 94% that never served in the military, because those 2.5 million people that made comments there's no way that any large percentage of those people that had opinions knew what the hell they were talking about. That's just the God's truth. And the one thing that I think veterans that get out of the military have to cope with is the opinions of the civilians that don't know really what they're talking about, but they have strong opinions. So I'm kind of glad that you went through that, in a sense, because now you know that these opinions don't matter.
Speaker 1:Put yourself out there, tell your story, be honest about it.
Speaker 1:To some extent you got to be vulnerable, because even on this podcast, I can tell you that I've had some negativity as well, but at the end of the day, I really don't care what anyone thinks, because when I look at my resume and when I look at many others, there's not really there in comparison.
Speaker 1:So good for you for getting back on the horse again and your willingness to put yourself out there. And I just, I simply want to thank you for being on this show because I wanted you on this show, to share your story about the obstacles that you've had to overcome just from your transition out of the military. Now I wanted to ask you overall, what would be your advice and what advice do you give to people young folks, young adults that are considering going into the military and are planning on being lifers? Because for me, as a young officer, I used to always tell young folks to take advantage of the benefits, whether you think you're going to need them or not. Anything that you do for education purposes is an investment in yourself. So what are your thoughts now that you've gone through all these different things and you are where you are?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I had a um, a supervisor, who would always tell me you need to get into college, you need to start investing in yourself, investing your time. And I would always be like, no, I want to stay in here, I'm just going to cruise and just live my life, not do anything extra, just come here, go to work, go home. And she's a very big inspiration to mine. Shout out to Megan Rush, love her. I still keep in contact with her. And she sat me down and was like okay, well, if you're even wanting to stay in here for life, you're going to need more education, because for your oh my gosh, it's been so long I forgot what it's even called. But in order to progress into the like, progress in the military, and so finally I started.
Speaker 2:I took a CLEP, it's like the test. I took one CLEP and then I decided, oh my gosh, that was kind of easy, let me start going even more. But that was it, that's all I did. So my biggest advice is to take the courses. Take all the CLEP courses that you can, because I wasn't even sure if I was going to pass. And then I passed and look at there, I have college credit. Now, like I have that credit, but that was the only credit that I had when I got out, and so that was kind of like what I don't really regret, but I wish I would have done.
Speaker 2:And if somebody is in the position that I was, do the college courses, take all the tests that you can, because you never know what's going to happen. I thought I was going to be in there for life and then I got out and then I had nothing like no college degree to fall back on. I had nothing and I went back to start one to the start, had nothing and I went back to start one to the start. And so that's my biggest concern is take all the college courses for free, or the tuition assistance like take the CLEP courses for free before you get out, because when you get out you're going to have to find something else to do and you're going to want something to be able to fall back on.
Speaker 1:And that's really really sound, really sound, really great advice for folks out there who either are going to join the military or currently in the military right now and I am a board member for Act Now Education and what we do is we're a nonprofit, we're led by the founder and CEO is Jay Salters, who is currently a Navy service member. Everyone on the board is either a spouse or a service member or a veteran, and the one thing that we do is we offer services, certification services to active duty or folks that are veterans or spouses or dependents, and that's free, like we go out and we get money and then we turn around and we pay, like project management professional, we pay comp, tia, we pay scrum master for these certifications for our military community. So take advantage of those as well. And for those out there listening, clep, from my understanding, is an opportunity where a service member can take a test and get in the past and get automatic college credit. Is that right? Yes, yes, and one of the things that I used to always talk about when I was a young officer in the military. I used to say, hey, I get it. You're young, you want to go out, have a good time, you know, spend your time at the club or whatever else with all your other barracks buddies. Work hard, play hard is what I used to always say. Spend at least Friday or Saturday night at the education center getting some type of education. I get it. You want to go out one of the nights and live young and everything, but you got to remember the concept of work hard, play hard and Autumn.
Speaker 1:I want to ask you for parents out there, this might be a difficult question because for parents out there that are sending their young son or daughter to the military, what advice do you have for them? Because the one thing I always saw was I would see someone come to the formation on a Monday. They're brand new to the unit, they just got out of basic training in AIT and I would say hey, what are your aspirations? They're like well, I joined because I want to get some college education. I would say great, so go to the education center. I'd follow up with them two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five weeks later and they still haven't gone. And the challenge is is when you're young, you're getting put in barracks with other kids your age, you're getting paid. You're away from anyone that's going to hold you accountable. What advice do you have to parents that are going to send their kids I would say kids, young adults to the military and it's their first time away from home.
Speaker 2:I think.
Speaker 2:Well, I think, give them a little bit more space as they're progressing through their senior year, if they're coming right through high school, because, like you said, most people come in straight out of high school don't know what to do.
Speaker 2:They do not know what to do and they go a little bit crazy and start spending money going everywhere, like every time they get a chance to.
Speaker 2:I think being able to let them make the mistakes under your watch would be perfect, because then you can sit there and guide them and help them, and so when they go into the military, they have that little bit of freedom without their parent with them. They're not like, oh my gosh, what am I going to do? And then make a mistake they're going to regret for the rest of their lives. It's just giving them a little bit more like individuality in high school as they progress, of course, as they mature and everything, so they can learn what to do and what not to do, what's okay and what's not okay, because it is a culture shock going from your family's house for 18 years of your life and then coming out and everybody's running around with their heads like chickens, with their heads cut off. And, yeah, just helping them make the little mistakes. Not helping them, but helping them through when they make the little mistakes in high school and so when they do transition, it's not that big of a culture shock.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think what you mentioned was transitioning and moderately transitioning, so that you're learning how to hunt at a slow pace. So, like you're in high school, you know, have the accountability there, teach them how to do finances and things like that. Because and also too, it falls on the leadership as well. I think that what am I? Personally, one of my most important purposes of being there when I was lieutenant, when I was a platoon leader, was to do what I was doing as far as trying to instill folks with the idea of investing in yourself. Go get that education. I don't care if you think you're going to be for 20 years Go to the education center. And I at the time also was getting my master's degree. So it wasn't like I was just not talking the talk and not walking the walk, you know. So I think it's kind of a double-edged sword where, like the parents, you need to stay on top of them, but also the leadership you got to make sure that your folks are investing in themselves and they're financially intelligent enough not to go spend their money, because a lot of young folks, when they go in the military, will literally take that first paycheck and they will blow it on everything, and that's there's a reason why outside most military bases there's there's what there's strip clubs, there's car dealerships, there's loan places all those really bad things are literally right off post. So teaching them how to hunt is really important.
Speaker 1:I like what you said about that, as far as you know, giving them that early responsibility and having them transition when they get out so that they can kind of ride the bicycle on their own without the training wheels. So, autumn, I want to ask you, like when you got out and you were sitting across the table from employers and you had to and I'm sure it was a 10 minute conversation Cool, you were in the air force, I had an uncle in the air force. Or cool, you worked with drones that's awesome. But then when all that that's cool talk was over with and you had to talk about the position you were applying for, and you knew outside that door there was like six or seven other people and some of them were never in the military and some of them might more education than you. What was that like to have that competition? And what was it like to try to explain to someone that potentially never served in the military your value and what you have to offer that position and that potential employer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to be honest. The first couple of places that I applied for outside of the military- all those interviews were not good.
Speaker 2:I personally it wasn't good. I did not know how to interview for a position and so it was quick. I didn't know how to answer them, I didn't know how to act. I never really had to have a formal interview like that because I just went straight into the military. So, yeah, the first couple of jobs I was very intimidated because I never got a call back.
Speaker 2:But it's also because, like you said, being able to transfer my military work into, like civilian terms and civilian work was very difficult because there's not, you know, mq-9 drones in the like at a bank, like it's just you can't transition that job that well if because I'm not able to fly anymore with the drones. So I was applying for like a bank or like receptionist, like jobs like and they're like, well, what experience do you have in this field? I'm like none, like I I don't know what else, I didn't know what to do, honestly, and it was just it was very difficult because, like one of those transition programs that I had out, like it called transition assistant program in the Air Force, we had a course that talked about like trying to turn the military terms on your resume into the civilian world and like with my job specifically, that's very difficult, especially since I can't talk about the contents of my job. And so I was like I was just in the interviews, like please just give me a chance. I was like I promise you, like you can see that I'm like determined and hard working. I was like, yeah, I may not know that much about the job that I'm applying for, but just give me a chance.
Speaker 2:So it was very intimidating at first because it was like and I honestly I went into those interviews not knowing what I was going to talk about or what to talk about, how to talk about it, and it took the first like three or four interviews where I got the hang of it. I'm like, ok, this is, this is how you transition these words, this is how. Because I would say like squadron or like my flight, and I'm like wait, you could say like team in your office flight. And I'm like, wait, you could say like team in your office, like it's just those little words that you need to make sure you transition to the civilian words in order for them to understand, because if you're talking to somebody who's never served or, you know, is a veteran, they're not going to know what your squadron is Like. They don't know that's like the office of your people, like they don't know that was your team.
Speaker 2:And so I think that's where the disconnect was happening in the first interviews, where I was just straight up talking military terms and, of course, people not understanding. So I think that was one of my biggest things. I would even ask my sister, my mom. I'm like, how do you say this word? Or how do you say this word, or like how do I um do this? Like what would you use? Yeah, what would you use for this word in the civilian life? Uh, and yeah, that was one of the difficult things. But it takes a lot of practice and a lot of like just asking people. Like it's not, there's no harm in asking somebody how you say something in civilian terms.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I feel you on that one. And when I'm sitting here talking about when I'm sitting here talking about being young and dumb, I include myself in that, in that category. I was young and dumb. As a matter of fact. I had a conversation with someone the other day a good friend of mine from back home and she said you know, to be 24 again, and I was like, yeah, I was so naive and so I can't even believe that I was in Iraq at that time, at 24 years old, in charge of a platoon Like. To me that just sounds scary because I didn't know anything. And so I include myself in that conversation. And one of the reasons why I started this podcast was because I'm trying to reach back to help others that are coming up and have those conversations that I didn't have with anybody. So I include myself when I'm talking about that.
Speaker 1:And as far as the transition process Autumn, I was an army captain with a Bronze Star, with combat service in Iraq and I had a master's degree, and when I transitioned out I thought I got this. I don't need any help from anybody. I know how to interview, I know how to do my resume. I told TAPS, the on-base the transition people back then. Back then, transitioning was not what it is now. It was like you get out and figure it out. Today you get a little more help.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I went out and I did the same thing as you. I had interviews that were just horrible and I walked out. I walked out of those interviews and I was like yeah, they're not, they're not. They're laughing at me right now. And, um, it was not.
Speaker 1:It was not even easy for me, even with my rank and everything else. It was not easy, and I was. I had to be humbled. That was my problem is, I thought that they were going to throw rose petals and opportunities at my feet when I came out, and that was not the case at all. I was competing with people that never served in the military before, that were in certain fraternities, certain sororities, but were able to network while I was serving in combat. And that's just the God's honest truth. Do you feel like there was some employers out there that might have been kind of flag waving, whereas like they're like, yeah, we want veterans, we want veterans, but then you show up to get a job and it's like not a great job or it's. They're not quite understanding what a veteran is or has to bring to.
Speaker 2:I think yeah, I think it's the last part they're not understanding because when it comes, like on the job applications, you know a lot is like have you served, are you currently serving, are you spouse of who served? And like you check on you know whichever one it is, and a lot they're like we're veteran friendly, we're veteran friendly. And then one certain job I actually did get my foot in the door and I started working and they're like yeah, we're veteran friendly. And then I do still have those chronic conditions, and so when stuff like that happens, they're like oh no, like you can't miss work, like you can't do that.
Speaker 2:And I'm like but you knew, like as a veteran, we go through some stuff and then you're hiring for veteran friendlies and you're not being veteran friendly, if that makes sense. It's like they get you through the door and they weren't welcoming to what you have going on, and so that was like one of the hardest parts and the hardest transitions of, even if they say that, that they want that, they're not going to want the difficulties that might come up, like with your health and mental health, and so that was very hard because I'm a very I want to trust people. I give people the benefit of the doubt and then seeing people turn on their true colors of not necessarily being veteran friendly. They just say that and they don't act on it it was very difficult.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a lot of people need to know that that that does happen. Some people get out and they think, oh well, I'll just go work for this company because they're veteran friendly. It's not always the case. Sometimes you'll be sitting across from a recruiter that never served in the military. The closest thing they got to the military was watching Saving Private Ryan and that's about it, and they don't know anything else. And I have ran into folks before that don't know the difference between a captain and an E1 or an E2. They don't know anything and they don't understand it. So it's important for folks to understand that. I want to ask you this too you, being Air Force and being so young and having worked with drones specifically, do you feel like folks challenged your military service as in, as in? Well, you didn't really do anything.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, that happens all the time. Um, cause I did, uh, serve three years, so I didn't do my full enlistment, and so they're like where are you going to call yourself a veteran? I said, yes, I served in the military. That's literally, and they're like but you didn't serve your full term, so you're not really a veteran. Or you got out the easy. That's literally, they're like but you didn't serve your full term, so you're not really a veteran. Or you got out the easy way, so you're not a really veteran. And I'm like oh my gosh, like, do y'all not understand? I was like are y'all not understanding?
Speaker 2:So there's a lot of like, especially go back to social media people talking about how they invalidate my military career because how short it was, but at the end of the day, I still serve. I still did what most people won't do, like a lot of people don't do, and so it was a while. It took me a while to even get to terms with it myself, because I was like, oh my gosh, they're right. I invalidated myself and my career and my feelings. But then it took a lot of therapy and then self-realization that they're not right. I still signed those papers. I still went to basic military training. I still trained for my job and I still did missions. I'm a veteran and, at the end of the day, that's what it is Simple. Yeah, it took me a while to come to that.
Speaker 1:There's really no better way to put it. Do you feel like a lot of the feedback challenging your service came from the veteran community or from the civilian community?
Speaker 2:The civilian side. It was mostly civilian side, because the people on my social media they would comment back to those people and be like I'm a veteran and there's no time requirement that you have to serve 20 years in order to call yourself a veteran, and people would just go back and forth in the comments. So the military community definitely had my back in the comments, but it was a bunch of civilians that will never, that have never and will never sign up to do what we do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just had someone on Instagram. I just had someone on Instagram tell me that I didn't serve in Iraq and I've never been to war. So I mean it's amazing that you call it. Keyboard warriors are out there and I really challenge you to not have imposter syndrome about yourself. Remind yourself that imposter syndrome is a real thing and a lot of folks out there will continue to poopoo on you and try to get you to not believe in yourself. But I'm really happy to hear that you're going to get back on social media again. I think you did a fantastic job when you were on it and you were journaling the realism behind your life and what was going on, and it kind of spoke to me as a former army leader to see that, because the trials and tribulations that you went through are the things that I don't like to see people go through. But I'm happy to see that you're on the other side of it now for the most part right. I mean things are. Things are on the up and up for you.
Speaker 2:Yes, so now I am living on my own. I just bought my own car and I just got accepted into UT. So I am transferring to the university of Texas at Austin and I'm so excited. I just found out, like a month ago. I just registered for classes and yeah, and yeah, that we've I've never lived in before and yeah, I'm just I. It feels good. So I'm very excited for this next chapter in my life wow, that's.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic. I'm so happy you're here. I didn't know that I didn't know that you're. So you're going to be starting, uh, and what are you going to be majoring in? You know yet.
Speaker 2:I'm studying psychology, so I I have three options that I want to do. So either I got into psychology because I worked at the school, so I wanted to do child psychology and be a child therapist. Or I want to work again on a military base and be a mental health professional on a military base, or I want to be a sports psychologist which all three of them. They have something like I'm so passionate and love, and so I haven't decided which one I want to do yet. But yeah, I am studying psychology.
Speaker 1:Speaking of which, I'm really proud of you for seeking therapy as well. A lot of veterans don't seek therapy, and I want to explain to everyone out there that sometimes therapy helps you meet the rest of the world in the middle. A lot of veterans will stand on their side and they'll say you guys need to come over here and meet me, and I think the key that unlocks the door is for you to understand where these haters are coming from, the folks with the feedback that are negative For me.
Speaker 1:I had to tell myself look, this person with a strong opinion in 2004, while I was literally getting shot at, they were in Cancun and unfortunately or fortunately, however you look at it everybody in the world today has an opinion, and I think that understanding why that person stands where they stand can help you, at the same time, process and cope with listening to all the noise, and so I'm really proud of you for going out there and seeking that therapy. A lot of folks don't do that and they go in the other direction of alcohol, drugs and things like that. So kudos to you for doing that. And, autumn, as we wrap things up here and we've talked about so many different things, so many aspects of your life, is there anything that I didn't cover that you'd like to talk about? Or do you have any really strong advice for folks out there that are kind of walking walking down your path? Is joining the military, thinking I'm going to do 20 years, like? Is there anything that you would like to mention?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I harped a lot about um, college, um, and I just want to say that it's okay that if you're the oldest one or older one in the room, like I I was like that, even though I'm only 23, there's like 18-year-olds, so it's okay to start over and start new. Transitioning in a new chapter isn't bad. It's a good place to start from somewhere that you weren't before. Everything's a learning experience. Don't take this negative, like if it's a new chapter in your life, if you've been turned around. Don't take it in a negative light. You have to see it positively, like it happens. Everything happens for a reason. This is your story and it's just live out how you want it to live and, um, yeah, I think that you're certainly an inspiration for that.
Speaker 1:I hope that all different posts that you made a year or two ago, all those posts, stay up, because it's kind of serves as an archive for where you've been and where you're at now and where you're going to be. I sometimes regret throwing away things because I felt like I was trying to move on, and I'll give you a prime example of that. When I got divorced, my ex-wife had told me that I'll never date or be with a military person again, and even though we divorced mutually, that kind of struck at me. And so I want to say the days after that, I literally took my class A's, I took my dress blues, I took my desert uniform and I threw it in the trash. I literally walked out to the dumpster and threw it away. And now that I am where I am right now, I regret throwing those things away.
Speaker 1:I earned those things and it took me years of counseling and therapy to finally be where I'm at right now, and your journey's not over with Autumn. I'm really proud of you, for you have gone through everything that you've gone through. I think that the social media can kind of serve as a thing for you, as an inspiration over time. So make sure you keep doing it and keep recording your wins and your losses and how many times you get back up and dust yourself off.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think mental health and therapy was one of my main points in all of this and always going to be my go-to. I've been in therapy for well over a year now and it took that long Well, not that long, but it took those steps in order to make me who I am living on my own, going to UT, having my own car and just loving where I'm at in life now.
Speaker 1:You already got your sweater on, huh.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:I love college football, so Texas is a really tough team Autumn. I want to thank you for being part of the Morning Formation podcast. I really appreciate you. If anyone out there listening is interested in following your journey, how can they do so?
Speaker 2:how can they do so? People go follow me at marvelous monty on tiktok and then on instagram autumnmonty333 that's how they can find me.
Speaker 1:That's okay, it's awesome. No, I, and I'll make sure I put that in the show notes as well. Um, I hope that you definitely get back on it with the social media. You did an amazing job journaling everything and and for folks out there listening, I hope you were able to gain something positive out of this interview. I think nothing that we go through in life obstacles, trials and tribulations should ever be done in vain. Make sure you share with folks, don't be afraid to be vulnerable and at the end of the day, we're all here on the same journey, together to live and learn. So, folks out there as always, stay tuned, stay focused and stay motivated. Warriors ball out.