Just gonna throw this out there if anyone is looking for a way to find purpose or job placement. I recommend wildland fire fighting. I've been doing the job since I got out in 2008. It made my transition relatively easy as it has it's similarities to the military (minus most of the bullshit we all hated). You can get on with a hand crew, engine crew, or aviation crew just about anywhere in the US. If anyone is interested let me know and I can give you all more details.

@Zak Zagata yeah so you got basically 3 different groups hand crews, aviation, and engines. -Hand crews are made up of 18-22 people usually broken down into 2 or 3 squads with a crew boss, assistant crew boss and 2 or 3 squads leaders, they are used for but not limited to digging handline (using chainsaws, Pulaski's and other digging tools) -Aviation is split into two categories. Rappellers (rappelling out of helicopters) and smoke jumpers. Helicopter bases usually have between 15-20 rappellers at the station and when they get a dispatch they will take 4 people( depending on the ships capabilities). And deliver them to the fire where they will use the same tools as a hand crew. Smoke jumpers as you guessed are delivered via airplane and jump the fires, they will either jump a fire with 2 people or up to 12 (once again depending on the aircraft and needs of the fire) -Engine crews are usually made up with 4-8 people and they will usually drive as close to the fire and start running hose to the fire if they are to reach it, otherwise they will tool up like a hand crew. A day in the life can be broken into two categories as well, station days and fire assignments -Station days are usually structured the same across the board, start the morning with a weather briefing and assignments for the day. From there you'll PT(hiking, running, CrossFit, weightlifting etc..it's up to your crew leads)with you crew for 2 hours. After that you either end up going out and doing project work( usually putting in hand line on prescribed burn units), felling hazard trees, or just patrolling the forest you work on. The shift is anywhere from 8-10 hour days unless you get a fire call then you could work up to 24 hours. -Fire assignments last from 14-21 days where you go to a large fire with what ever crew you got on (hand crew, engine, heli attack). Shifts last anywhere from 12-20 hours although most of the time it's usually only 16 hour days. Depending on what type of crew you are on the work can go from mopping up caught parts of the fire, going direct catching uncontrolled parts of the fire, or doing burnouts where it is not safe to go direct.