When you join the military, you may here that you don’t want to stick out. That is partly true. You don’t want to stick out for doing all of the wrong things, but you do want to stick out for being the best. You should strive to be the best at everything. If they tell you to mop the floor, you should mop the floor better than anyone else ever has. They tell you to scrub the toilets, you make those toilets shine like new. You should try to be the best at everything you do. This will translate very well for you with anything else you do in and out of the military. Meeting the bare minimum and skating by should not be your plan. You want to excel and be better than everyone else around you. This will also translate when you are looked at as a leader or actually become a leader. If everyone around you sees how hard you try to be the best, they will also step up their game. What would hold you back from being the best at everything you do?

Military culture is an interesting culture that only someone that has been in can understand. We eat at certain hours, we eat our food at at Mach speed, we show up 15 minutes early to everything, waiting in line is not big deal, take our hats off when we walk indoors, and have a dark sense of humor. Even if you are in for one contract, a lot of these things stay with you forever. There’s no other place that changes you in so many ways like the military does. What’s the funniest thing you have heard about military culture?

For those who know me, I'm sorry! Haha For those who don't, I'm Chris and I'm one of them guys who's decided that working in the corporate arena just wasn't for them. It only took ~25 years leaving the British Army to figure that out 😆 I finished my last corporate contract with a NZ bank in March last year. Since then I've been dedicating my time and effort to elevating Tango Kilo Mike (a wrap-around support and crisis intervention charity for military and emergency response personnel), and providing career coaching and vocational training to individuals. I read a mates' post about taking time to do Q1 planning, I figured I do what I do best which is ask for forgiveness instead of permission. I didn't take it slow. I didn't say i'll focus on my health or whatevs. No silly-bugger me went whole hog, notched up my self-employment a gear and now live with 'Chris Collins Strategy & Mentoring'. In less than a week. I'll either make it work, or end up with a killer story for the mates down the pub. www.2csm.co.nz Go have a gander, and tell your mates. Someone, somewhere is going to need what I offer. Meanwhile, I dropped a post about someone truly legendary on LinkedIn today. If you went to Bosnia, you're likely to know of him. The OG Mad Max.

🎖️ Welcome to the Deep Dive Military Prep Community! You’re here because you want to earn the uniform — and I'm here to make sure you’re ready for it. ✅ Comment your branch goal (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard) ✅ Share your biggest challenge right now (Fitness, Mindset, Knowledge, or Discipline)

Why do they harp on getting a haircut and having a specific hairstyle so much? The reason is not to control you; it is about functionality and appearance. Your hair needs to be able to fit under your hat and, most importantly, your helmet. The appearance of having well-kept hair is a sign of discipline and self-care. You are expected to look professional at all times. A haircut is something simple to maintain. When you look professional and show you care, you get more opportunities opened for you.