Less than a year after leaving the military, Aubrey was in the U.S. Navy until December 2023. She was a guest in episode 270 where I highlighted the work Veterans For Financial Freedom is doing for the military community. Aubrey discussed how having a plan and a goal helped her as she transitioned out of the military. We discussed her time in the military, the transition out of the military, and the work she is doing today.
Less than a year after leaving the military
Aubrey didn’t have a way to pay for college. Her brother was at the Naval Academy and she didn’t want to follow that path but learned that the military could pay for her college through an ROTC scholarship. She applied and received a scholarship and was able to pick the University of Maryland. They had a cross campus program for ROTC so it required a lot of driving but was also a lot of fun. She fell in love with aviation as a cadet and so she decided to become a pilot when she commissioned.
Flight training
She went to flight training in Pensacola, Florida. She did basic flight training and then ended up becoming a helicopter pilot. She originally wanted to be a fighter pilot but was glad that when spots opened up she ended up a helicopter pilots. She headed to San Diego for training for her specific helicopter and did that for a year before going to her first assignment as a pilot. Her first assignment was again in San Diego and she deployed twice and got to travel all over the world and do cool things.
Deciding to Leave
She knew she wanted to leave the military in 2019. She couldn’t get out of the military until 2023, but knew that would be the choice she made. So, she began planning. Instead of taking a job in Texas as an instructor pilot that would have been good for her Navy career she was able to stay in San Diego. She wrote down all the things she wanted to do after the military and began trying out different things and ended up landing in real estate. It took a lot of hard work and continues to still take a lot of hard work but she was able to leave the military without having to create a resume or get a W-2 job and works for herself.
Military is a great foundation
She said the military was a great foundation. Not only did she get her schooling paid for she also met amazing people and learned so much from her service. She encourages women to consider the military. Use the benefits they give you and then follow your passion for your next career after military service.
