No one tells you how weird it is to go from firing cannons to folding laundry at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday.
After my service as a 13B in the Army, the silence was deafening. I wasn’t chasing targets anymore. There were no missions. No comms. No fire support team to check in with.
And for a while, I felt like a soldier without a war.
What Was Missing? Purpose.
The hardest part of leaving the military isn’t losing the uniform—it’s losing the mission.
I needed something bigger than myself. Something to work toward. Something to protect.
That’s when I found programming. It started with small scripts. Then I built something. Then I broke it. Then I built again.
Eventually, I found a new kind of purpose—in Python and problem-solving.
Tech Became My New Battlefield
Only this time, the mission was digital:
- Fight fraud, not enemies.
- Secure systems, not perimeters.
- Write code that makes life better.
And the best part? I get to build instead of destroy.
Service Never Really Ends
Purpose doesn’t have to mean combat. Sometimes, it’s about using your past to serve in a new way.
If you’re out and drifting like I was—try building something. Even if it’s small. Especially if it scares you.
Because when the smoke clears, your next mission might just begin.
Visit me at jameshenderson.online to follow the journey where old firepower meets new purpose.