For most of my life, I found opportunities without a detailed, orchestrated, articulated plan. With an incredible amount of luck (which is the residue left behind from thought and preparation), I found myself on a successful track within the Coast Guard As I made the decision to retire from Active Duty in the midst of an accelerated career trajectory.

So what I’m going to do is help share, think about, and refine some things I’ve learned along the way. Some of this will be high level thoughts on career transition, life-decisions, and big-picture thoughts on what it’s all about. Some will be tactical advice I’ve received (and shamelessly repackaged as my own). And some will be musings on current industry trends in the transportation, defense-tech, policy, and political worlds I find myself in.

When I retired from Active Duty, so many people volunteered their time and experience to help me navigate the unknown world of the private sector. Some were friends I’ve had for decades; some were distant connections that opted to go out of their way to share their experience with me. All helped me land in a place where I truly feel I have agency, value, and impact. And each in their own way told me to pay it forward and help the next person struggling with a career transition or life-changing milestone.

All in all, I hope this helps others and sparks a discussion to make us all better. This is why I called the site “Line of Bearing.” A single line of bearing isn’t enough to make a navigational fix, but it’s a start. My hope is to help others find a line of bearing to help build their own fix as we all try to figure out how to thrive in this world together.