INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
ROB CAMPBELL ’90 BY SHANNON CAHILL ’18
Retired US Army Colonel Rob Campbell ’90 explores the challenges of transitioning from a life of military service to the after—whatever that may be—in his most recent book, “At Ease: Enjoying the Freedom You Fought For: A Soldier’s Story and Perspectives on the Journey to an Encore Life and Career.” Campbell described looking ahead to postservice life as a “void of unknown.” After spending a prominent fraction of his life being given precise instructions on where to live and what to do, all the options were now wide open before him. For many senior service members (having served 15+ years), this transition can be daunting. Campbell wrote “At Ease” to fill the gap in resources for soldiers transitioning to civilian life. He also wrote it for himself. After reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear,” a book focused on embracing creativity and inspiration as a lifestyle, Campbell began writing as a therapeutic practice. He found it helpful to embrace a creative outlet for personal growth rather than to get an award or become a bestseller. “It’s really about enjoying the freedom you fought for,” Campbell says. To a military service member, the concept of freedom rings differently. Service members are stripped of a lot of that freedom during their service and are beholden to the mission and the military. While this is a consensual choice that service members make when they join, that lack of freedom can make enjoying their life post-service difficult, Campbell said: “They don’t know how to enjoy the freedom they now have.” Even now, Campbell says he sometimes feels an obligation to the Army whenever he considers a big move or career change. It’s a habit that does not easily dissipate and can leave veterans feeling overwhelmed.
When asked how he prepared for active duty and encore life (and, subsequently, to be able to write his book), Campbell said his answer was simple: MCLA. “My military career was actually born out of North Adams,” Campbell says, reminiscing his time in ROTC at the satellite program out of UMASS while he attended MCLA for his bachelor’s degree in business administration. “I loved learning about different disciplines, how things work,” he said, stating that his experience at MCLA expanded his worldview and helped him mature. Since receiving his undergraduate degree, Campbell has moved on to earn two master’s degrees, one in general administration and another in strategic studies. He looks forward to earning a doctorate in leadership one day.
WHETHER YOU’RE LEAVING CORPORATE AMERICA OR WATCHING YOUR CHILDREN HEAD OFF TO COLLEGE, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.”
“At Ease” was most obviously written for service members transitioning from the military to civilian life. But Campbell says his philosophies can be applied to anyone entering an encore life. “Whether you’re leaving corporate America or watching your children head off to college, this book is for you.” Rob Campbell’s “At Ease: Enjoying the Freedom You Fought For – A Soldier’s Story and Perspectives on the Journey to an Encore Life and Career” and “It’s Personal, not Personnel: Leadership Lessons for the Battlefield and the Boardroom” published under Silver Tree Publishing can be found online and at bookstores near you.
READ FOR YOURSELF: bit.ly/MCLAatEase
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