Dano04,
I too entered the trade through the military, (Marines) and dare I say it the training was good for the type of work we did. (Industrial, and Airfields, etc.) However, getting out I realized that alot was lacking in light commercial and residential. (Communications too.) Not to mention the business end of it all.
I was lucky to get out, and come across a former Navy Electrician, who took me under his wing to show me those ends of it all. And, without being discouraging, I should advise that maybe you should find the market you would like to work in, and work for someone else for a little bit, and LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN, from them before going it alone. (On thier dime, of course.) That way, you can round out your experiance, for the civilian market, and aclimate yourself to life after seperation from the military.
And, not that I like the type of work myself, but you may want to get a job with a "Service" company. (Going and doing troubleshooting and repair type work, small installation, etc.) The driving, and sometimes late hours can be a hassle, but you'll get alot of hands on, in various situations, with alot of customer contact, very quickly.
I wish you the best, and stick around this forum for while, alot to learn here too.
Mark Heller
