The Military Prepared Me for War. Not for Life After It. - Eric Gillis

Episode Description

Eric Gillis joined the Army a year after 9/11, deployed to Iraq as a chaplain's assistant, and hit rock bottom a few years after getting out — a suicide attempt that became, in his words, the failure he's most grateful for. In this conversation he lays out what the veteran-support system misses: it's built to help you cope with PTSD, but almost nothing helps you rebuild a life on the other side of it. We get into why "get help" is useless advice without a concrete next step, why vulnerability gives other people permission, why veterans are wired to run businesses, and how staying calm under pressure became the skill that carried him into school administration and building The Rebuilt Warrior. Useful for any veteran in transition — and anyone rebuilding after a hard reset.

Chapters

00:04 – From the Army to The Rebuilt Warrior

00:31 – Why transition support feels scattered (and TAP falls short)

03:20 – Joining after 9/11: the recruiter's two promises

06:33 – Chaplain's assistant: bodyguard to a non-combatant

08:04 – A year in Samarra, Iraq

11:41 – Best basketball of his life (deployment hoops)

14:53 – Operation CEO and the docuseries

16:37 – Coastline Collections: the rental business

18:56 – Long-term rental vs. Airbnb

24:10 – Why veterans make strong entrepreneurs

33:22 – The book: rock bottom, and the line that changed everything

38:54 – Why "get help" isn't enough

43:27 – Bridging the military and school administration

51:08 – Dean of students: how kids and phones changed

53:33 – AI in schools: cheating, ethics, adapting

1:01:49 – Dismantling the Department of Education?

1:06:23 – What would you change about today's Education system?

1:15:04 – Where to find more from Eric Gillis