Because veterans are increasingly vocal about the difficulty of transitioning from the military to the civilian world, Capt. Steve Donaldson (whose name I’ve changed for the sake of privacy) knew long in advance of leaving the Marine Corps that a tough process awaited him.

After returning home from his final official Marine Corps Ball in November 2018, Donaldson sat on his couch in total darkness. The leather creaked, the medals on his dress blues jingled, and he had a major realization. With immense difficulty, Donaldson finally spoke his thoughts into the silence: “This is the last time I’ll ever wear this uniform.”