A Veteran Uses Poetry To Process

A civilian job can pay well and still leave a veteran feeling irritated and restless by the end of the day. Alan Brown breaks down the parts of military life that disappear first after retirement: the uniform, the PT, the daily contact with soldiers, and the built in group that understands the standard without a long explanation. He retired in January 2020 after 23 years in the Army, and he describes the mix of frustration and trial and error that followed while he searched for work that felt like it mattered. The conversation also gets practical. Alan explains how he uses writing as a focused way to slow down and sort out memories from active duty and the pressure of family life. He spent the summer of 2025 revising poems he wrote years earlier, then published a collection in September 2025 on Amazon titled When the Uniform No Longer Fits: Reflections on Military Service, Family, and Being a Veteran. Many of the poems are autobiographical and written for veterans, active duty service members, and family members who want a clearer view of what service leaves behind. Key moments are below. Timestamps: 01:30: Retired after 23 years and still sorting out the next job 08:12: The loss of camaraderie 16:30: Working at full speed while coworkers move slower and the anger that builds 17:00: Writing started in college and turned into a way to put thoughts on the page 35:52: When the Uniform No Longer Fits Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 When the Uniform No Longer Fits Book: https://www.amazon.com/When-Uniform-Longer-Fits-Reflections/dp/B0FSYTQ777/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.