Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Episode 256 of the Transition Drill podcast explores military transition, family reintegration, and finding purpose after service for veterans and first responders navigating the move into civilian life.
You'll hear Ramone Resop on the unexpected challenges of leaving the Navy behind, rebuilding his role as a husband and father, and what it takes to redefine success when life changes faster than any mission plan.
Ramone retired from the U.S. Navy after more than two decades of service as a Hospital Corpsman and Chief Petty Officer. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, he learned the value of hard work, resilience, and adventure long before putting on the uniform. Inspired by a Vietnam Marine's stories about Navy corpsmen, he joined the Navy determined to serve alongside Marines. That decision launched a career filled with deployments, leadership, and operational medicine. From earning his place with the Fleet Marine Force to multiple overseas deployments, including an 18-month unaccompanied tour in Bahrain during the height of COVID, Ramone shares the realities of military service and the sacrifices made by both service members and their families.
Retirement brought a different kind of challenge. After years of deployments and responsibility, he returned home expecting to step naturally into family life, only to discover that reintegration required a completely different set of skills. He talks candidly about the difficult transition from Chief to husband and father, the lessons he learned about communication, and why he now believes slowing down after retirement may have been one of the most valuable investments he could have made.
Ramone also shares when his family needed him most. When his young daughter Lily was diagnosed with leukemia just months after his retirement, everything changed. Then through years of treatment, multiple relapses, bone marrow transplants, clinical trials, and the emotional weight of balancing fatherhood, work, and hope while refusing to quit.
Today, Ramone continues serving others through government contracting and training roles that allow him to remain present for his family while still supporting the military and first responder communities. His story is a powerful reminder that transition isn't simply about finding another job. It's about rediscovering your purpose, protecting what matters most, and learning that the greatest mission you'll ever lead may be waiting for you at home..
CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:
Instagram: instagram.com/paulpantani
WEBSITE: transitiondrillpodcast.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulpantani
SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:
transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:
paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com
SPONSORS:
GRND Collective: Premium, veteran-owned sportswear built for those who show up, outwork the excuses, and give 100%. Score 15% off your order at thegrndcollective.com using promo code TRANSITION15 at checkout
Blue Line Roasting: Premium, law-enforcement-owned coffee roasted to fuel the shift. A portion of every order directly supports law enforcement families facing line-of-duty injury or loss. Save 10% at bluelineroasting.com with promo code Transition10
Frontline Optics: Premium eyewear founded by a firefighter and built to withstand the job. Every single purchase helps support the First Responders Children’s Foundation, serving families who’ve paid the ultimate price. Save 10% off your pair at frontlineoptics.com using promo code Transition10
#transitiondrillpodcast #militarytransition #firstresponders
Episode 256 of the Transition Drill podcast explores military transition, family reintegration, and finding purpose after service for veterans and first responders navigating the move into civilian life.
You'll hear Ramone Resop on the unexpected challenges of leaving the Navy behind, rebuilding his role as a husband and father, and what it takes to redefine success when life changes faster than any mission plan.
Ramone retired from the U.S. Navy after more than two decades of service as a Hospital Corpsman and Chief Petty Officer. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, he learned the value of hard work, resilience, and adventure long before putting on the uniform. Inspired by a Vietnam Marine's stories about Navy corpsmen, he joined the Navy determined to serve alongside Marines. That decision launched a career filled with deployments, leadership, and operational medicine. From earning his place with the Fleet Marine Force to multiple overseas deployments, including an 18-month unaccompanied tour in Bahrain during the height of COVID, Ramone shares the realities of military service and the sacrifices made by both service members and their families.
Retirement brought a different kind of challenge. After years of deployments and responsibility, he returned home expecting to step naturally into family life, only to discover that reintegration required a completely different set of skills. He talks candidly about the difficult transition from Chief to husband and father, the lessons he learned about communication, and why he now believes slowing down after retirement may have been one of the most valuable investments he could have made.
Ramone also shares when his family needed him most. When his young daughter Lily was diagnosed with leukemia just months after his retirement, everything changed. Then through years of treatment, multiple relapses, bone marrow transplants, clinical trials, and the emotional weight of balancing fatherhood, work, and hope while refusing to quit.
Today, Ramone continues serving others through government contracting and training roles that allow him to remain present for his family while still supporting the military and first responder communities. His story is a powerful reminder that transition isn't simply about finding another job. It's about rediscovering your purpose, protecting what matters most, and learning that the greatest mission you'll ever lead may be waiting for you at home..
CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:
Instagram: instagram.com/paulpantani
WEBSITE: transitiondrillpodcast.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulpantani
SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:
transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:
paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com
SPONSORS:
GRND Collective: Premium, veteran-owned sportswear built for those who show up, outwork the excuses, and give 100%. Score 15% off your order at thegrndcollective.com using promo code TRANSITION15 at checkout
Blue Line Roasting: Premium, law-enforcement-owned coffee roasted to fuel the shift. A portion of every order directly supports law enforcement families facing line-of-duty injury or loss. Save 10% at bluelineroasting.com with promo code Transition10
Frontline Optics: Premium eyewear founded by a firefighter and built to withstand the job. Every single purchase helps support the First Responders Children’s Foundation, serving families who’ve paid the ultimate price. Save 10% off your pair at frontlineoptics.com using promo code Transition10
#transitiondrillpodcast #militarytransition #firstresponders





![Firefighter Paramedic: When the Uniform Came Off The Battle With Life After the Job. Kyle Collins
Kyle Collins, retired Deputy Fire Chief, in Episode 230 of the Transition Drill Podcast explores identity loss after service for firefighters, veterans, and first responders navigating retirement and life after the uniform. You’ll hear Kyle Collins on what happens when decades of trauma, leadership, and purpose collide with silence, and what it takes to admit you need help before you lose the people you love.
Kyle Collins spent his life inside the fire service. He grew up around the outdoors, learned hard technical skills early, and chased a path that eventually led him to become a paramedic, a firefighter, a company officer, a battalion chief, and finally a deputy fire chief. He didn’t just work calls, he carried them. Years on paramedic squad meant nonstop exposure to emergencies across wide areas. Child calls hit him the hardest, especially when they mirrored the ages of his own kids. He learned to compartmentalize because that was how the culture worked. You showed up, did the job, and moved on.
By the time Kyle retired in December 2019, he had given more than three decades to the job. He thought he was ready. Then COVID hit. Travel plans disappeared. His daughter’s family moved into his house longer than expected. The routines that usually keep retirees grounded weren’t there. The phone stopped ringing. The role that had defined him for decades vanished, and he didn’t know how much of his identity had been tied to it until it was gone.
What followed wasn’t what he expected. He wasn’t having nightmares or flashbacks. He was losing patience. Losing gratitude. Losing the ability to feel joy. He felt ashamed because on paper his life looked good. A pension. A long marriage. A family. Inside, he was coming apart. He kept calling friends at the department just to feel connected, then realized he had to let go because it was keeping him stuck.
The breaking point came when his anger spilled into his home and scared the people he loved. That night forced him to admit something he’d avoided for years. He wasn’t okay. Kyle reached out for help and was connected with a therapist who specialized in first responders. Through EMDR and months of work, he started unpacking decades of calls he never dealt with, including many he didn’t realize were still active inside him.
This conversation isn’t about weakness. It’s about what happens when strong people don’t get ahead of what they carry. Kyle shares what the job took, what retirement exposed, and what it actually looks like to rebuild when the uniform comes off.
The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. Follow the show and share it with another veteran or first responder who would enjoy this.
CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/
WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/
SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:
https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:
paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com
EPISODE BLOG PAGE AND CONNECT WITH KYLE
https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com/post/transition-drill-podcast-deputy-fire-chief-and-the-cost-of-an-emergency-service-career-kyle-collins
CHAPTERS
[0:00:00] — Intro: First question, transition help
[0:01:42] — Not prepared for retirement
[0:08:05] — Suck it up culture, ignored signs
[0:10:29] — Retired early, stress piled up
[0:14:26] — Calls with kids, family impact
[0:17:38] — Before fire, hard hat diver
[0:20:48] — Printing job, fire dream sparked
[0:22:21] — Hiring grind, sleeping in line
[0:25:00] — Paramedic school gamble
[0:29:23] — Hired in Chino mid-paramedic school
[0:34:06] — Prop W, district breaks away
[0:42:05] — Promotions and leadership path
[0:46:00] — Deputy chief life, coach, burnout
[0:52:29] — Retirement meets COVID
[0:57:47] — Nightmares, PTSD surfaces
[1:01:45] — Identity loss and purpose
[1:09:17] — Suicide calls and dark moments
[1:12:42] — Anxiety and anger, unraveling
[1:20:30] — Therapy and EMDR recovery
[1:47:13] - Esperanza Fire Almost Consumed Crew
SPONSORS:
GRND Collective
Get 15% off your purchase
Link: https://thegrndcollective.com/
Promo Code: TRANSITION15
Blue Line Roasting
Get 10% off your purchase
Link: https://bluelineroasting.com
Promocode: Transition10
Frontline Optics
Get 10% off your purchase
Link: https://frontlineoptics.com
Promocode: Transition10
#transitiondrillpodcast #militarytransition #firstresponders Firefighter Paramedic: When the Uniform Came Off The Battle With Life After the Job. Kyle Collins](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8IQoe61usw8/mqdefault.jpg)




