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Post-military life can be a flood of decisions, from finding a new career to choosing how, or if, you want to cut your hair.
While health care isn't always a top priority, it's among one of the most significant and confusing decisions military families need to make while transitioning into new lives. Most military
members likely spent their formative years in a system that guaranteed access to free or affordable care, a scenario that doesn't necessarily play out in the civilian world, says Blake
Bourne, the executive director of North Carolina's Charlotte Bridge Home, a nonprofit that helps veterans successfully adjust to life in the civilian world.
"Health care is the best microcosm for the challenges of navigating life outside of military life," says Bourne, who is also a retired Army officer. "It's not something we ever had to
contend with, within service."
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