A Job Wasn’t Enough: Marine Veteran Jon Cole on Finding Purpose After Service

You can leave the military with valuable skills, land a good job, and still feel lost. Jon Cole knows that feeling—and the toll it can take when you try to carry it alone.

In this episode of The MisFitNation’s ToosDay Crüe, Jake Holland and Stephen LaMonica sit down with retired U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jon Cole, host of The Bunkhouse Podcast. After 16 years of service and three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Jon’s medical retirement brought a challenge his résumé couldn’t solve: finding purpose and belonging beyond the Marines.

Jon speaks candidly about isolation, increased drinking, strain on his marriage, and the realization that he needed help. He shares how counseling, journaling, faith, and family helped him move forward—and how reconnecting with fellow veterans gave him a mission he cared about.

Along the way, the conversation explores the grief that follows you home, the family milestones missed during deployments, and the courage it takes to build new friendships when the old brotherhood feels distant.

You’ll hear:

• Why meaningful work and personal purpose don’t always arrive together

• How Jon began opening up and rebuilding his support system

• What he learned about putting counseling tools into practice

• Why helping someone feel heard starts with listening

• How The Bunkhouse evolved from an IT career podcast into a home for veteran mental health conversations

There’s humor, hard-earned perspective, and a challenge you can act on today: check on one person you haven’t heard from lately. You don’t need the perfect words to let someone know they matter.

“Be the light in someone’s dark.” — Jon Cole

Connect with Jon and The Bunkhouse Podcast:

https://linktr.ee/thebunkhouse

Explore The MisFitNation:

https://www.TheMisFitNation.com

Watch our interviews and join the conversation:

https://www.youtube.com/@The_MisFitNation

Follow The MisFitNation for more conversations about leadership, service, resilience, and the next chapter. Share this episode with someone navigating life after the military.

Need immediate support? Call 988. Veterans, press 1.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices