Warrior to Civilian: The Field Manual for the Hero's Journey - Hardcover

by Robert Sarver (Author), Alex Gendzier (Author)

Winner of the 2026 Axiom Book Awards Gold Medal in Career (Job Search/Career Advancement)

A compassionate, practical guidebook for veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life and for the loved ones supporting their journey.

"Challenging yet reassuring....a key addition to every veteran's packing list ." --Stan McChrystal, General, US Army (Ret) and Co-Founder and CEO, McChrystal Group

Some important statistics:

• There are over 22 million veterans alive today
• Each year, more than 200,000 new veterans transition out of active duty.
• Approximately 22 veterans commit suicide a day, and even more are living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, and experience many, many other difficulties.

It's clear that we have not honored the promise we make to veterans: that we as a country will help them after they've served and sacrificed. And while there are many books written by and for veterans, only a small selection of those address the transition to civilian life, and none are a truly complete reference for stepping out of service and back into normal life. Warrior to Civilian covers a range of topics, from the practical--finding a job, reintegrating into family life--to the more challenging topics, like dealing with loss, and finding new purpose in life. This well-curated resource incorporates stories, insights, and observations from veterans and their partners; evidence-based advice from health professionals and experts who work closely with veterans; and inspiration taken from heavyweights like Jon Kabbat-Zinn and Tony Robbins. The authors take care to address the unique challenges faced by veterans of color, and those in the LGBTQ+ communities.

With support from some of our country's most recognizable military members, authors Rob Sarver, a former SEAL, and Alex Gendzier, combine their voices and their experiences in and out of the military in a unique way that will make this resource shine. Scaffolded by the hero's journey, in which the hero experiences a series of transformative events, they reveal that within the loss that many veterans have suffered while serving and suffer in the transition, there is great opportunity for healing.

Author Biography

Lieutenant (SEAL) Rob Sarver graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2004. He initially served as a surface warfare officer and ultimately as a Navy SEAL assigned to SEAL Team 3, completing seven deployments during his service. He completed three tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and two tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Rob's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with a combat "V" device and oak leaf cluster, the Combat Action Ribbon with a gold star device, and various additional personal and unit accolades. Since his departure from the military in 2013, Rob has held various leadership and executive roles and earned an Executive MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. Rob is the Co-Founder of Servius Group and serves as the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of The Heroes Journey, LLC.

Alex Gendzier is a partner at a top law firm, where he is involved in veteran's affairs. Although Alex has no personal military experience, he feels a connection to them through his own journey of overcoming the odds, experiencing painful losses and making life-changing transitions and the five years of research and interviews that went into this Field Manual. His sense of his own successes and failures, as well as his desire to make a contribution to our service members and their families, led him to collaborate with Rob Sarver.

Rob and Alex are among the foremost authorities on veteran transition in the United States and are frequently invited to speak and work with veterans and companies that hire them.