ABSTRACT
Former U.S. Navy Seal, David Goggins said, “You have to be willing to go to war with yourself and create a whole new identity.” The ultra-distance athlete is known for recognizing the internal conflict and hardships endured when pursuing significant personal change, individual growth, and mental and physical development. We call to mind Goggins’ metaphor of self-conflict and identity as a springboard for examining our own experiences as military servicemembers re-fashioning ourselves into researchers and professors in higher education. Military experience may be unique in its ability to imbue participants with the logic and tenets to which it aspires; those who serve must accept and internalize a core military identity that, in turn, re-shapes them both personally and professionally. In this chapter, we unpack the challenges we faced re-creating ourselves—as military veterans and as civilian academic professionals—while working equally hard to retain the best of our military selves.
