Orange Pilled Green Beret Veteran – Bitcoin Magazine
This is an opinion editorial by Adam R. Gebner, a Green Beret and West Point graduate.
The opinions expressed throughout this piece are mine alone and in no way reflect the official policy or opinion of the US Army or the US Department of Defense. While I am by no means an author, I hope that by publishing this, more service members will consider working in the Bitcoin industry, and Bitcoin companies will consider expanding their efforts to hire veterans. In addition, I am always learning more about Bitcoin, how it works, and the potential value it can bring to our world. Tell me where I’m off base, please!
Early in my life I knew I wanted to be an officer in the Green Beret. Fighting to liberate oppressed people by working by, with and through local people was at the heart of my motivations for choosing this path. I saw the Special Forces mission as a cost- and risk-effective way to prevent large-scale conflicts while allowing people to defend themselves and secure their own freedom. After graduating from West Point in 2014 and serving with the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) for three years, I finally earned my Green Beret and an opportunity to lead a unit of America’s Chosen Soldiers. Now that I have accomplished what I set out to do with my military career by leading an “A-Team” for two years, I look forward to the next mission of my professional life: contributing to the adoption and integration of the best liberty-protecting innovation in modern history — Bitcoin.
Like so many others, I had a few touchpoints with Bitcoin before seriously considering the validity of the technology. In 2010, during my freshman year at West Point, I overheard a few computer science majors discussing this “internet money” thing, and I foolishly dismissed it without trying to learn anything else. Then in 2013, when I started learning about investing and finance, I stumbled upon bitcoin again. I read a bit more into it, but not enough to understand how it could replace gold as a solid monetary system (thanks Peter Schiff…).
Finally, in the summer of 2017, when I was deployed to the Republic of Georgia, the “number-go-up” piqued my curiosity and I made my first attempt to buy some bitcoin. Unfortunately for me, the exchange I used, Coinbase, did not accept my orders because even though I had a US driver’s license and a US passport, I had an Italian phone number and was in the Republic of Georgia which was apparently suspicious. I completely missed that bull run, but I finally started learning more about bitcoin and the potential of this innovation.
The concepts I learned reading about Austrian economics, personal investing, and American history clicked shortly after. My perspective on some of the most persistent problems around the world shifted toward the realization that our global monetary system is corrupt, price signals are severely distorted, and national and global debt is unsustainable. Since then, I have continued to learn about the economy, bitcoin and the growing industry around it, while stacking bets as often as possible.
This year I completed my time as a commando and I had to make a career decision: continue to serve in the army or get out. Service members, especially those who choose to serve for the standard 20-year career, have my deepest respect. Military life is not easy, it requires giving up a wide variety of freedoms, volunteering to protect national interests and persevering through deep uncertainty. The military profession can provide an honorable career, but for a number of personal and professional reasons I am called to do something else. I am inspired and encouraged to find work that contributes to a free and prosperous world, work that creates value for others, work that fixes systemic problems. For me, this means taking my experience leading diverse, cross-functional teams to market with the goal of contributing to the continued success and expansion of Bitcoin.
For any service members or veterans who may be reading this, if you want to develop technical skills, take advantage of the Career Skillbridge program. I am about to enroll in a Vet Tec program, a Veterans Affairs program to train transitioning service members in a variety of in-demand technical skills, such as computer programming and data processing. My experience making models while studying mechanical engineering has helped with the learning curve, as has experience working through classes at Code Academy. But anyone who has an honest desire to learn will succeed. Not all veterans or members of the Bitcoin industry need to have these technical skills, but for those who want to work in product development or management, I think having experience in software engineering, computer science or programming is almost essential and will make you much more marketable for bitcoin-focused companies.
Other vets in the industry have been incredibly helpful. Often a cold message over LinkedIn results in an enthusiastic response and a phone call. Veterans currently working with Bitcoin know that when service members leave, they want to continue serving in a principled organization, and Bitcoin is arguably the most freedom-preserving industry to work in. For service members on their way out, find people who have already made the switch . They are good sounding boards for your ideas and guide potential career plans. You only want to leave the military once (hopefully), talk to as many people as possible who have done it before you and are now working in your targeted industry.
For me, and many other veterans, serving in an industry with an inspiring, impactful mission is an essential requirement for a post-military career. Out of all the options, I believe that working in the Bitcoin industry and helping to spread the use of bitcoin is an excellent fit for the dedicated, principled and team-oriented veterans who are looking for their next opportunity to contribute to society. To Bitcoin companies, talk to and hire veterans. There are many ways to give transitioning veterans test drives with your company, at no cost to you. I believe you will find that veterans are competent members of your team who will remain dedicated to your mission and their co-workers.
I see the potential of a civilian career working with Bitcoin as an incredible opportunity to pursue after the end of a very rewarding period of military service. I am happy to contribute to the growth of the network and adopt the technology. Despite FUD and recent global instability, I am optimistic about our future. As a Green Beret who was trained to create revolutions in the pursuit of expanding human freedoms, I have high hopes for what Bitcoiners can do for humanity.
This is a guest post by Adam R. Gebner. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
