Episode 269 of the Transition Drill podcast explores law enforcement, career transition, and rebuilding professional identity for veterans and first responders navigating life beyond the badge. You’ll hear former police officer and SWAT operator Bridget Truxillo on losing the career she thought would define her future, and what it takes to turn a painful transition into a new mission.

Bridget grew up in Louisiana before heading to the University of Florida with no clear career path. After graduating, she entered the police academy and joined the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, where she moved from patrol into undercover narcotics, buying drugs and working investigations. Then she took another unlikely step, becoming the first female SWAT officer in her agency’s history.

But earning the position didn’t guarantee acceptance. Bridget talks openly about the internal battles, scrutiny, leadership failures, and feeling of betrayal that eventually pushed her away from SWAT and law enforcement. A planned path toward federal law enforcement also disappeared, leaving her approaching 30 without the career or identity she expected to have.

She started again.

Bridget entered law school, graduated in two and a half years, became an attorney, worked in asbestos litigation and investigative legal work, moved between Texas and New York, became a mother, and eventually realized conventional law practice wasn’t where she belonged.

Today, Bridget owns Lady Law Shield, where she represents first responders and public employees facing workplace and administrative problems. The experiences that once drove her from policing now help her protect people confronting some of the same battles she once faced.

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SPONSORS:

GRND Collective: Premium, veteran-owned sportswear built for those who show up, outwork the excuses, and give 100%. Score 15% off your order at thegrndcollective.com using promo code TRANSITION15 at checkout

Blue Line Roasting: Premium, law-enforcement-owned coffee roasted to fuel the shift. A portion of every order directly supports law enforcement families facing line-of-duty injury or loss. Save 10% at bluelineroasting.com with promo code Transition10

Frontline Optics: Premium eyewear founded by a firefighter and built to withstand the job. Every single purchase helps support the First Responders Children’s Foundation, serving families who’ve paid the ultimate price. Save 10% off your pair at frontlineoptics.com using promo code Transition10

Episode 268 of the Transition Drill podcast explores military transition and rebuilding a career after combat for veterans and first responders navigating life beyond service. You’ll hear retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Justin Rettenberger on leaving the identity and intensity of the Marine Corps behind, and what it takes to build a meaningful civilian life when your original transition plan falls apart.

Justin grew up in the Midwest, unsure what direction his life would take until a chance encounter with a Marine recruiter in 1997 led him into the infantry. He originally planned to serve four years and use the GI Bill, but September 11 changed everything. He reenlisted, joined the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, fought in Fallujah, later deployed to Afghanistan, and completed eight deployments during a 16-year Marine Corps career. Along the way, he became a Bronze Star and two-time Purple Heart recipient and learned leadership from Marines including Doug Zembiec, whose challenge to “be a man of action” still influences him today.

Eventually, marriage, fatherhood, and a changing perspective on combat pushed Justin toward retirement. His carefully planned transition nearly collapsed when a lucrative contracting job disappeared before he left the Marines. With a new baby, a new house, and no clear career path, he went back to school.

College forced him to learn how to listen to people outside the military, challenge his assumptions, and redefine himself. He earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA, discovered occupational safety, and built a successful civilian career where he now leads others while continuing his education. His lesson for anyone preparing to transition is simple: have a plan, but always have a backup.

CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/

WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/

SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:

https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:

paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com

SPONSORS:

GRND Collective: Premium, veteran-owned sportswear built for those who show up, outwork the excuses, and give 100%. Score 15% off your order at thegrndcollective.com using promo code TRANSITION15 at checkout

Blue Line Roasting: Premium, law-enforcement-owned coffee roasted to fuel the shift. A portion of every order directly supports law enforcement families facing line-of-duty injury or loss. Save 10% at bluelineroasting.com with promo code Transition10

Frontline Optics: Premium eyewear founded by a firefighter and built to withstand the job. Every single purchase helps support the First Responders Children’s Foundation, serving families who’ve paid the ultimate price. Save 10% off your pair at frontlineoptics.com using promo code Transition10

Episode 267 of the Transition Drill podcast explores law enforcement careers, undercover work, and life after retirement for first responders and veterans navigating the loss of identity and purpose that can follow service. You’ll hear Jenn Benjamins on the personal cost of letting the job become your life, and what it takes to rebuild relationships, purpose, and direction after the badge.

Jenn grew up in Las Vegas, played college softball, studied criminal justice at UNLV, and entered the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department without the lifelong dream of becoming a cop. What followed was a 22-year career that took her from patrol into vice, undercover investigations, and deep undercover work.

Jenn became LVMPD’s first female vice sergeant and later served as Director of Peer Support, helping officers through serious personal and professional crises. But while she was investing heavily in the job, her own family relationships were paying a price.

In 2022, a series of personal crises led Jenn to retire earlier than planned. Civilian life hit hard. The phone stopped ringing, her identity disappeared, and she found herself without a plan or purpose. A stint at Wynn Las Vegas followed, but rebuilding her relationship with her children and completing an emotional intelligence leadership program changed her direction.

Today, Jenn trains law enforcement professionals in undercover operations, created a women-led undercover school, speaks at police conferences, and is building a second career around preparing the next generation while staying present for the people who matter most.

CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/

WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/

SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:

https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:

paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com

CHAPTERS

0:00:00 — Intro: The Three Versions of Jenn

0:02:49 — When Her Family Began to Fracture

0:13:37 — Brothers, Arrests and Different Paths

0:20:30 — Policing the City Where She Grew Up

0:27:48 — Undercover Is a Skill Set, Not a Look

0:30:47 — An Accidental Path Into Policing

0:35:31 — Entering the Academy Completely Naive

0:49:52 — When Police Work Suddenly Became Real

0:53:58 — 9/11 Changes the Reality of the Job

0:55:36 — Route 91: Responding to the Unthinkable

1:03:16 — Discovering Her Talent for Undercover Work

1:09:50 — Going Undercover to Target Pimps

1:24:53 — The Vice Case That Told Her It Was Time

1:32:58 — Living Undercover Beyond the Job

1:35:17 — When the Job Began Costing Her Family

1:40:24 — Retirement Exposes the Broken Relationships

1:46:36 — Ego, Promotion and a New Career Chapter

1:50:25 — Becoming Metro’s First Female Vice Sergeant

1:52:12 — Peer Support and Three Life-Changing Days

1:57:34 — Retirement, Isolation and Losing Her Purpose

2:02:01 — Building a New Mission After the Badge

2:06:00 — Rebuilding Herself and Her Relationships

2:10:01 — Be Present for the People Who Remain

SPONSORS:

GRND Collective: Premium, veteran-owned sportswear built for those who show up, outwork the excuses, and give 100%. Score 15% off your order at thegrndcollective.com using promo code TRANSITION15 at checkout

Blue Line Roasting: Premium, law-enforcement-owned coffee roasted to fuel the shift. A portion of every order directly supports law enforcement families facing line-of-duty injury or loss. Save 10% at bluelineroasting.com with promo code Transition10

Frontline Optics: Premium eyewear founded by a firefighter and built to withstand the job. Every single purchase helps support the First Responders Children’s Foundation, serving families who’ve paid the ultimate price. Save 10% off your pair at frontlineoptics.com using promo code Transition10