Many retirees have service in their bones, but MOAA member Capt. Phillip Barnett, USN (Ret), takes it to the extreme. After spending 31 years in the Navy Medical Service Corps, the now-68-year-old can easily put in 56 hours a week volunteering. In just the last few years, he's worked with more than 20 organizations.
“After I left the military, I really felt like I needed to have some purpose,” the Stones River (Tenn.) Chapter member says. “Just some motivation to get … out of bed every morning. What better reasons are there than to help other people?”
While many of his peers were taking a professional breather, Barnett was falling in love with his new home of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and the people in it. He quickly found his military experience had given him valuable skills. “If you have a little bit of talent - and are willing to devote the time - once you are retired, there's almost an unlimited number of job offers.”
He quickly put his expertise to use, serving on steering committees or governing boards of more than a dozen organizations. He often found he could provide expertise even in a business sector he knew little about. That's how he found himself on the leadership team of his hometown's center for the arts. “I don't know a musical note from a musical note. But I got involved in the arts because they didn't have someone [to provide] oversight for the business operation.”
Through it all, Barnett says, the people are really what keeps him going. “I had a wonderful career, but now I have the opportunity to give back to folks.” And he's never forgotten the passion for helping his fellow veterans he developed as a Navy medical officer. He's now the ombudsman and advocate for 140 residents at the Tennessee State Veterans Home. “They know me like family. Their families know me,” he says.
At a point in life where a lot of people might be looking for a way to pass the time in between visits to grandkids and trips to the lake, Barnett has found far more than just a reason to get out of bed. “This has become my life. When I finally retired, I have found purpose - in serving others.