In this episode of Blue Yonder, Jacob reconnects with retired Chief Rich Pelletier to explore how purpose, service, and leadership shaped his military career and post-service success. From their time launching leadership initiatives at Shaw AFB to Rich's transition into Amazon, the conversation dives deep into discovering your next mission, the power of mentorship, and why role modeling matters more than ever after hanging up the uniform.

Episode Title: The Power of Purpose: Rich Pelletier’s Journey from Weapons Chief to Amazon Leader

Guest: Rich Pelletier

00:00 – Introduction and reconnecting at Shaw AFB

01:00 – Transition from military to Amazon

04:00 – How PME and leadership development shaped his civilian leadership

05:20 – Why Rich joined the Air Force (inspired by Top Gun)

08:40 – Overcoming early military setbacks and the decision to re-enlist

11:00 – Peer rivalry and its impact on career decisions

13:00 – Decision to retire and the command chief opportunity he passed on

18:50 – COVID-era retirement: no ceremony, but no regrets

20:10 – Discovering purpose through LinkedIn and intentional networking

26:00 – Career offers, role alignment, and turning down aviation

35:00 – Transferable skills, underselling himself, and being elevated at Amazon

42:00 – Redefining service post-retirement

50:00 – Ripple effects, role modeling, and continuing to serve others

56:00 – Fighting for Airmen and the value of standing up for others

58:30 – Advice to pre-retirement Rich: “Don’t worry about the what-ifs”

Purpose drives transition: Identifying what drives you post-military is essential. For Rich, it was serving people and developing leaders.

Leadership beyond rank: From weapons troops to Amazon teams, leading with empathy and clarity translates across industries.

Be of service always: Service doesn’t end with the uniform; it evolves into mentorship, parenting, and community involvement.

Start early: LinkedIn and networking played a pivotal role years before his actual transition.

You bring more than you think: Many veterans underestimate the depth of their experience.

“Don’t think about what you can’t do because you’re retiring. Think about what you will do because you’re retiring.”

“You don’t take pride in just making the package move, but in growing the people who make the package move.”