The CAM Framework™—Connection, Authenticity, and Meaning—is a strengths-based model designed to help veterans rebuild identity, emotional regulation, and purpose during the transition from military service to civilian life.

Developed by retired Marine Corps Officer and TEDx Speaker Garret Biss, CAM integrates applied positive psychology, trauma-informed principles, and resilience science to support veterans and military-connected students through one of the most challenging chapters of their lives.

Why Veterans Struggle During Transition

Leaving the military is often described as a career change—but in reality, it is an identity change. Service members step out of a tightly bonded culture built on clarity, purpose, and belonging, and suddenly face a world full of ambiguity and isolation. This creates what Biss refers to as transition trauma: the internal disconnection that occurs when someone loses the roles, relationships, and identity frameworks that once defined them.

Common internal challenges include:

- Loss of structure and community

- Reduced confidence or self-efficacy

- Emotional detachment or numbness

- Difficulty asking for help

- Difficulty translating military strengths to new environments

-Questions of purpose, meaning, or direction

The CAM Framework addresses these core human needs directly.

The CAM Framework™

1. Connection

Rebuilding the bonds, relationships, and internal grounding veterans need to thrive.

Connection begins with:

- reconnecting with oneself

- building trust with others

- re-engaging with community and support networks

- restoring a sense of belonging

Isolation (physical and/or emotional) is one of the most consistent predictors of negative mental health outcomes in veterans.

CAM provides practical tools for veterans to rebuild meaningful relationships and reestablish psychological safety.

2. Authenticity

Removing the “masks” and returning to the truth of who you are beneath roles and expectations.

In the military, people often operate behind:

- hyper-competence

- emotional suppression

- perfectionism

- mission-first mentality

These adaptive survival strategies often become barriers in civilian life. Authenticity within CAM helps veterans:

- rediscover their internal voice

- challenge limiting identity beliefs

- transition from performance-based worth to inherent worth

- feel safe being honest about their struggles, strengths, and needs

Authenticity becomes the bridge between internal change and external alignment.

3. Meaning

Reclaiming purpose, direction, and a sense of significance after service. Veterans thrive when they know:

- why they matter

- what they contribute

- how their strengths translate

- what future they are building toward

CAM helps veterans identify:

- values

- missions

- roles

- opportunities

- strengths that carried over from the military

Meaning also drives post-traumatic growth—the transformation that occurs when struggle becomes a catalyst for growth and new purpose.

How CAM Supports Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG)

The CAM Framework aligns directly with key PTG domains:

+ new possibilities

+ personal strength

+ improved relationships

+ spiritual or existential deepening

+ appreciation of life

By reducing isolation (Connection), restoring identity (Authenticity), and reinvigorating purpose (Meaning), CAM empowers veterans to move beyond mere “adjustment” and into genuine growth.

Where CAM Is Being Used

Garret delivers CAM-based programming for:

+ Universities and higher-education institutions

+ Veteran Resource Centers

+ Behavioral-health organizations

+ Justice-involved veteran programs

+ Peer support and recovery communities

+ Corporate veteran employee groups

The model adapts to educational, clinical-adjacent, and organizational environments.

About the Creator: Garret Biss

Garret Biss is a retired Marine Corps Officer, TEDx Speaker, and national educator on veteran mental wellness, transition trauma, and post-traumatic growth. His work blends military leadership, positive psychology, and practical tools veterans can use to rebuild identity, purpose, and emotional wellbeing.

To schedule Garret Biss for a keynote on the CAM Framework™️ and veteran wellness, click here.