Why the uniform matters
Uniformed roles do unusually strong identity work. The uniform itself becomes a daily marker of belonging, capability and recognised status. Removing it removes more than clothing, it removes a structure that has been quietly stabilising the person for years.
Common patterns
Across services we see recurring patterns: difficulty answering 'what do you do now?', loss of mission-shaped purpose, withdrawal from former colleagues, and a sense of being unseen in civilian settings.
These patterns are not pathology. They are signals that identity reconstruction work is needed.
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Related research papers
- Identity in Occupational Transition: Evidence, Research and Future Directions for UK PolicyGardner, G. (2025). AURIS.
- Identity Performance Psychology | White Paper Vol. 2DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19818259
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- White Papers · 2 min readWhite Paper 0, From Transition to Service Provider Identity Adaptation
A conceptual position paper reframing the Identity After the Uniform research programme: transition is the trigger, but the phenomenon under study is identity adaptation after a trained, high-pressure service role.
About the author
Gemma Gardner
Founder and Research Lead, AURIS Institute
Gemma Gardner leads the AURIS research programme on identity and occupational transition. Her work builds the evidence base behind the AURIS Framework and the Identity System, drawing on interviews with service leavers, families and the organisations that support them.
- Lead author, Identity Performance Psychology white paper series
- Principal investigator, AURIS identity adaptation interview programme
- Author of AURIS submissions on identity in occupational transition
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