Or switch the order on that, but I believe finding your own deals would be the most critical thing you can learn right now that will help you achieve financial freedom fast. 

It got messy for a while before I achieved critical mass with payroll vs revenue but now we have quality control, internal training, great culture, and are able to innovate with great people. 

Be sure you use critical thought on everything you are told by anyone.

Starting with a plan and understanding the ins and outs of the tools you have at your disposal (I.e. the VA Loan) is also critical.

Networking with other real estate investors is a critical piece of being successful in this industry.  

I know many investors like to be 'all in' in some form of investing, be it equities, real estate, crypto, gold, etc, but personally, I think that diversification is critical to protecting your assets.

I am looking for advice/constructive criticism on my current plan upon entering the civilian world.Within my last 6 months of service I am going to be working on getting my realtor license so I have potential for a job once I leave the Corps.

I'm very curious about what the critical mass looks like here.

You're probably looking at a Class D property which will be very challenging to manage and make money on.The critical question to ask the seller is how much is it going to cost to rehab it so it passes City inspections.Recommend you search BiggerPockets for our Deep Dive series on Metro Detroit Ring Cities and city of Detroit neighborhoods.

Don't take criticism or deals cancelling personal, grow from it.