Honoring Those Who Serve and Who Have Served in the Armed Forces
May is Military Appreciation Month, and we’re honoring associates who have served, past and present military members, and their families for their service and sacrifice to our country. Anyone can support military appreciation through volunteerism, donations or a simple “thank you.”
I’m passionate about giving back to those who have made the sacrifice of serving. I enjoy volunteering to support veterans and serving on the board of directors at Warriors 4 Wireless, which helps veterans find jobs in the wireless industry after they leave the military.
Our company is committed to hiring veterans and those currently serving in the military reserves. I’m excited to share that we recently started work with two organizations, Hiring Our Heroes and Veteran Jobs Mission, that will help us build stronger connections to the military community and support our commitment to hiring veterans. We’re also supporting Black Diamond Charities with a donation to help soldiers make the transition to civilian life and create workforce development programs for veterans.
We recently spoke with two of our associates who understand the importance of service to their country and who bring that dedication to their jobs each day.
Here’s what they had to say about being a veteran and working for UScellular:
Russell Lofquist, Senior Director, Access Engineering: (Brigade Commander, Colonel in U.S. Army Reserves)
Q: What career advice would you offer to other veterans who are transitioning back into civilian life?
A: I would strongly recommend they have a former service member help them build their resume/translate their leader skills and military experiences/training into “civilian employer” language. Most veterans have extraordinary leadership experience, compared to their civilian counterparts/peer groups, but they don’t do a good job translating it into applicable civilian terminology.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a veteran and work at UScellular?
A: I’m proud to be part of an organization that values their veterans. The senior leaders welcome our veteran experience and ask for our perspective, applied leadership learnings and service experiences as they work through leadership and operational challenges.
TJ Caldwell, Store Manager: (Currently serving in the Maine Army National Guard as Religious Affairs Non-Commissioned Officer within the 52nd troop command.)
Q: How does UScellular support you as a veteran?
A: The associate resource group VALOR has been a big support system for me in helping create a space where I can have my experiences feel valued and appreciated amidst a fantastic group of teammates.
Q: How does your experience in the military translate to helping our customers?
A: As a front-line worker it helps me connect and relate to people through a different lens. When someone wears military memorabilia or brings up that they have had family that has served, it provides a great way to connect with customers and share a common experience. This allows them to have someone they can easily trust when it comes to wireless solutions in their area.