AMSG provides support for a wide variety of missions, and one of the most satisfying is helping service members who are ill or have been injured to successfully transition to new careers and opportunities. One of these programs is Operation Warfighter (OWF), an internship program developed by the Department of Defense for convalescing service members to assist in their transition back into the workforce. AMSG’s James West is an Employment & Education Initiative (E2I) and OWF Regional Coordinator, and he brought us the story of Lauryn Robinson. Lauryn Robinson is a Veteran transitioning from the US Army to civilian life. AMSG is proud to support our Veterans and the programs that assist them in moving from a life of military service to fulfilling Careers. Here is a brief article from Lauryn about how it’s going so far.
When it was time for me to leave the Army and transition to the private sector, I worked with a Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) counselor, who arranged for me to work with Operation Warfighter (OWF).
OWF is a Department of Defense internship program matching qualified wounded, ill, and injured service members with non-funded federal internships in order for them to gain valuable work experience during their recovery and rehabilitation.
Through OWF I worked with Mr. James West out of Fort Drum, NY. He placed an emphasis on making sure I had a strong resume that highlighted my accomplishments and that was well-written. The process was simple; I drafted a resume, sent it out, and responded to potential offers. I believe having Mr. West as a liaison was very beneficial to receiving internship offers in a timely manner. There was an interview for this internship, and I haven’t interviewed since joining the Army, so that experience will definitely help me with future interviews.
With the help of OWF I was able to land an internship with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and my internship with DHS is ongoing.
I have learned a lot at DHS about how intricate government agencies can be, and how there are many roles and opportunities that I would not have otherwise known about. It has given me some ideas of what types of positions I would like to apply for in the future.
Moving on to the next phase of my life has been challenging and rewarding, and I appreciate OWF, and AMSG, for helping me to succeed.