Stories

The nonprofit job training program helps provide meaningful opportunities to veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses.

Bernadette Rhoades saw the world as an avionics technician and instructor in the U.S. Marine Corps, travelling to Australia and Japan. After nine years, though, she was ready to return to civilian life – albeit unsure how she’d transition her training and talents into a private-sector role.

Hiring Our Heroes quickly provided Rhoades with a solution. The nonprofit connects the military community – service members, military spouses and veterans – with American businesses for job training and other career opportunities.  Rhoades landed an internship with U.S. Bank to prepare to be a mainframe software engineer, allowing her to adapt her military skills to her new role through hands-on training. She also meets twice weekly with an assigned mentor, and weekly with a manager to discuss her growth and development plan.

“My experience has been amazing,” she said. “The instructors ensure we work with real-world applications and create programs we may encounter once we join our teams.”

One of the instructors on her mainframe software engineer program, who is also a veteran, even went a step further and helped connect Rhoades and her husband to several community programs in Milwaukee so they could feel more integrated into their new hometown. “He made my transition to civilian life much smoother,” she said.

Military Times this week named U.S. Bank one of its “Best for Vets” employers, an honor the company has received each year since 2010. One of the reasons cited by the publication is the strength of the company’s Proud to Serve employee-led group, which has more than 5,000 members across the company and helps to shape how U.S. Bank supports military and veteran employees, customers and community members. The group also provides input into the bank’s  specialized products and services for veteran and military customers as well as community initiatives to donate off-lease vehicles and mortgage-free homes to wounded veterans.

“We are passionate about hiring, developing and promoting veterans,” said Scott Lippert, U.S. Bank Executive Vice President for Payments Operations, leader of the company’s Proud to Serve Business Resource Group (BRG) and a third-generation U.S. Navy veteran. “Through the course of their military career, servicemen and women develop many in-demand and unique skills – leadership, problem solving and teamwork – and we all benefit from their experience and expertise.”

Frankie Kelley joined U.S. Bank through a virtual job fair hosted by Hiring Our Heroes. The Army Signal Support Communications Specialist completed two tours in Iraq, running cable and raising antennas to improve communication between operating bases. After shadowing other employees and training for several weeks, Kelley is now a gateway support technician with Elavon, a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bank.

“In this program, you feel like you are really a part of something special,” he said. “I feel like I am just beginning my next journey after the military, and I look forward to where I can grow from here.”

U.S. Bank is proud to serve those who served in our armed forces. Visit careers.usbank.com and enter your MOS (military occupation specialty code) into the search bar to explore open jobs that align with your skills.