We are delighted to welcome another SkillBridge intern to the MIssion Wisconsin family: Jack Warren. We are excited to have Jack on board and even more excited to welcome him back home to the Great State of Wisconsin.

We asked Jack to share a bit about himself, his service and why he choose the SkillBridge program. He also offers advice for other transitioning military personnel.

Jack’s story

I am currently serving as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force in a Ground Transportation role. I am originally from South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and enlisted at the age of 17. I will have served six years total when I officially separate. I ended up joining because my brother was in the Air Force, and I didn’t want to go to college right away. My job in the military involves operating heavy equipment, logistics planning, the organization of moving cargo and people, and anything the Air Force needs transported.

I was also afforded the opportunity to do Base Honor Guard twice, which involves honoring fallen veterans and performing military funeral honors, which was the most rewarding thing I have ever gotten to do. I would recommend the military to anyone as it took me all over between TDYs and deployments, along with meeting lifelong friends. Although it was good, I made the choice to come back to the great state of Wisconsin.

I was afforded the opportunity to do a SkillBridge program, which allows you to transition early and work with a host company as an internship. In my opinion, this is the best-kept secret the military has to offer. What attracted me to it was that it allowed you to separate early and gain valuable skills as a civilian. I chose Mission Wisconsin as my host company because of the freedom and support it gave me. Steve seemed like a very energetic, enthusiastic and driven person. He supports veterans and connects people with jobs in Wisconsin, which was important to me while searching for a career. I hope to gain knowledge, skills, and connections from Skillbridge so that my transition is seamless.

I also have some advice I would offer to transitioning service members regarding civilian life. The most important aspect would be to make use of all of the services, information, programs and resources available to us as military personnel. A lot of us take that for granted and end up waiting to use them, like I did. I would recommend finishing college while in the military and obtaining certifications that are transferable to the civilian world.