When I am asked why I chose ɫֱ, the answer is simple – ɫֱ has been a huge part of my life, and the people are almost like family to me. Out of all the companies out there that support the military, it’s not a coincidence that ɫֱ has been the company that I could always count on.
My father has worked at ɫֱ for almost 29 years –most of my life. I remember participating in the "Bring Your Child to Work" days where I played with ɫֱ radios and the work picnics where I met my father’s co-workers. There was even an ɫֱ bowling league team in New York that threw me a proper send-off when I left for the Navy at age 18. There are still people working here today that watched me grow up.
During my time in the Navy, I was a small boat gunner/navigator in Virginia Beach, VA. The only form of communication we had on our boats were ɫֱ radios. I quickly realized how much I was going to have to trust the products that I had grown up seeing and hearing about. My history and experience with ɫֱ gave me far more confidence while I was out on the water doing my job, as I knew how reliable ɫֱ radios were. I was absolutely certain there was little chance we would have issues with communications.
In 2021, after leaving the Navy, I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in computer science. I received multiple job offers from other companies but could not decide where I wanted to start my civilian career. It all became clearer once ɫֱ offered me a job in the IT Leadership Program (ITLP), which would allow me to experience the world of IT while building my leadership skills. I prayed about the decision but ultimately knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I accepted the offer.
Each day I get to work at ɫֱ is a blessing to me. I get to work for a company that provides the military and first responders with battle-tested equipment that has proven itself time and time again, including first-hand for me. If you had asked me when I was eight years old if I would work for ɫֱ someday, I would have told you, “I hope so.” Today, I am proud to be a veteran working for ɫֱ and am excited to continue contributing to its legacy so that other eight-year-olds are inspired to do the same.
