Staff Sgt. Andrew McElroy Jr.<\/a> was serving as a tracked-vehicle Mechanic\/Instructor in the Advanced Leaders\u2019 Course at Fort Hood in the summer of 2011 when he was severely injured in a fall.<\/p>\n\u201cI was up on top of an M88 Recovery Vehicle and was pulling a tarp over it because it was starting to rain,\u201d said McElroy. \u201cA strong gust of wind caught the tarp and caused me to lose my balance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The fall resulted in three injured disks in Sgt. McElroy\u2019s back as well as a broken wrist.\u00a0 These injuries meant McElroy could no longer continue serving in his current Military Occupational Specialty or MOS.<\/p>\n
Fortunately for McElroy, while being stationed at Fort Hood in the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU), he discovered a program, known as Operation Warfighter (OWF) that provides wounded with an opportunity to try new career fields.<\/p>\n
Today, McElroy can be found at the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s world headquarters in Dallas, Tex. As a member of the Human Resources department, he reviews resumes and pre-screens potential hires.<\/p>\n
Andrew McElroy is just one example of how the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is actively supporting wounded and injured warriors through the OWF program.\u00a0 A total of 11 Operation Warfighter\u2019s have worked at various Exchange locations including Ft. Hood, Waco Distribution Center, Ft. Carson and Exchange HQ\u2019s.<\/p>\n
John Perry, a recruiting specialist at the Exchange, explains the program this way:\u00a0 \u201cWe work with the WTU to find troops who are interested in participating in an internship.\u00a0 It\u2019s a win-win arrangement because the employer benefits from having an experienced service member on our staff, and the service member gets to try out life in a corporate environment.\u00a0 The Exchange is a $10 billion a year operation, so there are lots of opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
McElroy feels the initiative is a big benefit for him and gotten him closer to his family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis program has been a fabulous opportunity for me to feel productive again, and to be closer to my family.\u00a0 My \u2018Home of Record\u2019 is Cedar Hill, Tex. so being stationed in Dallas is a dream come true.\u00a0 I work half the day at the Exchange and the other half at the Joint Reserve Center in Grand Prairie.\u201d<\/p>\n
And the job itself has taught McElroy a lot about the hiring process.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first came here, I thought I knew how to write a resume and what would look good to an employer. But now, having read hundreds of resumes, I see what is powerful and works, and what does not work.\u00a0 So I\u2019m tweaking my own resume, accordingly.<\/p>\n
So what\u2019s next for McElroy?<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I can\u2019t go back to my old job because my wrist and back injuries prevent me from turning wrenches or lifting heavy objects,\u201d said McElroy. \u201cBut the skills I\u2019ve learned here at the Exchange have opened up new horizons for me to pursue after my medical board is complete.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perry encourages service members who are interested in learning about the internship opportunities to contact their WTU commander or first sergeant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a really fantastic program,\u201d said Perry. \u201cStaff Sgt. McElroy does super work for us every day.\u00a0 He is particularly adept at translating military jargon and backgrounds into terms we can all understand to assess a potential applicant\u2019s supervisory or leadership ability. We have also had interns work at our distribution center in Waco which is only about an hour from Ft. Hood, and in Kaiserslautern, Germany. So I would encourage our wounded warriors to contact their leaders and give this program a try. They might just find the career of a lifetime with the Exchange.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0-30-<\/p>\n
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is a joint non-appropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors which is responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force through the Service Chiefs of Staff.\u00a0 The Exchange has the dual mission of providing authorized patrons with quality merchandise and services at competitively low prices and generating non-appropriated fund earnings as a supplemental source of funding for military morale, welfare and recreation programs. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at http:\/\/www.shopmyexchange.com.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Media Notes:<\/p>\n
For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact LTC Thomas Shrader, (214) 312-2753 or shraderte@aafes.com.<\/p>\n\t
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