Sal also cites critical leadership skills that help ensure veterans focus on organizational direction and development. Reflecting on the responsibilities he has had in public transportation, Sal notes that the military helped him grow from being a “young man at 19 years old to being a leader and commanding a platoon of 100 or more, working with colonels and high-level officers, and really thinking very strategically is what played a big role.” This mindset continues to guide him as he makes plans that impact AC Transit. “I need to be able to visualize the mission, communicate it effectively, know what success looks like, and hold myself accountable for getting there, and then have my team help me figure out the details,” he adds. Like Sal, Olivia emphasizes the ongoing impact of the skills gained in the military, including her time as a medic in the Texas National Guard, and their applicability throughout her transit career: “Transit grows you, and everything that you have learned in the military, from doing a push-up or buffing a floor to handling yourself in areas of conflict or difficult situations, all of those skills translate into skills in transit.” Beyond specific skills, Leesa notes that there is a tremendously valuable overarching skill developed, that you “train yourself to do things that you really didn’t think you were capable of.” 

Service to Colleagues, the Industry, and the Community

Lessons learned in the military about teamwork and supporting others continue to guide these veterans in their transit careers. When Alex was promoted to Outreach Coordinator at TWU, he built on his experience in the Marines, where he had the responsibility to provide people with information, guidance, and task readiness. Now he assists others in pursuing successful career pathways through union-sponsored training programs: “I recruit people for these programs. I help facilitate all the training. I help people with promotional opportunities and elevate their skills… It’s my passion,” he says. Olivia moved into railroad operations 13 years into her career, taking on various leadership roles and gaining broader and deeper managerial experience, eventually returning to the agency where she had started as a bus operator years before. She reflects, “One of the most awesome experiences I have had here at CapMetro is coming back to see the growth of the people that I had invested in and watching where they’re going now. I am grateful to be in a place where not only are people pouring into me, but I get the opportunity to pour into them.” Tim emphasizes the strong sense of camaraderie and community within his union, which he correlates with his experiences in the Marine Corps. Relating to his worker advocacy role, he says, “I don’t wear work boots to work anymore… but metaphorically speaking, I’m carrying work boots for everybody else. I’m bringing them with me, and I’m able to speak for them. And that to me made the transition a lot more meaningful and powerful, because it’s the responsibility that you have to be able to speak for them… for a collective voice.” 

That commitment to others directly connects to serving their communities, a commitment central to veterans’ motivation and career satisfaction, as they returned to communities of all types and sizes across the country. Though not a veteran herself, Dottie Watkins has observed this dedication among veterans throughout her 31 years in the transit industry, including in her current role as President and CEO of CapMetro, where she has worked with Olivia and many other veterans the agency has recruited. She has seen how veterans feel the pull to work in transit: “It’s that heart of service that makes public transit a great fit for veterans,” and it’s “a place where you can still feel like you are contributing.” In Iowa, Leesa felt drawn to the industry and recognized its importance to her rural community. “We help people in seven small counties. It just makes you feel good to know what we do every day… That’s what transit is all about, because we are helping people.” Sal started his transit career at LA Metro and then paused when he joined the Reserves after 9/11 and deployed on two combat tours in Iraq. After he returned home, he decided to focus on his career in public transportation, “because it does serve a community of people… that really depend on transit. We offer essential services that save lives, connect people to education, quality of life, and community engagement. I think that’s what attracts me to public transit, and why I’ve never left.”

From early in her career, Olivia recognized the direct connection between her military experiences and how she could assist community members in Austin, as well as in the other locations where she has worked throughout her career. “When I became a dispatcher, I used those skills, talking folks through a problem, providing them with information, being able to keep my communications efficient enough to let the person on the other end know that I understand what they’re saying, and getting them some help,” she reflects. Leesa notes that a connection to her community is one of the ways her goals in both her military and professional careers are quite similar. “It really doesn’t matter, big or small, we’re all providing the same type of service to those individuals that depend on us. Everybody wants to do something good in their community, and transit is definitely one of those things that is good,” she says. It is because of this type of commitment that Sal encourages the HR department at AC Transit to actively recruit veterans, “to seek out military candidates from the local reserve units, or go look for a base that has a transition department, or there’s a county VA offices that are there.” He and other veterans understand that those who have served are looking for ways to apply their talents and hard-earned skills to make a difference.

What the Industry Provides for Veterans

While veterans understand what they bring to transit and to their communities, they also cite how the industry has been and remains the best fit for them personally and professionally. Tim recognizes that his comfort level entering the transportation industry came from his upbringing and early proximity to it: “It was family. I’m third generation, and my son is a fourth-generation railroad worker, so that was part of the reason.” Olivia recalls that as a child in Texas, a bus operator from her neighborhood was a well-respected member of her community. “I wanted the image and respect that I felt like he received from the community,” she says. Alex was originally drawn to transit because he sought stability, so he started as a cleaner at MTA-NYCT, where he committed to the role for 12 years while his children were young. “The tour that I had as a cleaner helped me raise my kids. The minute they were grown, I said, ‘I’m going to school,’ and I did. …So, I did 12 years doing homework, studying on my own, and taking advantage of these benefits,” eventually becoming a certified electrician, which led to the technical and training work he does today in the union and the agency.