Ozzy’s graduation from the academy solidified his commitment to the military. Shortly thereafter he joined the Marine Corp. As a Marine, Ozzy’s responsibilities included everything from a squad leader to an ammo man. He achieved the rank of Lance Corporal as an Infantry Mortarman, MOS 341, when he separated in November of 2010.
As with many Veterans he didn’t have a career path the way most college graduates do. Ozzy resumed working at his uncle’s tree service business, where he worked while growing up. It was a position he was familiar with and trained for, but he wanted more. Enter Salute. While working for his Uncle, Ozzy came to know Salute through a close family friend, a Marine himself, who was always rooting for him to succeed. “Keep on pushing,” and “Don’t give up,” he repeated to Ozzy over and again. The gentleman noticed the Salute team at a project site and approached the Project Manager because he was dressed in “8 pt cover” and wore military style boots. He inquired about his mission and requested a business card. He knew that this would be a perfect opportunity for Ozzy.
In late 2014, Ozzy’s journey began. He made the first phone call, met with Salute, and began to work with the team. Bringing only his military precision and discipline, he transitioned on to a team that performed audio and visual testing in conference rooms and learned the process “hands on.” The client embraced Ozzy’s veteran status, and was in no way concerned by his lack of knowledge. It was an easy transition as was each of his next assignments.
He was promoted to work at O’Hare airport doing fiber optic work, labeling, testing and installation. After about five months in that role he was handpicked to help launch Salute’s new Remote Hands team. A position where a technician is on hand to handle any needs that arise in the data center. Since then, Ozzy has not only continued to help the team in Portland, he has also worked with one of our largest clients on their cable installation of fiber, copper, etc. Fiber optics is a favorite area of his. “I like the installation and putting things together,” he commented.
In speaking with Ozzy it was easy to see why he is successful. He believes that to succeed you need to “enjoy yourself” and “put everything you have in to the mission”. His positive attitude, work ethic, and military discipline is enhanced by a work environment that supports and encourages veterans to advance.
Ozzy’s future promises to be a bright one. His goal is to continue to grow in the data center space with a focus on more of the technical side, fiber optics. Ozzy plans to continue to gain data center knowledge, study for certifications and eventually become an engineer. “I’ve gained so much knowledge though my time with Salute and I believe I now have a pretty good resume solidifying my work.”