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| Dressed for Success: MITRE Volunteers Outfit Veterans for New Civilian Careers February 2006
The Army was Staff Sgt. Hilbert Caesar's life, but in April 2004 a roadside bomb in Iraq changed everything. Caesar lost his right leg in an insurgent attack, and returned to Walter Reed Army Medical Center knowing his military career was over. After nine months in the hospital, the former soldier was ready to take on the challenge of a new career. Thanks to help from Suits for Vets, a small but growing volunteer organization formed by a MITRE employee late last year, Caesar was outfitted with professional attire for his new position as a contract specialist in the Office of Acquisition Operations Services at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. The Suits for Vets effort was launched at MITRE by the late Dr. Bob Shepherd, Director of Information Systems Engineering at the Center for Enterprise Modernization (CEM), in response to a request for help from Jeannie Lehowicz, a longtime friend and neighbor who works with wounded veterans at Walter Reed and Bethesda Medical Centers. Bob collected financial donations from colleagues at MITRE to subsidize the purchase of suits, shirts, ties and accessories for wounded former soldiers who have left active military service and are starting new careers. Today the program is continuing with volunteer support led by Rick Micker, Tom Tierney, and Theda Parrish, all from CEM. To date, Suits for Vets has raised more than $3,500 to purchase business attire for nine veterans. These veterans are often very young and do not have the experience, skills, or financial means to make the transition to the business world without help and advice, explains the trio. Obtaining the right clothing to wear to job interviews is just one step in that transition process, but it's a critical one, they note. "These soldiers deserve so much. They need a chance to show what they can do once they leave the military," Parrish says. "Some of these kids have never had clothes this nice," says Lehowicz, adding that all of the clothing so far has come from the Jos. A. Bank men's clothing chain, where she was able to negotiate a steep discount. Even the salespeople were willing to pitch in, Lehowicz adds, with some forfeiting their own sales commissions on the suits to provide additional accessories such as shoes and ties to veterans. Today Suits for Vets is seeking to expand, with an effort underway for the group to include other clothiers (for both men and women veterans). Tierney says the group's organizers would also like to initiate a career mentoring program at MITRE for wounded veterans. "We'd like to give them exposure to new technologies and help them develop other skills that are critical for today's job seekers," Tierney says. Micker agrees: "Buying someone a suit is a one-time thing—teaching them how to interview for jobs and mentoring is the long-term goal," he notes. Suits for Vets' organizers look forward to helping many more veterans make successful transitions into the professional world. "The need continues to grow with more and more wounded soldiers coming home," Parrish says. For Caesar, his new attire helped him move into a rewarding job and has helped smooth his transition from the military back into the civilian world. "It's been excellent," Caesar says of his new job at the VA, which he started as an intern in November 2004, advancing into a regular full-time position this past March. —by Maria Lee
Page last updated: February 2, 2006 | Top of page |
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