Each month, we feature an employee and veteran who proudly served in the US Armed Forces and honor them by highlighting their service and subsequent employment with VMSI. Charles Owens, currently working as a PM Support Specialist and Team Lead on our NOAA contract, is the first employee chosen for VetSpot!
Name: Charles Owens
Rank: E6
Branch: US Navy
Years of Service: 20 years
Retired: 14 years
Awards/Medals: Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Sea Service
Charles has a robust family history of Armed Forces service. Ever diverse, his family has served across ALL the armed forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard! Charles’ sense of patriotism and pride compelled him to join the Navy, coupled with his desire to see the world. While in the service, he served as an Operation Specialist. In this field, he served as an Anti-Submarine/Anti-Surface Warfare Tactical Air Controller (ASTAC), where he controlled ship-launched helicopters to search for submarines and ships, as well as an ASW instructor and Military Police (MP). The highlight of his time in the service was traveling on mighty warships, seeing how everyone worked together to complete shared missions. Some of his best memories are of visiting the natural hot springs in Bepu, Japan, spending time in Jerusalem and Bethlehem while visiting Haifa, Israel, and seeing Venice while in Trieste, Italy.
Aside from the amazing travel opportunities, Charles really enjoyed his time in the Navy and learned some invaluable life lessons that he still uses to this day. Most prominently, there was the lesson about the very real existence of karma: What goes around, comes around. If you are mean to someone, it will come back around to you no matter what! If you are nice, it will come back to you as well. For Charles, his 20 years of service were some of the best years of his life, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
After retiring from the Navy, Charles used some very grounded steps to transition into the civilian workforce. His advice to recent retirees? Notably, to get a college degree, either before or right after retirement. The military provides the ability and finances to attend college – use it! Also, get organized prior to leaving. Make sure you have your information, names of people you know, medical and service records all together and organized, and ensure that this information is easy to locate when you need it. Although the military has tools a veteran can use once out, it is better to be prepared before leaving the service. Start networking for jobs prior to leaving the service. Keep in touch with people and companies you want to work for once out. Finally, Charles recommends making a solid plan, and sticking to it. It’s easy to get wrapped up in finally leaving the service, but if your work plan is an afterthought then time is not on your side.
Charles now shows the same level of commitment and dedication here at VMSI. He’s held a variety of positions including Data Analyst and Program Management Support Specialist, and most recently as Team Lead for VMSI Contractors working at NOAA. In these roles, he’s become adept at collecting and analyzing GSA contractual data, providing Tier 1/Tier 2 IT helpdesk support, preparing management reports, managing contract records, and onboarding personnel. He is an invaluable team player who is often cited by our customers for his hard work.
Charles sums up his Naval experience in a memorable quote by John F. Kennedy: “I can imagine a no more rewarding career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: I served in the United States Navy.” Thanks, Charles, for all you’ve done and all you continue to do for your country! We salute you!
You could be the next veteran featured in VetSpot, so check your email for an invitation from Paige Meade, Marketing and Proposal Director, and stay tuned!