SAN DIEGO, California –
Armando “Bud” Budomo dedicated 21 years of his life to serving his country. The decision to retire from the United States Marine Corps was not one taken lightly, without thought to the future. After careful consideration, the newly retired major made the decision to apply to the Department of Defense Operation Warfighter program, with the goal of gaining experience to find a permanent home in the Department of Defense civilian workforce.
The OWF program is a Federal internship program established by DoD in 2006. The program calls on Federal agencies to identify temporary assignments and opportunities for service members. The goal of the program is to match service members with opportunities that utilize both their military and non-military skills, thereby creating productive assignments that are beneficial to both the service member and the employer. The program represents an opportunity to facilitate service members' development and employment readiness by providing assistance with resume building, exploring employment interests and developing job skills through internship opportunities.
OWF participants are placed in host offices and assigned a supervisor and a mentor. Based on the participant's interests and the needs of the host office, service members may take training to further enhance their skills and to learn new skills. OWF strives to demonstrate to participants that skills obtained in the military are transferable into civilian employment.
Budomo was selected for the one-year internship program at Defense Logistics Agency Distribution San Diego, Calif. He spent his time learning the ins and outs of DLA Distribution, as well as studying and developing a balanced score card system for the enterprise.
“Operation Warfighter helped minimize my stress about transitioning out of the service. It was sad leaving the Marine Corps ranks,” said Budomo, “but joining DLA Distribution immediately filled that void.”
Budomo expressed that the opportunity to be able to work alongside DLA Distribution San Diego employees was his favorite part of the program. “The men and women of DLA Distribution are true professionals.”
After completing his one-year internship, Budomo was offered full-time employment as a facilities manager at DLA Distribution San Diego. His time in his internship, followed by his permanent hiring has allowed him to gain more knowledge and understanding in his field of expertise.
“I feel great now that I am a member of this awesome institution,” said Budomo. “I’d like to personally thank Mark Patzman, the deputy commander of DLA Distribution San Diego, who allowed me to participate in the Operation Warfighter internship program, and who welcomed me as part of the DLA Distribution San Diego team.”