Airman for Life: USAFA Alumni Transition Center Seeks Volunteers

Air Force Association member and 2006 U.S. Air Force Academy alumna Liz McLean is putting out a call for individuals and organizations to get involved with the USAFA Association of Graduates’ AOG Transition Center.

Rather than being a jobs board or matchmaking service between Academy graduates and specific companies, the center—which launched last September—is a centralized resource to help these Airmen discern the best careers for them.

“The concept is it’s a one-stop shop, and it’s for people that are getting out [of the military] or making the transition between their civilian careers that are looking for everything from sources to specific career links to mentorship to networking help, all in one location,” she told Air Force Magazine in a recent interview.

Mentorship is one of the most important pieces, so Northrop Grumman sponsored a mentorship platform … [so graduates can get] a mentor in industry.

2006 U.S. Air Force Academy alumna Liz McLean

The center’s website—located at www.usafa.org/CareerCenter—says its current support-service offerings include resources related to education, employment, self-employment, resume support, mentorship, and transitioning from military aviation to commercial aviation.

“Mentorship is one of the most important pieces, so Northrop Grumman sponsored a mentorship platform by Veterati that allows graduates the ability to be partnered with a mentor in industry, and help to figure out and talk through what they ideally would like to do in their next chapter,” McLean said.

USAFA alumni who’ve successfully transitioned out of the military and into civilian careers are needed to serve as mentors, she noted. Interested individuals can visit the AOG’s Veterati page at www.veterati.com/AOG/ to sign up.

In the longer term, the center plans to also offer support resources specifically designed for female graduates, Reserve and Guard Airmen, and military spouses. It also hopes to create a forum for general officers and senior leaders.

According to McLean, current corporate partners include:

• BRKT
• Military.com
• Milkeep
• Northrop Grumman
• Orion International
• Southwest Airlines
• USAA
• Veterati

The center is on the hunt for an organization to partner with for its military spouse program, which will support USAFA alumni’s partners.

“Right now the problem is, you can’t pick a job for a spouse,” she said, noting that these individuals “are people themselves with incredible backgrounds [and] diversity.” One major goal of the spouse program will be to equip spouses with “relocatable and … transferable skills,” she said.

Interested parties should reach out directly to Corrie Grubbs at corrie.grubbs@aogusafa.org, McLean said.