Saluting our Veteran V Teamers.

As we celebrate Nov 11 as Veterans Day in the U.S., and Remembrance Day internationally, we appreciate our veterans around the world for their service and sacrifice. More than 10,000 military veterans, reservists and guard personnel, and military spouses are currently on the V Team and we thank you for making Verizon stronger and serving our customers.

Lets meet a few of our veteran V Teamers to learn more about their personal story and why having them on our team makes us better.

Meet these Veteran V Teamers.

Moises Balbuena, U.S. Army, 7 years, Texas National Guard. Deployed to Iraq. V Teamer, 5 years, Marketing Consultant.

• On his military experience: “My experience showed me to trust my fellow comrades and to test yourself with everything you’ve been trained to do. You realize how important family and friends are and also the people you are serving with, because you have to make sure you have their back.”
• On Verizon: “When I look at the Credo, the values such as integrity, respect and the line ‘we run to a crisis, not away’, so much of it is aligned with the soldier’s credo. I really value the fact that Verizon has that same mission statement that we strive for every day.”

Jessica Echerd, Marine Corps, 4 years, supply logistics and operations, deployed to Iraq. V Teamer, 5 years, Service Coordinator.

• On her military experience: “I volunteered to be part of the Lioness program, an all-female unit from different military branches. Our role was to inspect females coming into the border, which was against their culture for men to do. We were at the Syrian border which was a great experience to learn the culture and see the trust they had in us.”
• On Verizon: “I currently handle escalations. ‘Adapt and overcome’ was a motto we had in the military which applies to this job as well. If a customer has an issue, we find a way to resolve it. Also, my experiences in the military helped me truly understand how to respect other cultures and better interact with my peers and customers.”

Kevin Knezevic, U.S. Navy, 9 years, Information Systems Technician, deployed to the USS Blue Ridge in Japan, Pearl Harbor. V Teamer, 5 years, Sales Representative.

• On his experience in the military: “Being stationed off the coast of Japan we visited many countries and I was able to interact with the different cultures and provide support to the local communities to improve the local infrastructure and quality of life. We visited orphanages and helped in any way we could.”
• On Verizon: “My military experience prepared me to tackle any challenge to the best of my ability. It also helps me interact with customers from different cultures who have difficulty communicating. I am proud to be from a long line of military service men and women going back to WWII, and on Veterans Day always take time to visit Veterans Affairs and American Veterans (AMVET) to honor my fellow vets.”

Josh Sahler, U.S. Navy, 7 years, Operations Specialist, deployed to the Persian Gulf. V Teamer, 17 years, Sr. Manager FiOS Solutions Center.

• On his military experience: “I worked in the combat information center, the brains of the ship, which does all the navigation and tactical decision-making. We communicated with other ships to support the mission. I advanced through the ranks with support from fellow members along the way.”
• On Verizon: “Through the military, my ability to relocate, time management, and deal with different cultures, helped me grow my career. I’ve also supported our military recruiting efforts at career fairs and participated in a mentorship program helping vets transitioning out of the military.”