Jacksonville-based Operation New Uniform helps service members find new careers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Active-duty military and veterans are receiving help to transition into new careers.

A Jacksonville-based veteran service organization called Operation New Uniform held a graduation for students enrolled in their transition training program on Friday.

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Several years ago, Zachary Bischoff started his search for a new uniform.

“My wife is in a very intense medical program,” Bischoff said. “She is a medical student, and she is going to be traveling quite a bit and obviously the Navy has you travel quite a bit too.”

After serving 10 years in the Navy, he decided to change careers.

“We have two kids at home, and someone needs to be home to raise the family,” Bischoff said.

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Bischoff enrolled in Operation New Uniform’s transition training program.

“They have real connections, and real practices to help you get where you need to be,” Bischoff said.

Now he, along with a dozen other service members and veterans, graduated from the program.

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“So now I’m no longer Sergeant First Class Lee, I’m Mr. Lee now,” said Armon Lee, a veteran who graduated from the program.

The purpose of the organization is to empower veterans and military spouses to successfully transition from military service to a purposeful career.

“It’s amazing to see almost 600 people have gone through our program successfully,” said Michele McManamon, the CEO and Co-Founder of ONU. “We have a 97% success rate of them getting careers not jobs.”

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McManamon said the one common thing they see with graduates is their confidence level.

“These folks come out of the military, what we’ve seen is their confidence isn’t where we would be in the business community,” McManamon said. “We want them to be able to speak to that resume with their hearts and tell a business owner or a company that ‘This is why I may be a good fit for you.’”

Operation New Uniform was founded in 2014, and since they have had a total of 60 graduating classes.

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