In fall 1997, after finishing my tour in the Marine Corps, I moved back home to Virginia to look for a new career. I wasn’t finding any work and I was missing my girlfriend back in California. I decided to borrow money from my parents to fly back to Los Angeles to visit my girlfriend and to look for employment there.
I bought a one-way ticket on Southwest Airlines (because they were the cheapest) from BWI to LAX, and I had a layover at HOU. While in HOU, I noticed there were job applications at the Customer Service counter. I had a long layover, so I took an application and began to fill it out in the terminal. I finished the application while on the plane and turned it in once I landed in Los Angeles.
Months had passed and after almost forgetting about the application I submitted the previous summer, I received a call from a Southwest Recruiter asking if I was still interested in their Company. Of course my answer was yes. Southwest originally hired me as an Operations Agent, but I was asked to join the Cargo Team. I immediately found myself at ease in my new surroundings. The atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Everyone was helpful and encouraged you to think outside the box and find what works best for you. This was completely different from the structure I had been accustomed to. Over the first couple of years I became more comfortable in my position and after exploring a new challenge, I was promoted as a Cargo Supervisor in 2001. Ten years have passed and I still have as much FUN as I did as a new hire. I enjoy the challenge of moving “a sea of freight” day in and day out at the LAX Cargo Facility. I could not do any of this without the Agents processing and loading the freight, my fellow Supervisors assisting me in the daily operation, and the best Freight Coordinator the Ramp has ever seen. Our Management Team is innovative and leads the way. It is truly a joint effort and I’m honored to be a part of such a special Team. I have seen the growth of Cargo over the years and I’m proud to be a part of a department that receives multiple awards for excellence in air cargo service.
While working at Southwest, my most memorable moment is earning an opportunity to “Play Ball with Nolan Ryan” and enjoying a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame. There aren't many people that can say they have batted 3 for 3 with 4 RBI off the Ryan Express.
And, I enjoy the travel benefits Southwest Airlines offers Employees. My favorite thing to do is take my daughter on trips to places she recently learned about in school. In a nut shell, I owe everything I have to Southwest Airlines. To think, if I didn’t take that Southwest flight 13 years ago, I would not have the career that I do now. By the way, the girlfriend I was visiting is now my wife.