Transitions for our military community can be daunting with thoughts of learning new skills, adjusting to new positions, and the trepidation of adapting to the civilian workplace. These transitions are made easier with the assistance of military friendly employers, like U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hosting transitioning service-members in strictly non-law enforcement roles via the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Internship Program.
Lawrence Standifer Jr., a recent U.S. Air Force Retiree, experienced just such a seamless transition into his current role as Mission Support
Specialist within CBP’s National Recruitment Division (NRD) thanks directly to his exceptional DoD SkillBridge internship performance. CBP partners with the DoD SkillBridge Internship Program in providing transitioning service-members the opportunity to be considered for opportunities agency-wide that can lead to permanent CBP career employment. DoD SkillBridge internships are no-cost to CBP, and participants continue to receive their active-duty salary while participating in internships during their final 180, 120, and sometimes 90 days on active-duty.
CBP’s Veterans Employment Program Manager (VEPM), Jeff Jack, oversees the national placement of DoD SkillBridge interns into strictly non-law enforcement, mission support professions. SkillBridge cannot be used to staff frontline law-enforcement positions. The first step in Lawrence’s DoD SkillBridge success story was connecting with Mr. Jack who helped to identify the right DoD SkillBridge opportunity for his skillset. Lawrence had a handful of brief yet positive encounters with CBP throughout his military career and Mr. Jack, a veteran himself, was ready to help him navigate the path to another kind of service.
Standifer, born in Vicenza, Italy, grew up an Army brat in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with his late father serving in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. After graduating from high school in 1999, Standifer recalled, “I didn't have immediate career goals after high school, but my dad was like, ‘Hey, you better have a plan.” With his father's words in mind, he set his sights on a career in management, however after 2 years in college he decided to change course and enlist in the Air Force.
His new plan proved mighty successful as Standifer served in the Air Force’s Security Forces for more than 22 years, which he described as a hybrid between law enforcement and infantry. He served around the world to include South Korea, Qatar, Jordan, and Iraq, fulfilling roles from K-9 handler to instructor. At Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, while serving as an instructor, he met a couple of CBP officers who were attending the Security Forces Apprentice Course.
As luck would have it, one of his students was also interested in CBP and offered the name of his contact for veterans recruiting. Standifer then connected with the CBP/VEPM (Jeff Jack) on LinkedIn. “The more I worked with Mr. Jack to secure my next career, the more I felt he wanted me to succeed as much as I did. Even though I was in contact with other agencies, none put in that genuine effort like Jeff did. He shared personal information about his own journey and struggles with his military transition, which made it feel as though I wasn’t just a number to him or the agency. That commitment and welcoming feeling was the icing on the cake to really push me and make sure I landed where I was meant to be, CBP.”
His internship placed him in the National Recruitment Division (NRD) of CBP’s Office of Human Resources Management (HRM). Although human resources were not an area for which Standifer had much experience he was ready for yet another change in plans and a new challenge, “I was like, hey, let's go,” recalled Standifer. “With me and Jeff, that's kind of like been our catch phrase. Every time we're ready to embark on a new challenge in my DoD SkillBridge experience it’s like, ‘Hey, let's go’, through each step of the process.”
Lawrence began interning with the CBP’s NRD in January 2023, officially retired 1 June 2023, and was hired due to his SkillBridge participation in August 2023 as a Mission Support Specialist. Quite the success story indeed. Standifer reflected that in the military, not everyone joins to be a recruiter, but many are inspired to rise to recruitment roles later in their careers. With his recognized people skills and desire to take a direct role in CBP recruitment, Standifer has a new plan in place and he’s excited to see where his time with CBP will lead.
“I was not trying to find a job. I was trying to find a whole new career, and I found that with CBP,” said Standifer. "It was easy to transition into CBP because I am still serving, just in a different capacity.” His advice to transitioning veterans is to start early, get a plan, and take advantage of the services geared towards them. He encourages those he encounters to participate in the DOD Skillbridge program and “if you want to see your post-military transition take off”, advises Standifer to his fellow transitioning service-members, “get with Jeff Jack, CBP’s VEPM, and ‘let’s go’ toward the federal career meant for you!
Learn about CBP’s hiring paths for veterans, read the success stories of other veterans, and connect to a recruiter at our Veterans careers page.