Bruce Block was at a crossroads in his life when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. By 1990, the Watseka, Ill., native had moved to Peoria to study electronics and technology at Illinois Central College. But he had few friends, worked several unsatisfying jobs and realized his life wasn’t progressing the way he wanted.

Meanwhile, his younger brother was enjoying an exciting Air Force career, traveling and learning a trade. “Through conversations with him, I could tell he was maturing and going in the direction that I wanted to,” Block says. “So I decided the military was a good choice for me.”

The former senior airman has no regrets now. In fact, the leadership skills and discipline he learned in the Air Force helped him chart a rewarding civilian path. Bruce, 36, is Chicago field operations manager for T-Mobile, one of the nation’s fastest-growing wireless service providers. With more than 15 million customers and 24,000 employees, T-Mobile pulled in $15 billion in 2004 and this year was ranked No. 1 in customer service by J.D. Powers and Associates. The company occupies a prominent place in American television for its commercials featuring Academy Award-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Block oversees the installation, repair and upkeep of 1,115 cellular towers that stretch from the Windy City to southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana. The Chicago market is one of T-Mobile’s top performers, generating millions of dollars in new business each year. Five junior supervisors, 29 field technicians and six contractors work under Block. The job is demanding. Block spends much of his time reviewing lengthy reports on the status of existing cell towers, newly added sites, towers that aren’t performing properly and the progress of repairs. 

“The biggest challenge of my job is managing ‘remote’ employees,” he says. “When you’re working with someone in an office, it’s easier to communicate your goals. When you work with people not attached to a laptop or computer all day long, you have to really keep people focused. But it’s a rewarding job because I can help people grow in their careers.”

From Air Traffic to Cellular Traffic
During his six-year military career, Block — an air traffic radar specialist — was stationed at several bases in California and Oklahoma. But by 1996, Block’s wife had given birth to their daughter, and the couple wanted to establish roots — not easy in any branch of the military.

Scouring job listings, Block spotted an ad for VoiceStream, which became T-Mobile in 2002. His research showed a new company with energy and promising technology, and Block applied. In November 1996, he signed on as a field technician in the company’s Tulsa, OK, market.

Rising quickly, he was promoted to field operations supervisor in Chicago in 1999 and tapped to launch that market. Block hired all the personnel, ordered all the training and test equipment and tools, and trained the supervisors and technicians. The hard work paid off, with millions of customers signing up for T-Mobile’s service. In 2001 Block was promoted to his current position.

“One thing I took from the military was a strong structure and the ability to develop efficient procedures and maintenance schedules for the company,” he says. “T-Mobile was growing so fast at the time that it lacked attention to detail in some areas. I like to think I brought that element to the table, thanks to what the Air Force taught me.”

How about a military-civilian salary comparison? Block says he made about the same when he joined T-Mobile, but promotions and bonuses have led to dramatic increases. “When you come into a company, it knows you have certain military skills it can use to form you into the kind of employee it needs,” Block says. “So you can’t expect top dollar right away. But if you work hard and apply yourself, very good things will come.”

 “Also, if you take advantage of the military’s educational opportunities, you can develop the traits to become very successful in the civilian world. The potential for advancement is so great. I started out on the bottom, and look where I’m at after only seven years.”

T-Mobile wants to bring on more veterans. Some 1,500 of its employees — including 31 directors and vice presidents — have been in the military. Recently, T-Mobile started a military recruitment initiative and wants to hire for sales and engineering.

“Veterans are valuable employees because they don’t have any misconceptions about an employer’s expectations,” Block says. “They’ve worked in demanding conditions and know that a mission must be completed. My main advice to people in the military is to use the service as an opportunity to grow. Get your degree. Build up a network of contacts. That will increase your success with a civilian company.”