Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton
Soldier still serves her country with Booz Allen Hamilton.
By Warren Duffie

Lee McMahon believes passionately in volunteerism. She worked at a crisis line for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, served meals in a soup kitchen and applied to teach English to people in French-speaking West Africa.

However, when McMahon joined the U.S. Army, she found perhaps the greatest opportunity for good: working as part of a team to help safeguard the freedoms and security of America.

“I had recently graduated from Penn State [with a journalism degree] and was trying to get into the Peace Corps to go to Africa,” McMahon said. “Then 9/11 hit. A few days later, I was bored at work and for some reason visited the GoArmy.com Web site. I decided to visit a recruiter. Right away, he made me feel like I could be part of a larger family and do some good for my country. Also, the idea of deploying around the world as a military photojournalist really appealed to me.”

On The Job
Today McMahon, 29, still works for “the Army team,” only as a civilian. A senior consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, she supports the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2).

“My job involves a wide range of activities,” said the former staff sergeant. “A big part of it is helping to tell the Wounded Warrior story to the public, military and government agencies.”

Her duties range from writing press releases and articles to editing newsletters to interviewing Soldiers for television and print stories.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work for the fifth anniversary of the Army Wounded Warriors Program [in April 2009],” she said. “During that time, I was lucky enough to run into two Soldiers that I actually profiled when I was in the Army. It was cool to see them again.”

The Company
Based in McLean, Va., Booz Allen Hamilton is a leading global consulting firm, with 20,000 employees on six continents and annual earnings of $4.2 billion. Booz Allen helps government and commercial clients solve their toughest problems in strategy, operations, organization and change, and IT.

Booz Allen Hamilton was 17th on the G.I. Jobs Top 50 Military-Friendly Employers^® List for 2008. Also ranked among the best companies to work for within its industry by Fortune and Washingtonian magazines, Booz Allen consistently meets the evolving demands of its employees. For example, its benefits include comprehensive health benefits, profit sharing and savings plans. Booz Allen also showcases a program to help employees maintain healthy professional and personal lives. It includes flexible work schedules, counseling, family and medical leave, and resources on volunteerism.

“I like that there’s a large population of military veterans within the company,” McMahon said. “Booz Allen has an Armed Services forum – I’m a member of it – that does a variety of volunteer work for the military, including creating and sending care packages overseas.”

In Uniform
McMahon was always fascinated by photojournalism. One of the first images to profoundly affect her was Steve McCurry’s famous National Geographic 1985 image “Afghan Girl.” In college, McMahon was exposed to the work of renowned war photographer James Nachtwey, sparking her interest in combat journalism.

“I also had a professor who believed strongly in community journalism,” McMahon said. “His teachings applied directly to the military because you eat, breathe and sleep among your fellow Soldiers while at the same time telling their stories.”

After public affairs and journalism training at Fort Meade, Md., McMahon shipped out to Heidelberg, Germany, where she served as a morning radio DJ and television news anchor. In November 2003, she deployed to Iraq, embedded with the 1st Armored Division. McMahon and her crew reported on everything from mortar attacks to the openings of smoothie bars, and helped send out holiday messages from Soldiers to their families.

“There was some fun stuff,” McMahon said. “One time, WWE [World Wrestling Entertainment] held a ‘SmackDown’ at Camp Victory. It was pretty cool seeing all the superstars interact with the troops.”

The Transition
In 2004, McMahon was sent to Washington, D.C., to help launch the Pentagon Channel. Over the next three years, she was a correspondent and news anchor. By the summer of 2007, McMahon felt she had accomplished all of her Army goals and left to challenge herself as a civilian.

While walking to lunch, McMahon was stopped by a man who thanked her for her service. He found out McMahon worked in public affairs and journalism, and invited her for a job interview with a company that served the national security needs of the U.S. government, selected foreign governments and international organizations, as well as the private sector.

It was fun work, and McMahon didn’t think she would leave for awhile. However, last year two former Army colleagues who worked for Booz Allen contacted McMahon, encouraging her to apply with the company.

“They said I would love it here, and they were right,” she said. “The pay and benefits are great. Booz Allen is also big on personal and professional development, and offers a variety of ways to help employees continue their educations. The company really invests in its employees.”

McMahon's Advice
Understand the enormity of your transition. “Leaving the military will be one of the hardest decisions you’ll make.”

Think hard before getting out. “Afterwards, give yourself time to adjust to civilian life. Don’t think it will happen immediately.”

Prepare for the financial cost. “I make more money now, but I was shocked when I had to make co-pays for health insurance. In the military, you’re taken care of and you receive cost of living and other allowances. Be ready for the sticker shock.”

Don’t underestimate your skills. “You might not think your military training is that big a deal, but civilian employers crave your experience, discipline and work ethic. Those will really set you apart.”