Ohio Confidential
Iraq vet handles sensitive documents for Cintas Corporation.
By Warren Duffie 

Andrew Amos’ combat tours in Iraq taught him the importance of keeping cool under fire – a skill that makes him a pillar of strength as a civilian.

Amos’ company offers clients an emergency service by which they can have sensitive documents delivered to them or picked up and stored within an hour. Sometimes Amos receives up to five requests at once. As the clock ticks – and customers become more demanding about their requests – he must find the fastest routes throughout Columbus, Ohio, to get his drivers to their destinations in the allotted time. It can be a pressure cooker.

“Those times are stressful, but my philosophy is to not lose my head when everyone else is,” said the former Army staff sergeant, 30. “No one is shooting at you and nothing is on fire. Just take a deep breath and get the job done. I try to remember that people are looking to me to think rationally and calmly.”

On the Job
The Army veteran’s ability to stay relaxed allowed him to make a successful transition from the battlefield to the corporate world. Amos is a service supervisor with Cintas Corporation’s document management division, which comprises two areas: the shredding and destruction of documents and the storage of confidential materials.

Based in Columbus, Amos, works on the storage end. He oversees eight drivers in two warehouse locations, each with a massive storage vault.

“We serve a total of 330 clients,” Amos said. “We store a lot of confidential materials for law firms, doctors’ offices, hospitals and insurance companies.

In Uniform
During the summer of 2001, Amos was taking classes at Ohio’s Tiffin University but was bored, restless and needed “a kick in the ass.” A month before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he was slogging through boot camp at Fort Sill, Okla.

Afterward, he stayed at Fort Sill to complete training as a forward observer. He served several tours in Iraq, the last as part of a military transition team tasked with training local Iraqi forces.

The Transition
When Amos returned to Colorado’s Fort Carson in late 2008, he faced a hard choice. He was eligible for a promotion to sergeant first class (E-7). With nearly eight years in the Army, attaining this rank signified a commitment to making the military his career.

“I loved the Army, but I didn’t know if I wanted to do 20 years,” he said. “Plus, I was tired. I had spent 27 of the previous 36 months in combat. If I stayed in, I was looking at another deployment very soon. So I decided to get out.”

Amos took several transition classes and made good use of the 134 days of leave he had accrued.

“That break was really important,” he said. “It allowed me to recharge, move back to Ohio, enroll in some college classes and take my time finding a job.”

Amos read several issues of G.I. Jobs. He was impressed that Cintas’ name was so prominent. He visited the company’s website and posted his résumé. Two weeks later, a recruiter called him and described the types of jobs available, including the Ohio service supervisor’s position. He applied and was hired after a couple of interviews.

“Although my transition was pretty easy, I had to adjust my management style from the Army,” he said. “I can’t bark orders as much. Also, each of my employees has a different motivation level, so I have to be a bit of a psychologist. In the military, you just tell people what to do and they do it.

Amos’ Advice
Save as much leave as possible. “It will come in handy when you get out, that way you won’t have to rush and take a job you don’t want.”

Keep ahead of paperwork. “File your claims for VA and GI Bill benefits early. There sometimes is a backlog.”

Use your benefits. “The new GI Bill is awesome. It would be foolish not to use it for your future.” 

What Amos Likes Aabout His Job
My management team. They rival some of the best military teams I saw.

The freedom. I’m not micromanaged.

There are other military veterans at my job. Sometimes, I’ll accidentally drop a military acronym and it’s nice there are people who understand it.

How’d You Get That Job?
Amos took several transition classes and made good use of the 134 days of leave he had accrued. Though he left the Army in May 2009, his official discharge date was last September. 

“That break was really important,” he said. “It allowed me to recharge, move back to Ohio, enroll in some college classes and take my time finding a job. It was nice to enjoy a slower pace while still getting paid.” 

In addition to taking transition classes, Amos read through several issues of G.I. Jobs. He was impressed that Cintas’ name kept appearing as a Military Friendly Employer. He visited the company’s website and posted his résumé. Two weeks later, a recruiter called him and described the types of jobs available, including the Ohio service supervisor’s position. It was a perfect fit for Amos, who didn’t want to sit in a cubicle for eight hours a day. He applied and was hired after a couple of interviews. 

Did you know?
Cintas is a G.I. Jobs 2010 Top 100 Military Friendly Employer. The company is best known for uniform services, but it also provides services for first aid and safety products, fire protection services, document management services, restroom supplies, entrance mats, and promotional products for roughly 700,000 customers.