Jimmy Hendrix is a Program Analyst at the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. He served in the Air Force.
November 6, 2018
minute read time
Service Branch: Air Force
Years of Service: 20+
Would you like to share any details of your military history, awards you may have received or other accomplishments?
I enlisted in the Air Force as a skinny kid from Alabama. Some truly great leaders guided me towards completing my college degree and pursuing Officer Training. So I did just that…finished my first degree, was accepted to Officer Training School, and served the rest of my career as a Logistics Officer. I served on multiple deployments and combat tours, to include the Balkans, Southeast and Southwest Asia, South America, Africa and many trips to the Middle East…including two tours in Afghanistan. All in all, I traveled through over 50 countries. One of my biggest honors is being awarded the Bronze Star for my work with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan…I can’t say much about that, except that all of the members of the Special Operations communities are my heroes. My biggest accomplishment is my family. I met my wife in California where we had our first child, our second child was born on the East Coast. We lived in Europe and have spent the last 12 years here in the DC area. We’ve been through a great many challenges, moves and family separations….but have supported each other through a long military career…now beyond.
Please take a moment to reflect on your thoughts when considering your service uniform. What does your service uniform represent to you?
I think of honor, tradition and core values. Most of the men in my family, and my mother as well, joined the military. My grandfathers were in World War II and the Korean War, my father and his brother were in Vietnam, my mom’s brother was in the first Gulf War. So my service to our country with integrity and honor is important to me. The Air Force Core Values are Integrity, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do. I still try to live by these values every day.
Teamwork is essential across many contexts in life. Please share how your service in the military cultivated an appreciation for the value of teamwork. Do you draw from these experiences, or what similarities exist, when working within teams at the DOE?
Teamwork…is not just a value… in the military it is an absolutely necessity. Everyone must be razor sharp and focused on the mission. Because, depending on your situation, lives can be at stake for decisions you make. Because of that, the bonds of camaraderie created in the military are unparalleled and can’t be duplicated. However, the mission here in the Department of Energy is easy to stand behind…from nuclear security to power grid infrastructures to the science of creating better, more effective and efficient ways of supplying energy to Americans. It takes a dedicated team to pull that off.
Military service can have a profound and lasting impact on those who serve. Your perspective is unique in having seen both the military and the civilian sides of service. What story could you share of service before self?
As I mentioned earlier, I still try to live by a set of values. Although my military career is over, I still feel a strong need to serve. As I was transitioning out of the Air Force, I was looking for a new challenge. I found it and was lucky enough to be hired into the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. I was compelled to apply to my current office because of its mission. Our Office advocates for the engagement of underserved communities by working with geographically and demographically diverse stakeholders to leverage synergies among Minority Serving Educational Institutions, Minority Business Enterprises and the energy sector workforce to promote economic vitality and diversity.
What inspired your interest in the agency, and how did your prior service prepare you to join the DOE’s workforce?
I was drawn to my office for the mission. My military experience, having worked on multiple Headquarters staffs, really created an easy transition. I was easily able to join the team and utilize my skillsets in logistics, human resource management and continuous process improvement to find ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the office.
Your talents contribute to an innovative and vibrant scientific ecosystem important for matters of national security, energy technologies, and economic prosperity. How does your role, whether directly or indirectly, allow the agency to continue push the frontiers of science?
As part of one big team, all DOE employees have important roles. I feel my role in the Department does not just push the frontiers of science, but helps level the playing field for under-represented American communities. And that’s a mission I am proud to be a part of.
