To celebrate Veterans Day, EM highlights former service members who have joined EM on their journey in civilian work-life.
Name and what you do at EM?
Jesseca Johnson, Department of Energy, Savannah River Site,
Office of Safeguards, Security, and Emergency Services; 2018 – current.
I serve as the program manager for Incidents of Security Concern, Operations Security, and Classified Matter Protection and Control as well as providing oversight for each program.
What branch did you serve in; when; where stationed? How many years of service?
I served on active duty in the U.S. Army for 20 years (1993–2013) and held a multitude of assignments with U.S. Army Forces Command, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and U.S. Army NATO, to include overseas assignments and deployments.
Most memorable event/moment during your service?
Throughout my 20-year career, there have been plenty of equally memorable events and moments, from breaking up bar fights in Germany, to interacting with local nationals in Afghanistan, to ensuring soldiers under my leadership returned to their families from deployments, to being named Instructor-, and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, to receiving the Order of the Marechaussee (recognizing exceptional dedication, competence and contribution to the Military Police Corps Regiment over an extended period of time).
How has your military service helped prepare you for the job you do in EM?
Joining the military at a young age laid the foundation for my professional career and life in general. My military background continues to be invaluable; while I’m no longer in law enforcement, I can still apply the military police motto, “Assist, Protect, and Defend” to my current duties as a security professional.
When did you begin working for EM and what got you interested in the cleanup mission?
After retirement, I took some time off and soon realized I was not ready to fully indulge in retired life. In 2015, I was employed as a contractor security specialist at the Savannah River Site and in 2018 an opportunity presented itself to join the DOE team.