AWS Public Sector Blog

AWS celebrates Military Appreciation Month

May is Military Appreciation Month, providing an opportunity to recognize and show our appreciation for the US armed services and the important role they play in protecting and preserving our national security. The month includes celebrations and moments to recognize those in and out of uniform, as well as those that have and continue to serve. On Memorial Day, we remember those who sacrificed in service to our country. We also recognize the contributions of military spouses during Military Spouse Appreciation Day and celebrate the unification of our armed forces under the Department of Defense (DoD) on Armed Forces Day.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is committed to supporting our veterans, active duty military, and military spouses. As we begin Military Appreciation Month, we are sharing progress made on our programs and efforts to support the military community.

Training transitioning veterans and military spouses for technical careers

At AWS, we’ve developed a number of programs focused on engaging the military community, helping them develop valuable AWS technical skills and aiding transitioning veterans and military spouses to begin their journey to the cloud.

In February, AWS announced that it made its 1,000th hire through the Amazon Technical Apprenticeship program, which helps military veterans and their spouses transition into technical careers in cloud computing. Since the program started as a pilot in 2017, it has had a 90% completion rate for all apprentices in instructor-led trainings. The program does not require candidates to have previous technical experience. It provides successful applicants with the opportunity to get paid while learning and training on the job, for up to 18 months. Candidates have an opportunity to participate in a range of apprenticeship roles, including solutions architect, software development engineer, and cloud support associate.

Last year, AWS launched a new technical training program as a part of the Amazon Technical Apprenticeship program and Amazon Military Skillbridge. As an approved DoD Skillbridge provider, Amazon provides service members that are nearing a transition into civilian life with fellowship and apprenticeship opportunities in a variety of Amazon roles. Under Amazon Military Skillbridge, AWS started a technical training program that is powered by AWS Training and Certification at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. What started as a virtual program has evolved into a 16-week hybrid training program for AWS and Amazon tech roles and apprenticeships. Officially titled CloudBridge, we are building off the initial success with Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and are launching a second training program on Joint Base Myers Henderson-Hall in Virginia in June 2022. To date, two cohorts of students have successfully completed the training.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Amazon Technical Apprenticeship program, visit the program website for more information. To learn more about Amazon Military Skillbridge, visit the Amazon Military Fellowships website.

Advancing on our hiring commitment

In 2021, Amazon pledged to hire over 100,000 US veterans and military spouses by 2024, building on its commitment to military families after far exceeding its pledge to hire 25,000 by 2021. Amazon currently employs more than 45,000 veterans and military spouses across multiple businesses, including operations, sustainability, Alexa, and AWS. We understand that many qualities that are foundational to military service align with our culture and Leadership Principles.

The AWS Intelligence Initiative Team is hiring cleared engineers to help US government agencies implement innovative cloud computing solutions and solve technical problems. Successful engineering applicants will undergo an intensive 9-12-month development program to learn about operational culture, enhance their technical skills through a hands-on curriculum, complete rotations with engineering teams, receive dedicated mentorship and support from the program’s alumni, all while maintaining a US government security clearance. Upon graduation from our program, engineers have the foundational skills and knowledge needed to excel at AWS and to help support US government customers.

Connecting with active duty service members

The Amazon BRIDGE program, which stands for “Broadening Research and Innovation for Defense and Government Employees,” is focused on sharing Amazon’s industry best practices and business processes with the military, national security, and federal government communities to enable them to modernize and keep the US safe. The largest part of the program is our fellowship program. For anywhere from one week to one year, service members and government employees get the opportunity to work at Amazon on a team. They learn best practices from us, then return to their military or government career with skills and resources to bring about organizational transformation and innovation.

Over the past year, AWS has placed 18 service member fellows within a broad range of AWS teams – from AWS Disaster Response to AWS Sustainability to AWS for Aerospace and Satellite.

Supporting our military–off-duty and on

At the end of 2021, AWS selected Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS) as a winner of the 2021 AWS Imagine Grant. This grant program provides vital resources to nonprofit organizations looking to deploy cloud technology as a central tool to achieve their mission goals. Founded by three US Army veterans, Stop Solider Suicide has developed and deployed a program service model to provide consistent, confidential, and trauma-informed care to US veterans and service members at highest risk for suicide. The AWS Imagine Grant is now supporting Stop Solider Suicide’s mission and helping achieve its goal to reduce the military suicide rate by 40% by 2030.

To support military and veteran families with loved ones that are receiving treatment or care away from home, Fisher House Foundation has built a network of 92 comfort homes located at major military and VA medical centers across the country. Families can stay at no cost, allowing them to focus on supporting and caring for their loved ones. AWS supported the recent construction of the Lexington Fisher House, which is located on the grounds of a Veterans Affairs medical center in Kentucky, started at the Sousley Campus of the Lexington VA Health Care System.

Learn more

As we head into Military Appreciation Month, we encourage you to learn more about AWS’s military commitment. For interested veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members, read more about Amazon’s military fellowship and apprenticeship programs and find information about current openings.

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