To ensure that veterans have opportunities to enter high-demand career fields, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) leverages apprenticeship programs. USDA recently strengthened its Commodity Food Grader's Apprenticeship Program by expanding its scope from regional to national. As a result, transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses from across the country can now participate.

In the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crops Program (AMS-SCP), apprentices are hired and trained to inspect fresh and processed products for quality and condition in various settings. This one-year program currently has two veterans undergoing Agricultural Commodity Grader (ACG) apprenticeships.

Former Army aviation operations specialist and current apprentice Salvador Cruz inspects the powdered orange juice the U.S. military consumes in deployed locations. In fact, USDA agricultural commodity graders are responsible for inspecting all operational rations produced in facilities around the country prior to shipment to ensure they meet the Department of Defense specifications.

Ben Swanson is another apprentice who previously served in the Air Force in Qatar. At that time, he checked items of another kind. "I was an ammunition specialist that inspected bullets, bombs and missiles," he said. "The technical orders we had then are similar in concept to the technical grading specifications we use now for food."

Although veterans are encouraged by a variety of post-service federal benefits like the AMS-SCP, sometimes the process is not seamless in using them. Current AMS Outreach Coordinator Peter Scarabelli served in Bosnia and the Gulf War in the Navy prior to joining USDA. He was having a difficult time getting the Veterans Affairs (VA) housing stipend activated right away for his two apprentices until he turned to USDA Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison Monshi "Ram" Ramdass, who leveraged his existing partnerships with the VA to expedite the approval process. A housing stipend delay can mean the difference of up to $8,000, depending on locality. "Without this apprenticeship program and housing stipend, I don't know if I would have been able to take that leap," said Swanson.

After Swanson and Cruz finish their apprenticeships, they will have opportunities for upward mobility with USDA. "Even though we are out of the military, we are still keeping our country safe, and that's important to me," said Cruz.

For more information about USDA opportunities available to veterans, their spouses, and transitioning service members, visit www.usda.gov/veterans.