Back to List

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shirley Freyer
Concordia Lutheran Ministries
Tel: 1-724-352-1571 x8266
sfreyer@concordialm.org

Concordia Employee Balances Work, Family...Military

Cabot, PA – For many of us, life can be like walking a tightrope – it’s all about balance. Balancing work commitments, school commitments, family commitments, and social commitments can often make our calendars desperate for some white space.

Now imagine that same schedule, only with one weekend a month and two weeks a year dedicated to serving our country in the Air Force Reserves. That’s exactly what Concordia Information Technology Technician Bob Majewski faces on a daily basis. For him though, it’s all about prioritizing.

“It’s actually pretty simple for me,” he said. “My family comes first and my work responsibilities come second. The only difficulty for me is that it seems like events, be it Concordia or social, always seem to conflict with my military schedule by chance.”

Majewski has been with Concordia for four years, since graduating from Clarion University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Information System Management, using the G.I. Bill and military tuition assistance programs to help foot the bill.

While some employers find it difficult to accommodate an individual with limited availability, Majewski said his direct supervisor Meridith McGinnis and Concordia President and CEO Keith Frndak have made the transition as easy as possible. In fact, both received Patriot Awards from the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for being so supportive of Majewski’s situation.

“I’ve heard horror stories of employers really hassling reservists for having to miss work when it isn’t convenient,” he said. “Concordia has been really good to me in that regard. I’ve never heard so much as a ‘this is not a good time’ or anything like that.”

McGinnis, who works next to Majewski on a daily basis, said it’s clear that his military experience has helped in his position at Concordia.

“As a supervisor, I couldn’t be more proud of the Information Technology team that has grown together, with Bob being a vital part of that team with his innovative ideas and laid back approach,” McGinnis said. “His witty personality makes him a joy to work with as well.”

Majewski isn’t alone in his family when it comes to serving in the military; both his father and grandfather served in the Marines and Navy respectively. He is currently a Staff Sergeant with the 911th Communications Squadron in Pittsburgh, which makes him responsible for daily network management, control, and administration of information flow, he said.

“My duties with the military and Concordia run pretty parallel, with the exception of some differing technology” he said. “The level of stress is a bit different (between the two jobs), but I think the military really taught me how to deal with it, and what real stress is.”

Air Force reservists and active duty soldiers go through most of the same instruction, including basic training, combat school, and tech school. Majewski said he especially enjoyed one of the combat training sessions – an escape and evade operation.

“Not very many people get the chance to run around the woods firing laser rounds out of M-16s,” he said.

For this mission he spent a week straight in the woods in Georgia, evading “enemy troops” and locating various pre-established coordinates. The training would start at 6:00 a.m. and go until midnight, when the group would set up camp for the night.

There were no showers (they washed themselves with facial wipes) and nothing to eat except MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) – which often can upset your stomach, for lack of a better term. They slept roughly three to four hours per night. Despite these major inconveniences, Majewski remains unabashedly optimistic about the experience.

“It was pretty cool not caring what you looked or smelled like for a week,” he said, half jokingly. “It was one of the best times of my life.”