A New Mission: One Veteran’s Transition to Civilian Life Through SkillBridge at Battelle

SkillBridge, a program developed by the Department of Defense, provides transitioning service members with the chance to acquire crucial civilian work experience. Battelle is honored to be a part of this initiative, facilitating a smooth transition from military to civilian careers by bridging the gap for these veterans.

We’re excited to share the story of a recent SkillBridge intern and Air Force veteran, Miqueias Bezerra. In this blog, we’ll hear about his experience at Battelle and how the program helped him translate his military experience into a civilian career.  

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your background before joining the SkillBridge program at Battelle?

I am Miqueias Bezerra, and just recently separated from the Air Force. I served six years out of Cannon Air Force base. The first job I worked there was as a mission defense team technician, where we worked on laying the groundwork for monitoring network traffic for mission critical networks, and implementing security mitigations. The second position was as an airborne mission network technician, where I managed tactical forward deployed networks as part of a tactical communications unit.  

What motivated you to join the SkillBridge program, and why did you choose Battelle?

While researching companies I became especially interested in Battelle due to their longevity, and the diverse range of scientific research and development Battelle is involved in. The program I had a chance to work with seemed to do some interesting work, so they were my top pick.

What new skills did you acquire during your internship at Battelle? What skills did you learn in the military that you were able to apply in your role?

Many of the skills I learned as a mission defense team member were directly transferable to the role of performing network security assessments with Battelle. Additionally, my experience as part of cyber in the military helped greatly with familiarity as part of the national security division.

What advice would you give to other military personnel considering the SkillBridge program?

I highly recommend the Battelle SkillBridge program to military personnel. During my time here, Battelle has been very accommodating, and worked well with all the oddities military life can introduce. I think it is an excellent way to transition into civilian life and wish more members would take advantage of this benefit.

What’s Next? You recently started a full-time role at Battelle. Tell us what you’re most looking forward to.

I have been fully employed at Battelle since December 2024 now and have been enjoying my time learning and being able to get my hands on project work here. I look forward to deepening my understanding of cyber and leveraging the many different flavors of expertise Battelle has to do so.