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Leslie McGirr was working at Dairy Queen in the small Texas town she grew up in when she came to the realization that she had much more potential than what her hometown could offer. Her brother had started speaking with an Army recruiter, and Leslie realized she also wanted to join the military.
“I signed my commitment letter the day my brother left for basic training and I left for training just two weeks later,” said Leslie. “My brother and I paved the way for our nieces and nephews as we have a nephew in the Air Force and a niece joining the Air Force in January 2021.”
Both of Leslie’s grandfathers served, as well as her father and brother, but Leslie was the first woman to join the military within her family. Leslie served in the United States Army as a 14E – Patriot Fire Control Enhanced Operator for six years and was stationed in Fort Bliss and Fort Hood Texas and Suwon, South Korea.
Leslie is a highly decorated veteran who received an honorable discharge with the rank of Sergeant.
“While I was stationed at Fort Hood, my Chain of Command entered me into the Soldier of the Quarter board twice and I won both times,” said Leslie. “I have received three Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct medals, the Korean Defense Service medal, the Non-Commissioned Office Professional Development medal and several other awards.”
Leslie began her career in security in 2015 as a Security Professional for U.S. Security Associates in Texas. She later moved to New Jersey where she pursued a career as a Security Professional with Universal Protective Services prior to the merger with AlliedBarton. She has continued to grow her career at Allied Universal where her exceptional performance has been recognized with multiple promotions including to Operations Manager in January 2018, Service Manager in July 2018, Client Manager in July 2019 and Branch Manager in August 2020.
What is Leslie’s biggest surprise about the civilian workplace?
“Adapting to life outside of the military was hard at first,” said Leslie. “The military instills values that we live by every day and those values are not always followed by all civilians.”
Leslie says that her experience in the military has influenced her career at Allied Universal.
“Allied Universal looks at military experience in a very positive way. I am committed to my team and am in constant communication with my Client Managers and Operations Managers. I also push them to learn and lead by example.”
When Leslie speaks with other veterans who ask about working at Allied Universal, she tells them that “Allied Universal recognizes and promotes those that are dedicated to our company and our clients. Allied also offers flexible schedules for veterans who are working on finalizing their exit from the military so that they can spend time with their family after being away from home.”
“I have fallen in love with what Allied Universal represents and I look forward to furthering my career,” said Leslie. “I have dedicated two years to build and mold my team by building communication and with an ‘open door’ policy.”
