Secaucus Resident Serves His Country In Army Reserves

SECAUCUS, NJ — When he's not serving his country in the U.S. Army Reserves, Secaucus resident Zeke Misko works at Amazon’s delivery station in Carlstadt. There, it's his job to make sure all packing and loading is done safely inside the facility.

Misko, 23, first enlisted in the Army Reserves he was 17 years old. Originally from Ohio, he went on to graduate from Kent State University, but his military obligation limited his opportunities to seek full-time employment.

Once Misko was able to start his job search, a recruiter from Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle reached out, thinking he could be a good fit for a position as a warehouse safety specialist.

In 2016, Amazon launched its "military pathways" program, pledging to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses by the year 2021.

And New Jersey is one of Amazon’s top states for veteran employment.

Misko was intrigued. And that's what made him say "yes" to the job and relocate to Secaucus.

“I got to move away from home and chase my dream of living close to New York City and experience East Coast life," said Misko.

There are many veterans who work at Amazon: Misko works alongside Jason Hawthorne, from Orange, who serves in the Army National Guard. Hawthorne manages delivery operations for Amazon.

"I couldn’t be happier with my decision to join Amazon,” said Misko. “Professionally, I have grown immensely and cultivated new skills. One of Amazon’s leadership principles is 'ownership.' I learned to not just take charge in a project, but to own it and develop it with the support from my team. It's been fulfilling to impact others at Amazon and use my leadership skills gained through military training on an everyday basis.”

There are more than 1,600 veterans working at Amazon in New Jersey and more than 40,000 veterans working at Amazon across the country.

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