In 2013, Microsoft started running a program called Microsoft Software & Systems Academy (MSSA) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington state which provides software development training to eligible U.S. active duty service members who will be transitioning out of the service in the near future. Today, Microsoft announced that they are expanding the program to Camp Pendleton in California and Fort Hood in Texas. With the expansion, nearly 90 service members are enrolled in or have already graduated from the MSSA.
Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) Sarmiento-Louttit’s United States Marine Corps missions have taken her all over the world: from Okinawa, Japan, to the Red Sea to off the coast of Africa, where she was part of a crew involved in a high-profile operation: rescuing Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates. But her latest mission brought her back to base to participate in a rigorous 16-week program learning software development at California’s Camp Pendleton.
Once these service members complete their MSSA program, they will be asked to attend job interviews at Microsoft where nearly 70 percent of those who have already completed the program have been hired into a technology-focused position by either Microsoft or a Microsoft partner company.
Read more about it here.