Veterans Day at Cadent: James Bentley, Senior Cloud Manager

In honor of Veterans Day, we are proud to stand with the individuals who served and sacrificed in the U.S. military. At Cadent, we recognize the value that Veterans bring to our workforce. Today, it is our privilege to recognize James Bentley, an Air Force veteran and Senior Cloud Manager for Cadent. Recently, we spoke with James to learn about his role at Cadent and his experiences as a member of the U.S. Air Force.

To learn more about James, check out our Q&A below.       

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed. 

Tell us about your role at Cadent  

I just started at Cadent at the end of August so I’m fairly new. I’m a cloud engineer on the DevOps team. In my day-to-day, I work with our developers to architect and deploy their applications in the Amazon cloud. 

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work? 

I have two boys in elementary school, so most of my free time is spent with them. Otherwise, I enjoy gaming, reading, and riding Peloton 

What does Veterans Day mean to you? 

It’s a time to recognize those that served in the Armed Forces and personally, to remember that I was more fortunate than most that served during the Iraq and Afghan wars 

How would you describe your time in the Air Force?  

I was a deployable network engineer. I spent much of my time deployed and we would set up networks and infrastructure for air operations where there wasn’t yet a base. I was deployed to the Middle East a few times, and a couple of times in the U.S. for humanitarian aid. 

What opportunities and challenges do veterans face? 

I think members of the military receive a lot of training to help them function in high-pressure situations. They also have options for professional training if it relates to their job, and they have multiple opportunities to take college classes during and after their time in the military. 

What was your experience leaving the military and moving on to a civilian role?  

My experience was pretty seamless. I worked in IT before, during, and after serving in the Air Force, so I was able to move into a civilian role without much issue. 

What advice would you give to other veterans transitioning out of the military?  

Try to network with other service members whose enlistments ended before yours. It’s helpful to discuss what issues they may have had so you can prepare to enter the job market or go back to school. Networking for military members is just as important as it is in the civilian world. 

Is there anything you wish civilians understood about military service? 

I would say that not all members of the military enlist for the same reasons. Some are looking for a way to pay for college while others think of it as a way to see the world. The military is like most large organizations in that not everyone has the same views and experiences. 

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.