Stories of Service

In this section, you will find short stories about how federal workers serve the public and affect Americans’ lives every day. Share them with your networks so people have a better understanding of what government delivers for the American people.

Civil Servants Keep Our Nation Running and Moving Forward

Our video and stories database highlights hundreds of career civil servants who have made significant contributions to our nation. Their achievements showcase the vital importance of our government and the nonpartisan civil service to the public good. 

Explore the database

Videos that Inspire

“Growing up, my father taught me that true leadership wasn’t about being in charge—it was about being in service.”

For Alex Bonnell, the Air Force Research Lab’s chief information officer and director of digital capabilities, leadership goes beyond technology—it is about empowering people. Whether by launching groundbreaking artificial intelligence initiatives or finding ways to use technology to free up critical time for service members, Bonnell believes the real impact of innovation lies in supporting those who serve alongside her. 

What does public service mean to you?

At its core, public service isn’t about the tools or technologies—it’s about people coming together to serve a greater purpose. Our job as leaders is to support that mission by believing in our people’s abilities and [by] giving them the resources they need to succeed. 

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Story Wall

To safeguard the nonpartisan civil service, we need to raise public awareness about why their work matters. Help us meet this challenge by sharing stories about federal employees who have helped the public and made a difference in your life.

Community Engagement
My mother was a postal worker until she retired. Many people don’t realize that the Postal Service delivers “the last mile” for other delivery services. In many rural areas, the USPS is the entity that delivers your packages, regardless of what carrier gets your shipping fees. The Post Office delivers medications to elderly people; it delivers ballots, passports and other critical documents; and it does all of this as a service to the American public. It is NOT a business trying to turn a profit, and it should not be run like one. As a veterinary technician, I learned a lot about how the Department of Agriculture and other federal departments work to keep our food safe and to prevent and contain potential outbreaks. These agencies' workforces have been reduced over the years, making it incumbent upon businesses to self-regulate. With many businesses, that is letting the fox guard the hen house. Federal workers drive our economy, protect our lives, and are our neighbors and friends.
Amanda, Ohio
Workforce Engagement
I started my career as a clerk typist at the Patent and Trademark Office as a work-study student. I was 17 years old. It was so exciting because, during that time, entertainers would visit the public search room to search trademarks or to register their trademark. Such an exciting thing to see when you are beginning your new career. But the excitement didn't stop there. I continued to work at the Patent and Trademark Office for 35 years. I held positions as a legal examiner who reviewed international patent cases and as a technical information specialist who searched and researched foreign patents. I later moved to a management and program analyst job and worked in an office that conducted focus groups and developed surveys for patent attorneys and patent agents.
Sharlamar, United States of America
Community Engagement
I respect our federal employees. Almost every person in our country has contact with a federal employee on an almost daily basis. I am speaking of the Postal Service workers who deliver and forward our daily mail. An attack on those individuals is an attack on every person who depends on this service. I stand with every federal employee who serves the public. I do NOT stand with the current administration, which is trying to turn the public against those in federal service. The Department of Veterans Affairs is another example that serves the men and women who have served the U.S. A disruption of services will certainly cause harm, and even death, as former service members have to wait longer than necessary for critical medical appointments or medicine. I am deeply upset that the country claiming to be the ""Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave"" seeks to destroy these services.
Valijean, United States of America
Veterans
Our family's dedication to serving our country and its veterans runs deep. My spouse, a disabled Native American veteran, served honorably in the Army. After his discharge, he worked for over a decade at the Department of Veterans Affairs as an auditor, fighting fraud and waste. He trained many across the nation, ensuring proper resource monitoring for veterans. Our daughter, inspired by him, joined the VA while balancing her studies and full-time job. However, recent administrative changes and budget cuts have been devastating. Layoffs and reorganization have left us heartbroken, especially for the coworkers my husband trained, whose careers were unjustly cut short. We stand with all federal workers facing these tough times, urging them to stay strong. To policymakers, please consider the human cost of these decisions. Our family's story highlights the importance of valuing and supporting dedicated individuals who serve our nation. We remain committed to advocating for veterans and federal employees.
A. Knapp, District of Columbia
Community Engagement
My father was killed when I was 17, a junior in high school. Money was very tight. My mother worked with the brother of the postmaster of our small town in northern Illinois and mentioned to him that I needed a part-time job after school and on Saturdays. One evening, I received a call from Roy Thomas, our postmaster, asking if I wanted to work at the Post Office. I did! My job during the week for three hours each day was to receive the incoming mail and prepare the outgoing mail. I carried a route on Saturdays, every day for two weeks during the holidays, and for 10 weeks during the summer when I kept the same route as the other carriers went on vacation. When I went off to college, I returned home for the summer and worked for the Post Office. After my sophomore year, I stayed out of college, and Mr. Thomas hired me full time for a year and a half, after which I returned to school. I think of him with gratitude for starting me on a federal career of service.
Charles, Maryland
Community Engagement
I am grateful to the law enforcement officers who worked at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and to those at the FBI and Justice Department who investigated and prosecuted criminals afterwards. I live in Washington, D.C., and some of the people who participated stayed at Airbnbs in my neighborhood. I am heartbroken that President Trump gave a blanket pardon to those who participated--and that those who worked to bring them to justice are now particularly in jeopardy.
Cris, District of Columbia
Workforce Engagement
I am a fed. I can truly say I was born a fed. Through and through, I maintained something John F. Kennedy left for me: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success if liberty."
Helen, California

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