U.S. Army veteran Christian Koscinski's journey to a career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began in high school when he visited a recruiting station with his father. Intrigued by the opportunities in the military, he joined the Army and trained as a combat medic. Koscinski served in Iraq and Afghanistan, eventually reaching the rank of Major after commissioning as an officer through the "Green to Gold" program.
During his final deployment to Erbil, Iraq, in 2023, Koscinski considered life after military service. He discovered CBP opportunities on LinkedIn through Jeff Jack, CBP’s national Veterans Employment Program Manager. This connection led to an interview opportunity within CBP's Office of Field Operations Acquisition Division under Crystal Thompson.
Koscinski started his DoD SkillBridge internship with Thompson’s branch in March 2024, where he developed a risk management program for OFO's acquisition programs. He praised Thompson for helping him transition from military life: “Working with civilian counterparts... really helped me transition from the military.”
Thompson commended Koscinski’s work ethic and commitment: “He’s very conscientious about his work and open to new ideas.” She added that veterans like Koscinski bring integrity and dedication to CBP.
Reflecting on his military career, Koscinski valued mentoring officers who became leaders themselves. During his internship at CBP, he appreciated support from peers and leaders like Thompson and Jack: “The number one thing that stood out... was how responsive Jeff Jack was.”
Koscinski advises transitioning service members to plan early for their post-military careers: “Enjoy the experience—you’re going to learn a lot of different things.” For those interested in CBP opportunities, he suggests contacting Jeff Jack at Jeffrey.R.Jack@cbp.dhs.gov.
CBP is America's largest law enforcement organization tasked with protecting borders while facilitating lawful travel and trade.
