Veterans wanting a challenging career that ensures the safety and soundness of the federal banking system can find it as a national bank examiner.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) charters, regulates and supervises all national banks and federal savings associations (collectively, banks) as well as federal branches and agencies of foreign banks. The OCC is an independent bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
National bank examiners play a critical role ensuring that national banks and federal savings associations operate in a safe and sound manner, provide fair access to financial services, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. Examiners interact with all levels of bank management and complete a wide range of analytical and bank supervisory activities at national banks and federal savings associations and OCC offices. They use a risk-based examination approach to assess a bank’s condition and identify potential problems.
From crew chief to national bank examiner
Air Force Veteran Justin Solobay is one of those national bank examiners. A KC-135 flying crew chief, Solobay spent 12 years in the Air National Guard and is 10 years into an Air Force Reserve career. He has been activated and deployed multiple times since 2002.
In 2013, Solobay joined the OCC in the Office of Security managing the agency’s business continuity and disaster recovery programs. He started taking examiner assignments in 2017 and crossed over in 2019, joining the Wells Fargo Large Bank Supervision team as an operational risk examiner. Although his civilian job is vastly different from his military job, he said using military attributes like focus, determination, teamwork and resilience helped.
“I joined the agency having no idea what the agency did,” Solobay said. “I focused on the business continuity program and learned more about it. The military is a different commitment in my life that I run in parallel.”
He said the best part of his job is the people, who he said are exceptionally talented, experienced, intelligent, and logical.
“This agency is a great place to work,” he said. “There are many opportunities to see and do new things. Additionally, there are many pathways you can grow into and move about as it supports your interest and wants.”
Sheer luck brings Iraq Veteran aboard
Army Veteran Jason Wander is another Veteran who joined the OCC after spending time in the military. An Army National Guard combat engineer, Wander deployed twice to Iraq, building forward operating bases and a detainee facility, servicing and maintaining vehicles, performing route clearance to remove improvised explosive devices, and providing base security.
In 2012, Wander joined the OCC as an assistant national bank examiner in the Minneapolis field office. He worked on his national bank examiner commission…
