John Tromblee was
hired on 2/16/2015 as a Bus Driver for Veteran Services. John
transports veterans to designated locations. He is responsible for
the safety and well-being of the passengers.
John is extremely
professional, works hard, and can be relied on under any condition.
His day typically starts at 4:00AM (wakeup) and may last until
4:00PM or later. John understands all phases of his job, but also
develops better ways to get things done. He assists veterans in and
out of the vehicles, and determines the best routes during inclement
weather and traffic. John is more than a driver, he is someone who
understands the needs of veterans and adapts to their situations.
His communication skills and understanding of how the Albany VA
Medical Center works has proved invaluable in insuring veterans get
to and from their appointments. John is more than a person who
picks up and drops off passengers. He is a personal friend to many
of the veterans using this service and he goes above and beyond
normal expectations to ensure all veterans are cared for both
medically and physically.
John regularly
ensures veterans get to their appointments by taking them himself.
On this occasion, one veteran was escorted to his appointment, but
was told he was at the wrong place. Appearing confused and
disoriented, John inquired for the veteran and was told where he
needed to go. John took him to each appointment location and
watched closely to make sure nothing odd occurred. Unfortunately
this veteran was having undiagnosed medical issues where he was
becoming unaware of his surroundings so John stayed with him
throughout his appointments and eventually alerted medical staff
that something was not right. Eventually the veteran was admitted
to a hospital bed where he stayed for three days until the condition
cleared up. Without John’s intervention our veteran could have
wandered out of the facility and been lost for quite some time.
Instead, he has recovered completely and regularly rides our
transportation service.
John enjoys
talking to the veterans, but mostly enjoys just listening to them.
John is married
with two grown children and three grandsons. His hobbies are
traveling and spending time with his grandsons.
Congratulations
and Thank you, John, for a job well done.