Rudy and Lori Guillen, married letter carriers in Des Moines, IA, credit their military service with their personal and professional success.
The couple met in 1984 while serving in the Air Force. They married a year later and relocated from Arizona to Iowa, where they soon began their postal careers.
“The military helped Lori and I shape the way we work,” Rudy said. “It provided a sense of direction for us.”
The Guillens are part of a long tradition for the Postal Service, one of the nation’s largest employers of veterans.
The couple, who work at Pleasant Hill Branch, have two sons: Cody, 26, who was born with cerebral palsy, and Dustin, 20, who recently enlisted in the Marine Corps.
“I miss my sidekick,” Lori said. “Wherever I went, so did Dustin. There’s a bigger plan for him now.”
The Guillens remain focused on their USPS service and caring for Cody, as well as encouraging Dustin, who routinely calls home to report on his own military career.
“If Dustin comes out of the Marines with a strong work ethic and a sense of direction like we did in the Air Force, that will be just fine with us,” Rudy said.