For Cara Howes, the ultimate two-day span happened last month. As Kenworth’s assistant director of marketing, she was in Washington, D.C., on December 13, presenting the keys of a new Kenworth T680 to Cory Troxell – a driver for Stevens Transport – who was named the winner in the Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award. The award recognizes the top military veteran who has successfully transitioned into the trucking industry as a driver. The award ceremony was during the Veteran Ready Summit.
The next day, Cara visited Arlington National Cemetery to pay her respects to fallen soldiers as Wreaths Across America came to lay wreaths around the more than 400,000 grave sites. Cara said there were several Gold Star families there, “telling stories of their fallen sons and daughters, so that those participating in the wreath laying wouldn’t forget their sacrifices. That will stay with me.”
Later that day, she was in the stands, rooting hard for Navy in the Army-Navy football game. Navy upset nationally ranked Army 31-13.
As an officer in the Navy Reserve, Cara took special pride in presenting the keys to a fellow military veteran. “Those in the military make a lot of sacrifices, and for us that serve, there is a special bond,” she said. “It meant a lot to hear the stories of those who were finalists in the Transition Trucking program, and it was an honor to present the keys to Cory. His parents were there as well, which made it even more special. I could certainly relate to his upbringing…like me, he has a family that has deep roots in military service, as well as in trucking.”
Cara has worked at PACCAR for over 15 years, the last 1-1/2 with Kenworth. “What I’ve learned in the military has certainly helped me in my various positions within the company,” she said. “So, I know firsthand how military service can help those transitioning into the trucking industry. It’s a great industry to move into after serving our country.”
Cara has known trucks and the military since she was a little girl. Her mom started work at PACCAR when Cara was just three. And both her parents served in the Army. What’s more, her grandfather (also an Army veteran) owned a tanker business in Oregon and ran Kenworth trucks.
“I got a summer job at PACCAR when I graduated from high school” recalled Cara, who was ahead of many of her peers since she took Running Start which provided college credits during her high school days.
After graduating from college and earning an MBA, Cara began her military service. She was offered a direct commission into the Navy, to serve as a Supply Corps officer. “The Navy looks for leaders in logistics and business and teaches them the military way,” Cara said. “When it comes to logistics, it doesn’t get much more challenging than moving food, fuel, and ammunition for the Navy.”
In 2010, after six months in Georgia for Supply Corp school, Cara embarked on a one-year assignment to Naples, Italy, where she worked on the Sixth Fleet staff for Commander, Task Force 63 (CTF-63) helping to support ships and aircraft around Europe and Africa. The team’s duties entailed providing all the food/fuel/ammunition…you name it…that was required for loading ships at dock, or at sea. Cara also spent three months underway on the Sixth Fleet Flagship, USS MOUNT WHITEY (LCC 20), and earned her Surface Warfare Supply Corps Officer (SWSCO) warfare insignia.
After five months at home, her next assignment was Afghanistan, where another one-year assignment awaited. There, her Logistics Mobile Training Team had a focus on working with the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police on logistics best practices across the country. And, she participated in Operation Outreach – a program where weekly gift bags were filled with school supplies, toys, gloves/scarves, and candy and distributed to local children. “I was invited to join on one of the deliveries to a girls primary school,” Cara said. “It was one of the most impactful missions of my deployment. As I arrived at the ‘school,’ my first observation was that the schoolhouses were two tents constructed on a dirt hillside. The second observation was the constant sound of gunfire in the distance. However, none of that seemed to matter to the girls in school – they were just happy to be getting an education.”
Her work has not gone unnoticed. She has received three Navy Commendation Medals, an Army Commendation Medal from her work in Afghanistan, and five Navy Achievement Medals.
With her longer active-duty stints with the Navy in the past, Cara still has a two-week a-year commitment as a reservist. “But, it’s more than that,” she said. “As officers, we’re constantly communicating with our team. And, we’re always prepared if a major conflict were to break out. The role of reservists is to be ready and come in and support operations alongside our active-duty counterparts.”
Cara said her duties in the Navy have translated well into the private sector, and her work at Kenworth. “You need to plan for contingencies and maintain a broad perspective,” she said. “The military teaches you problem-solving and working as a team. And it teaches you how to work under pressure and be ready for disruptive moments – something that the entire trucking industry faced during COVID.”
There are a number of veterans working at Kenworth and throughout PACCAR. “And PACCAR is very supportive,” Cara said. “PACCAR understands the value military experience brings to the trucking industry. And, it’s why Kenworth has supported the Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award for the past nine years. I’m very proud to be a Navy reservist and just as proud working for a company that supports the military as strongly as PACCAR and Kenworth does.”
Going to D.C.?
Visit the Women in Military Service for America Memorial! It’s located at the entrance of Arlington National Cemetery. It’s the only national memorial to preserve and tell the stories of the women who have served our country. And it includes Cara’s story.
