North Charlotte Today

Veterans Day serves as a moment to recognize and honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Among the many veterans working for the City of Charlotte is Craig Fox, a Transit Facilities Manager with the Charlotte Area Transit System. Fox, who served 22.5 years in the Army, initially joined seeking adventure and educational benefits.

Fox shared his journey from joining the military to transitioning into public service. "I saw a lot of my friends and family either going to school and not enjoying it or doing jobs they didn’t enjoy," he said, describing his decision to join the Army after being unable to become an air traffic controller due to depth perception issues.

His military career included time as an enlisted infantryman in the Ranger Battalion before transitioning through ROTC to become an engineer officer. Despite staying in the reserves, he was frequently deployed, especially after 9/11 when "things got real with deployments and combat zones."

Fox's service was cut short by a rare cancer diagnosis at age 38. After successful treatment, he was medically retired from the Army. Reflecting on this period, he stated, "It was difficult... but the Army took fantastic care of me."

In civilian life, Fox initially worked with NCDOT before finding his place within Charlotte's engineering property management. He later moved through various roles including deputy city engineer before taking over facilities for Charlotte Area Transit.

He credits his military experience with instilling discipline and leadership skills that have been crucial throughout his career. "Really making sure we get done what we say we’re going to get done," he noted about lessons learned during his service.

Expressing gratitude for his military experiences and friendships formed, Fox affirmed their value: "Absolutely. Absolutely, no question about it."

To all veterans residing in Charlotte, resources are available for assistance on Veterans Day and beyond through the city's Veteran Resources page.