This Veterans Day, we reached out to UberMilitary partners in Rhode Island to learn more about their experiences and thank them for driving with Uber. We want to take a moment to recognize a few who have gone above and beyond in their service to our country and now behind the wheel as an Uber partner.

Meet Kelly.

Meet Kelly

Kelly from Middletown enlisted in the army as a single mother in 1994. Following 9/11, she was deployed to Camp Doha in Kuwait. However, she was unable to receive her immunizations until she arrived in Kuwait due to her newborn son, and ended up having an allergic reaction that led to a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Back home, she was briefly stationed in Fort Knox, KY and Corpus Christi, TX before deciding to leave the army. She tried to continue working full-time in real estate, but was often unable to get out of bed and make it into the office. Work soon became a very negative environment for her and she became severely depressed. With no cure for these conditions, she felt stuck.

Now as an Uber partner, Kelly drives when she feels healthy enough and makes money on her own terms. 

“Uber gave me freedom – It has helped me get my life back, earn money and be able to spend more time with my kids. I no longer feel bad about myself or my career.”

Favorite Thing About Uber? After moving to Rhode Island without a social network and her husband away on active duty, Kelly found that driving with Uber was not only a reliable and flexible means of providing for her family, but also a great way to expand her social circle. She enjoys getting to know her riders and has been known to snap a selfie with them here and there.  


Meet Paul.

Paul Rouquie Headshot

Paul from Warwick served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War as an aircraft maintenance specialist. He was stationed at Travis Air Force Base just outside of San Francisco. He frequently flew to Saigon, transporting personnel and supplies and conducting  medical evacuation flights. After completing his active duty, Paul worked in insurance and advertising before retiring ten years ago.

He first heard about Uber through his daughter, a frequent Uber user, when he moved to Rhode Island a few years ago to be closer to family. “Retirement is hard if you, well, didn’t plan for it,” he told us. “Uber sounded like the perfect post-retirement plan, and to this day I’m still happy as a clam!”

Proudest Uber Moment? Paul is an inspiration to us all in his dedication to providing quality service to all riders. Once, a nurse had called him to confirm a patient’s request, but when Paul arrived at the hospital, both were nowhere to be found. After an hour of searching around, he finally tracked the patient down and gave him a ride to the airport. The service didn’t stop there, though – Paul helped the patient inside, through check-in and all the way up to security! Paul boasts an impressive 4.91 rating and is quickly approaching 2,000 lifetime trips.

These are just two of our many veteran driver partners. Last year we launched UberMILITARY—an initiative to bring economic opportunity to 50,000 members of the military community and their families on the Uber platform. We are excited to continue our commitment to partners in the military community and enhance the experience for valued partners like Kelly and Paul.

To learn more about Uber’s Veterans Day initiatives this year, see here.