Military Experience Equals Determination, Adaptability, and Competency
Amanda Green - Welder
During her service in the U.S. Navy, Amanda Green was stationed on an aircraft carrier. Five
miles off the coast of India, the aircraft carrier was hit by a barge and Green's team was set into
action. Charged with sealing up 18 holes in the vast ship's superstructure, Green worked with 20
shipmates around the clock to repair the damage quickly and effectively.
Green was a hull engineer, and because of her advanced welding training, she was prepared,
trained and able to respond at a moment’s notice if anything went wrong with the crucial outer
structures of the ship.
The experience that veterans earned in the military is anything but ordinary, and the fast
paced learning curve they developed in uniform makes them a good fit for any organization. Damage
control and repair of heavy machinery and vessels in the military requires the skill of individuals
that respond well to a high pressure environment and can think quickly when called upon. "Airplanes
have to launch, you have to make sure the catapults are running,” Green said. “My division was also
in charge of the distilling units needed to wash the planes, for the crew to shower and drink. On
the carrier 40,000 gallons of water is produced each day, and if one of the distilling units goes
down we will be in trouble and might not have enough water."
For Green, being placed into a leadership position made her appreciate the importance of her
work, because everything she did affected the whole team. "The last repair I did," she explained,
"there was a crack in a relief valve of the main steam line for the carrier. Myself and another guy
fixed the ship and saved thousands of dollars in contractor costs. Our ability to fix the ship made
it so that many of the sailors could be back with their families for Thanksgiving."
Green chose to stay in the military an extra two years to get her credentials and the
training that she applies to the job she has today as a member of the Boilermakers union.
Currently, Green works on a variety of power plants, fixing problems like rust erosion to make sure
that the city has the energy it needs day to day. Her military experience made the transition easy.
"When I came out of the military and started looking for jobs back in Massachusetts, it only took
me 2 weeks to find a job because of my experience," she said. "I got out of the Navy on a Thursday,
and applied for unemployment, by the time my unemployment was processed, I already had a job
again."
Richie Eckler, the regional representative that placed Green through the Helmets to Hardhats
program, said of Green, "she was dynamic, she went in for the interview...they told her, show us
what you can do, and she did easily." Richie further explained that candidates like Green who have
had military experience are easy to place because "they are highly skilled and drug free...things
an employer wants. There's a comfort zone when you know they already have talent."
"When employers see these Veterans, they know they don't even have to train them...they are
good at it, they like it, and they did it in the service," Eckler said. Helmets to Hardhats works
to place highly motivated individuals like Green in positions they are qualified for while giving
employers workers who will contribute to a responsible workforce.
