War Zone to Construction Zone
Aiding Alaskan Veterans
When he leaves the military, 25-year-old Gregory Gaul looks forward to spending more time with
his daughter. She is two years old, and so far he has spent half of her life at war. In
Afghanistan, Gaul helped build a road that cut through Taliban strongholds. He often worked 17-hour
shifts operating a scraper, followed by several hours of guard duty to protect equipment while
soldiers slept. Serving his country in the military is something Gaul says he always wanted to do.
And now that he’s getting out of the military, he’s pursuing another life-goal. He plans to support
his young daughter by working in the construction trades.
Through the Helmets to Hardhats program, Gaul recently completed Commercial Driver’s License
training. The fast-track, three-week course was provided by the Alaska Teamsters-Employers Service
Training Trust in Palmer from May 27 to June 13. Eight veterans now have CDLs and are ready to go
to work.
The Helmets to Hardhats program places quality men and women from the Armed Forces into
building and construction careers. The national program is funded by congress and administrated by
a labor-management cooperation trust comprised of the 15 international building trade unions and
major national contracting associations.
Alaska Works Partnership has delivered Helmets to Hardhats to Alaska for the past five years
with major funding provided by the Alaska Department of Labor Workforce Development. Nearly 200
Alaskan veterans have entered into building trade apprenticeships through AWP’s Helmets to Hardhats
program.
Transitioning from military service to a civilian job can be a big challenge. "I went
directly from high school into the Army," said Donald Simmons, who also completed the recent CDL
course. He is 30 years old and an Army veteran of Afghanistan. "The structure of military life
versus civilian life is totally different. The only trade I ever had was the military."
Fred Ready, Director of the Teamster Training Center/Center for Employment Training (CEE),
understands completely. His own military service spans 31 years from Vietnam to Afghanistan. When
he returned from Vietnam in 1973, programs like Helmets to Hardhats didn’t exist. He said that
Helmets to Hardhats reflects how society’s attitudes toward veterans have changed. The public now
recognizes that veterans need and deserve support when returning from war. He also cited job
training as the most pressing need for people leaving the military.
"Even if they’ve been trained in something else, when it comes to combat, everyone grabs an
M16. Those skills just don’t translate well into the civilian world," Ready said. "The training
provided by Helmets to Hardhats offers veterans the skills and qualifications to work in the
civilian job market."
The CDL training this summer was unique in that it provided direct training to a class of all
veterans. The majority of Helmets to Hardhat veterans receive their training through
apprenticeships or AWP construction academies. Several National Guardsmen recently entered sheet
metal and piledriver apprenticeships.
Kevin Hanley, President, Alaska Apprentice and Training Coordinators Association said that
Helmets to Hardhats has given the construction trades some of its best apprentices.
Ready agreed. "The ones who succeed in the training are stellar performers. The military has
instilled discipline which is key and essential in any job market."
Alaska Helmets to Hardhats works closely with the Alaska Department of Labor Veterans
Employment Unit and transition offices of the National Guard, Army (ACAP), Air Force, and Coast
Guard in Alaska. For more information, please visit
helmetstohardhats.org or contact Alaska’s
Helmets to Hardhats coordinator,Ed Flanagan, at 1-866-993-8181 or via email at
eflanagan@alaskaworks.org.
