November 11 is Veterans Day and Remembrance Day. A time for us to pay our respects to those who have served. In the US, today is Veterans Day, and across the Commonwealth countries, today is Remembrance Day. Today, we stand united in respect for our veterans and those who have died in the line of duty.
This day is a time to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in service and was originally called Armistice Day. It fell on November 11 to mark the Armistice signing that ended World War I.
Across Chemring, it’s our mission to protect people, platforms, missions, and information against constantly changing threats. It’s this mission that attracts many veterans to come and work at Chemring when they leave military life. We work hard to support the Armed Forces and those colleagues who have served.
To mark Veterans Day, we caught up with two veterans who now work at our Chemring Energetic Devices (CED) business in the US, Jeff and Jose.
What’s your role at Chemring?
Jeff: I’m an ILS Engineering Leader at Chemring. I work in Logistics and we’re the ones who create the technical manuals and document supply side to set up the soldier, sailor, airman or marine out in the field, so they have the capability of troubleshooting, operating and working on our products.
Jose: I’m a CMM Programmer at CED which means I set up and programme the parts on the machines, access the features and carry out testing.
What was your career journey in the military?
Jeff: I was a cryptographics technician working with secure voice data in the US Air Force. I joined straight out of high school, and it certainly gave me the guidance I needed and put me on the right path. I served for 10 years in the Air Force on active duty and then transferred to the Air National Guard, which is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force.
Jose: I enlisted in the US Marines when I was 18 years old and just out of high school. I signed up for four years and was initially stationed at the US Marine Corps Base in Okinawa, Japan. That’s where I was when 9/11 happened. We were immediately on an aircraft carrier and in a state of readiness for over two weeks, waiting for orders. We then got sent to Darwin in Australia and later returned to Japan. Then in 2003, I was deployed to Kuwait and had orders to cross the border into Iraq. I was one of the fortunate ones to make it home.
When we returned and I had served my four years, I transitioned out of the US Marines through a programme called ‘Helmets to Hard Hats’, which helps service men and women get successful civilian careers in the building trades.
How did you start working at Chemring?
Jeff: After Service, I worked on the commercial side as a contractor and wanted to work back with the military again in some way. This role at Chemring allows me to work directly with military personnel and people who’ve previously served. There is a great deal of respect for the military across Chemring. I particularly like seeing and hearing how our products are working out in the field.
Jose: After serving in the military, I started working for Caterpillar, building and inspecting tractors. I spent many years with them until our facility was closed and I then moved to Chemring, where I’ve been now for four and a half years.
What do you miss most about military life?
Jeff: I miss the brotherhood and the comradery most of all.
Jose: I had some great times and met some great people during Service. Everyone always put in the maximum amount of effort into everything they did. It’s hard to transition from that into civilian life.
Is Chemring a good fit for veterans?
Jeff: The Defense industry is kind of small and you’re always bumping into familiar people. Chemring is a great fit for veterans as we’re in the total protection function of the military industry. We can document how many lives have been saved because of our kit. We defend those who defend our nation.
Jose: Yes, just the very nature of our products makes Chemring a good fit as they’re being used by people just like me. It’s our role to get people back safely to their families each and every day.