Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16exclaimed Willie Nazario, who has been on the job for one year working for Olson Plumbing and Heating in Colorado Springs, CO, in Olson’s piping fabrication facility. Willie was in the inaugural Veterans in Piping® (VIP®) class at Plumbers, Pipefitters and HVACR Service Technicians Local 58 in Colorado Springs. He was a Sergeant in the Army based at Fort Car- son and was deployed twice to Iraq as an Army Combat Medic. “e first day I was confident,” Willie said. “e foreman said, ‘Let me see what you can do.’ He liked it. I’ve gotten my first raise. Every six months you get a raise. I was pretty stoked about that. I chose to stay here in Colorado Springs. Aer my first raise, I moved to a better apartment.” “I’m welding,” Willie continued, “and building stuff and fixing tools. I work from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., so I am home by 5 every day unless I have school. It just feels like freedom. I am in school as a second-year apprentice. I just got fin- ished with the math class. Now I’m in a Drawing and Interpretation and Plan Reading class, because every time I look at a job, I have to ask, ‘What does that mean?’ I know how to weld, but I don’t know how to read that piece of paper. Now I am begin- ning to understand how to read it. I am also taking Backflow, Med Gas and Basic Electricity.” Mike Trapp, CEO and owner of Olson Plumb- ing and Heating, is proud that his company was able to employ Willie. He said, “e average guy who comes out of the military already knows a lot Catching Up withVIP Graduates One Year Later Career Opportunities in Piping for Transitioning Veterans | Fall/Winter 2015 “I love my job!” Willie Nazario Fort Carson Welding Class 01, second-year apprentice 7