14 said that he knew from the time he was in the fih grade that he would serve his country. Prior to joining the Army, he had worked for his uncle, cleaning aircras at Mont- gomery Field in California, and he had worked for Staples, the office supply store. He had grown up in Arkansas and lived there for 17 years. He joined the Army in February of 2011, and was in the Army for six years and seven months, and had been deployed three times—twice to Afghanistan and once to Kosovo. He was a 19D MOS cavalry scout for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for an airborne combat team, he said, and then went over to an Iraqi Stryker unit for the remainder of his service. “I heard about the VIP Welding program at Fort Hood from a friend of mine who was transitioning out,” he said. “I Googled the United Association and immediately started reading all about the union. I just wasn’t really familiar with the union process. e only unions I was aware of were unions in New York City. I read a lot, and I think unions are amazing. So much good has come from unions—OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), fair pay, weekends off, all of those things that we can take for granted.” Aquilino applied for the program and was for- tunate to get in. He did not have any welding ex- perience. “I can count on one hand the times I even used a power tool,” he said. “If you’ve never worked with power tools or welded, don’t let that deter you from this program.” Aquilino was impressed with the training that he got in the program. He said that he took to welding fairly quickly, but that he is still learning. He said, “Once I completed the training, I did feel like I could be an asset on the job. I knew there was still a lot to learn, but I had a good foundation regarding safety, use of power tools, and some welding skills. I felt I had enough to get my foot in the door on a jobsite.” When it was time to pick a place to continue on with his apprenticeship, Aquilino was impressed that the United Association asked him where he wanted to live. With local unions throughout the United States, the options were vast. Being sta- tioned at Fort Hood in Texas, Aquilino felt that Killeen had become home for his wife and his 14- year-old, so he looked at the options that were close enough to commute from the Killeen area. “I knew that the Austin local had a lot of work. I liked that it was a combi- nation plumbers and pipefitters local, and I heard that they needed hands. Austin has a Denver vibe to it, so I knew that I would like working in Austin. I asked if I could continue my apprenticeship at Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 286 in Austin.” Aquilino said that the jour- neymen and other apprentices on the job have been great to work with. “ey’ve taught me a lot so far,” he said. “ey’ve been very patient. A lot of them have said, ‘We know you are transitioning,’ and I really have appreciated that.” Aquilino was at Texas State University working on a dorm renovation. He was originally assigned to the job as a plumber, but has most recently been switched to work with a pipefitter crew. “I’ve been here for about 12 weeks now. I love this job and feel like I’m doing well. Right now we are hooking up condensate lines and hot water and chilled water returns. We’re doing a wide variety of stuff here. I love this job, because I am building and creating something, and you can see the fruits of your labor immediately. We are building our country. at’s what I find most satisfying.” Aquilino said, “You know, any transition is a risk. at’s why people stay in the military. It’s be- cause of that pressure. e UA is just a great op- portunity, and the program allows you to get your foot in the door and to have union brothers and sisters who care about you. I feel like it has just im- proved my life tremendously. My time is valuable now. I’m not saying my time wasn’t valuable in the Army, but now if they keep me over eight hours, they pay me overtime. I know what time I get off. I know when I can move. If I don’t want to go somewhere, I have the freedom to say, ‘Hey, can you send me somewhere else?’ It has allowed me to be a husband and a father in a way I didn’t have before, and for that, I’ll always be thankful.” CAREERops Aquilino Lucero “I love this job, because I am build- ing and creating something, and you can see the fruits of your labor immediately. We are building our country. That’s what I find most satisfying.” Becoming an Asset On The Job Aquilino Lucero