Career Opportunities in Piping for Transitioning Veterans | Spring/Summer 2019 13 military, and their nerves got the best of them. Men- tally, they weren’t capable or quite ready for it at the time. I knew I wanted to create and build things.” Colton still had a year left to serve in the Marine Corps the first time he heard about the VIP pro- gram. He stated that he and a buddy had decided to visit the education center to see what some of the options were for infantry guys who were getting ready to transition out. “They didn’t have a lot to tell us,” he said, “other than to go into law enforcement or to go to college.” He remembered thinking that he didn’t have a lot of options. “As we were walking out, a gentleman with the Veterans Association (VA) stopped us and asked us if we had found what we were looking for,” he said. “We told him, ‘Not really,’ and he asked us if we had heard about the Veterans in Piping (VIP) welding program, and that it was about to kick off. I met up with Mike Hazard (UA Training Specialist in charge of the VIP program), who was on base recruiting, and I learned about the program and got my name put on the waitlist for an interview. I prepared my resume, and I feel like I got into the first class at Camp Lejeune by pure fate.” Mike Cummings was Colton’s UA welding in- structor for the VIP program. Colton said, “He was such an incredible man, and instantly all of the guys in my class stuck to him. He was an incredible welder and teacher, and he got us all laying down clean beads in no time. Every one of us in that class had a particular highlight. At first, it was hard, but that just made you work even harder. Getting into the program was one of the highlights of my life. It brought a lot of closure in my heart. I had some- thing to look forward to and goals to achieve and a whole new brotherhood just like I had in the Ma- rine Corps.” When it came time for Colton to graduate from the VIP program and to pick an area to continue with his apprenticeship, Colton chose Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 43 in Chattanooga, TN, as his first choice. His father had worked at Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for a little bit, and he was familiar with Local 43 as well as the numerous job opportunities in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. He knew they had an excellent training pro- gram and that the city would be a good fit for his son. During the program, Colton had attained his UA 21 and 22 welding certifications. He said, “When I got that call from Larry Morrison, the Business Manager of Local 43, and he said that I had a job and that they were waiting for me, I was overwhelmed.” Colton’s initial impression of the local was in- credibly positive. He said, “Everyone was inter- ested in getting to know me, and everyone wanted to help me out right off the bat. I was very shaky and nervous when I got out, but being surrounded by so many brothers made my transition so much better. Transitioning was still very hard and very weird when it came to certain things, but by far, the brotherhood that I felt immediately had the greatest impact on me.” Colton just entered his fifth year as an appren- tice. He is close to turning out as a journeyman pipefitter. He has been fortunate to be employed by the same contractor, Jake Marshall, a mechani- cal contractor, for his entire apprenticeship. “I get along really well with all of my foremen at Jake Marshall,” Colton said. “I got my UA 15 weld cer- tification shortly after I graduated from the VIP program. I’ve done welding, fitting, install, grout- ing, rigging, a little bit of everything. At first, the school made me the most nervous, because I knew that there were going to be some fields where I needed some brushing up on, particularly in math, but the brotherhood was there. My peers were more than willing to help me, as well. At work, the “I was very shaky and nervous when I got out, but being surrounded by so many brothers made my transition so much better.” – Colton Jackson Colton Jackson