Career Opportunities in Piping for Transitioning Veterans | Spring/Summer 2019 9 country, reaching a total of 150,000 service members. Sam said, “Every year, Local 562 holds a bass fishing tournament. The fees associ- ated with this tournament are donated to various organiza- tions. One of the guys ap- proached me this year and told me that they had chosen “The Fallen Outdoors” as one of the charities. They donated $4,000 to the organization. I was just overwhelmed.” He continued, “There was a big AFL-CIO conference, and our Business Manager, John O’Mara, asked me if I would walk the American Flag out. While at that conference, I met Union Veterans Council Executive Director Will Attig. I was talking to him about ‘The Fallen Outdoors,’ and he called me and said, ‘How would you like to be the liaison between the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance and the Union Veterans Council to work on getting veterans involved in land conservation for sportsmen and women? You could be extremely successful with this. The op- tions are vast, and there is no limit to the possibili- ties.’” Sam seized this opportunity and started volunteering in this capacity. Sam stated that it is incredible to him that, not only does he have a career that he loves, but that being a United Association member has been opening up doors to continue his passion as an outdoorsman. “My main thought,” he said, “is to be the best and most proficient at my job. I want to be involved in getting more veterans into the trades. Down the road, I will work very hard pro- moting both the VIP and the Helmets to Hard- hats (H2H) programs.” In September, Sam was selected to attend a Local Union Officers Seminar held in Denver, CO. This important seminar included top officers from all of the local unions throughout North America, as well as the senior leadership from the International offices that are in Annapolis, MD. Sam accompanied Local 562’s officers and took part in several apprentice workshops that coin- cided with the local union officers’ seminars. He also sat in on the opening and closing sessions with the delegates from North America. Sam stated that it was an incredible experience to have the opportunity to spend so much time with his local union’s top officers and to learn about the initiatives from the General Office. Today, Sam’s passion for the outdoors has mor- phed into a full-time position with the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA). At his third volun- teering event, he met the Executive Director of the USA, Scott Vance, as well as the President of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka. They were both impressed with Sam’s dedication to conservation, and Scott Vance offered him a job as the USA’s strategic accounts manager. Sam said, “I was volunteering because I believed in it, and I was offered a full-time position, and it was like it wasn’t real. I got the employment offer letter, and I took it to my Business Manager, John O'Mara, and I received his blessing, and he thought it was a great idea. I will always be a Local 562 member. I feel enormous pride being a Local 562 member.” The USA is the fastest-growing 501(c)(3) corpo- ration. Its mission is to connect the union commu- nity, both members and contractors, through conservation. The organization promotes public access to hunting and fishing venues, restores parks, and fosters mentorships for generations to come. Funds are secured through various events held throughout the country, such as dinners, raffles, and clay shooting tournaments. The local host union puts on an event, and the funds secured are used for a project in that local union’s area. Sam said, “We are currently building a handi- capped-accessible fishing pier in Florida. For the very first time, wheelchair-bound kids and adults in the community will have an opportunity to go fishing. Completing these projects has been so re- warding. At the ribbon-cutting ceremonies, we have a kids’ day, where we introduce them to fish- ing and the outdoors. Our union members have so much pride in the skills they have, and you com- bine that with their passion for the outdoors, and it’s a win-win situation for everyone. It also show- cases our unions’ commitment to their communi- ties and conservation.” Sam feels very, very blessed. He stated, “When I got into Local 562, I felt like I hit the lottery. The stability offered to me, the healthcare, our wellness center, and then to be able to work in a killer trade and earn a killer paycheck was just so unreal, and then I hit it again with the USA. I love everything that I do. I will always miss working around the guys in my trade. It keeps you going.” Sam concluded by stating, “The people you asso- ciate with will make you successful. I’m a firm be- liever in that. I know that the leadership, and my brothers and sisters in this local union, and every- one in the union community are vested in making me successful. It’s an honor to be part of that.” “Last November, we were able to fly out Army Infantry veteran Anthony Faas from Northern California for his first-ever whitetail deer hunt. Not only did we pull off his first harvest, but also got it done on none other than Veterans Day.”