The members of Fort Campbell Sprinkler Fitter Class 19 have graduated from the United Association Veterans in Piping (UA VIP) program. After completing their on-base training, they are prepared for new civilian careers in the pipe trades.
A DoW SkillBridge program, UA VIP, is open to active-duty service members who will be in their 180-day transition window when the course begins and ends.
During the program’s 118-day training schedule, the members of Class 19 developed the foundational sprinkler fitter skills they will carry into UA apprenticeships and long-term careers protecting people and property in communities across the country.
A Proven Pathway: UA VIP
For more than a decade, the UA VIP Program has helped transitioning active-duty service members prepare for good-paying, in-demand civilian careers after they leave the military.
During the 720 hours of pre-apprenticeship training, UA VIP students learn basic pipe trade skills in one of three crafts: HVACR, welding or sprinkler fitting.
Once VIP participants graduate and transition out of the military, they enter the UA’s five-year Registered Apprenticeship Program, where they will continue to build on their newly acquired skill set without taking on student debt.
VIP graduates are also guaranteed jobs with a UA signatory contractor in an agreed-upon geographic location. They will receive direct entry into that area’s UA Local Union and enjoy all the benefits of being a UA member, including good wages, excellent full-family medical insurance and great retirement benefits.
More about UA VIP
The UA VIP program offers accelerated training in welding, HVACR or sprinkler fitting at the following military bases:
- Camp Pendleton (welding)
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord (welding and HVACR)
- Fort Carson (welding)
- Fort Hood (welding)
- Camp Lejeune (welding)
- Fort Campbell (welding and fire suppression)
- Naval Station Norfolk (HVACR)
H2 Where Class 19 Graduates Are Going
Working with program administrators, UA VIP Class 19 graduates agreed on the geographic areas where they will begin their civilian careers. Once they transition out of the military, Fort Campbell Sprinkler Fitter Class 19 graduates will head to the following areas and Local Unions:
- St. Louis – UA Local 268
- Minneapolis – UA Local 417
- Philadelphia – UA Local 692
- Indianapolis – UA Local 699
- Newark, N.J. – UA Local 696
- Seattle – UA Local 699
- South Dakota – UA Local 699
- Paducah, Ky. – UA Local 699
Congratulations, Fort Campbell Sprinkler Fitter Class 19
Graduation is a milestone, but it is also the beginning of what comes next. The graduates of Fort Campbell Sprinkler Fitter Class 19 have proven they can handle the pace, do the work, and stay committed to learning.
Congratulations to the members of Fort Campbell Sprinkler Fitter Class 19. The UA family is proud of your accomplishment and looks forward to seeing you on future jobsites.
Interested in the UA VIP Program at Fort Campbell? Visit uavip.org/fort-campbell-vip-opportunities to learn more about sprinkler fitting and welding training opportunities for transitioning service members.
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