“I had no idea what I was going to do when I left the Army. I was probably going to be an airplane mechanic, but then I saw an advertisement for the VIP Welding program at JBLM, and it was really interesting to me. I had never welded before. Welding is now my favorite thing, and I feel like it gives me an edge, because we practiced so much. I remember when it was time to pick a place to relocate to my instructors had suggested places where the construction work was peaking— North Carolina, Seattle, WA, and San Jose, CA, had been suggested for me at the time. I was born an hour south of here, so I picked San Jose.
“The work is a breeze compared to the Army. I was infantry, so that doesn’t really translate to the real world, so it’s been great. I would tell anyone to go for it. Some guys just stay in the military because they’re scared of the outside. Honestly, right off the bat, I was making more money than I did in the Army, and it only goes up. The work is interesting, and every day is different.”
-Thomas Andino
Second-year Apprentice Local Union 393,
San Jose, CA
UA VIP JBLM Graduate, Welding program
This United Association Veterans In Piping Success Story was originally printed in the CareerOps: Career Opportunities in Piping for Transitioning Veterans Fall/Winter 2017 edition.
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