The First Armistice Day
On November 11th, Veteran's Day (in the US) and Remembrance Day (in Canada) will be celebrated.
Originally known as Armistice Day, it was originally celebrated as a commemoration of the end of armed engagement in World War I. But this day (a national holiday in both countries) goes well beyond a reminder of how long and painful "the Great War," was. It is a day that serves as a reminder to all citizens of the duty and sacrifices that armed forces members (no matter what branch of service -- Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, etc.) make for their respective homeland's way of Life, safety and security.
Since element14 is community of engineers, we thought we would reflect upon the service that the engineers of the armed forces have provided. While the military engineers are not always on the front lines of action, they make it possible for those necessary operations to be waged successfully in terms of materiel, technical and intelligence support.
Many of those who are engineers today got their first taste of the occupation during their service in the military. If you never served in the military, you may not fully realize that the military has an extensive training and development program in electronics, electrical power, mechanics (gas turbines to nuclear power), IT, radio and radar technology -- the list of training is too long to list here.
These training programs provide highly marketable job skills for ex-armed forces members that often springboard into engineering and technical post-military careers. The military engineers are shining example of the skills that military veterans do possess. I know I benefited from the skills I received in the U.S. Navy. I was in the engineering department on the ships I served on. I ran an electric shop that served the engine room spaces, among others. The engineering skills I learned while I was in the military I use to this day, decades later, albeit in a different capacity as a technical writer. I think my time in the military was highly influential in what I have done in my career after the military. What about you?
How did your military experience influence your subsequent engineering career? Feel free to leave your comments below.
The Life of One Veteran's Service in Pictures
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| As I look at this photo, 30 years after it was taken, I see I look young. Too young, I suppose, to be in the military-- as my Mom believed. But Boot camp not only teaches you to march under the hot sun, but how to adapt and persevere in uncomfortable situations -- the most important skills the Navy gave me. | This was the ship that was my "home" for nearly 5 years. The USS Manitowoc LST 1180. (If you look at the center of the ship and go down a few floors below the waterline, that's where I spent most of my time. In the engineer spaces, which were commonly called "the holes." | How I changed in just a couple of years in the fleet! I'm sitting on the left. The guys standing worked for me. We are in my shop, next to the main engine space. We had been at sea for a long time. Grooming and dress gets relaxed on a deployment. | While my ship was not an aircraft career, it had a flight deck that was large enough to land helicopters typically for food or snail mail. I rode on this class of helo. It's loud, noisey and cold! | This looks like it's taken from the PilotHouse (the top of the ship.) I believe we were crossing the Atlantic. Not a place for people with weak stomachs! As I think back, as scarey as it looks, I never felt I was at risk. | The weather had deteriorated quite a bit in this photo. Not surprisingly, the weatherdecks were off limits in this kind of weather. (This is the photo I never showed my parents, especially my Mom. Most of the time, they did not know where I was.) | I spent a lot of time reading tech manuals late at night. You couldn't go to bed ("hit the rack" in Navy parlance) until everything was fixed. We had a lot of problems with grounds from the wet environment and the erratic power that adversely impacted equipment. I believe this was taken when we were in Beirut, Lebanon.I t was extremely hot and our AC went out. The political situation was unstable. |
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