On Veterans Day, our nation will celebrate our American heroes, both active and retired, who sacrifice so much for our freedoms. Not only do they risk their lives for us, but they also dedicate themselves and their families to a life of service—being told where to live, how to live and when to be with the ones they love.
At Newport News Shipbuilding, our more than 25,000 shipbuilders will honor our service members on November 11 just as they do every day—by building the world’s most powerful nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines for our United States Navy. Today, we are home to 21 ships that are in various stages of maintenance, overhaul and construction.
We take great pride in supplying the Navy’s nuclear fleet, but our military support doesn’t end there. We also lend our help to our military women and men, and veterans in particular, by employing them once they exit service.
About 200,000 service members transition to civilian life each year. According to the Pew Research Center, only one in four U.S. veterans have a job lined up after leaving the military.
Newport News Shipbuilding is working to improve that statistic by increasing the number of veterans we hire and retain. This summer, we partnered with the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge Program and hired engineering technician interns Katie Yarboro and Garrett Halman. The internship allows the sailors to experience civilian work life before they exit active-duty service.
Katie and Garrett are conducting testing on Los Angeles-class submarine USS Columbus (SSN 762), currently in dry dock for overhaul work. While some shipyard terminology and work processes are a little different from what they’re used to in the Navy, the work is the same.
Hiring former military is a boon for Newport News Shipbuilding. Who better to help us equip and protect our sailors than those who have served in their boots? Their experience, coupled with the strong work ethic, discipline and ability to perform well under pressure that is typically synonymous with veterans, makes for an ideal shipbuilder. More importantly, military women and men possess a tremendous sense of duty that is imperative to our successful support of the Navy’s mission.
For Both Katie and Garrett, a shipbuilding career provides a predictable schedule, stability and the freedom to make their own life choices - without giving up a life of service.
Garrett said it best. “I am passionate about engineering and currently within three months of finishing my bachelors in mechanical engineering technology. To be able to continue my passion and combine that with the feeling of duty you get by working on a United States vessel is a very rewarding opportunity.”
At Newport News Shipbuilding and in Hampton Roads, we have the unique privilege to interact daily with our military service men and women. But this story resonates beyond our shipyard. Our service women and men are our fathers, sisters, neighbors and coaches who help us succeed every day. The experience veterans gain in the service of our nation makes them skilled contributors to any business. Supporting them is the right thing to do, and the smart thing to do. It is our responsibility as a community, and as a nation, to honor our service men and women on Veterans Day and every day.
Xavier Beale, NNS vice president of human resources and trades administration.
