Veterans Green Jobs allowed me to get out of a rut to which I was very accustomed. I have been working in and out of restaurants for the past six years. Frustrated to death, I would apply at least once a week to an alternative form of work. Sadly, I would never get a call back for an interview or even a ‘thank you for applying.’ I had pretty much given up on my job search and resigned myself to the idea that my life was one of servitude. 

This vexed me to no end, because the military had given me all the tools I needed to find a well-paying job, yet no one noticed my ultimate potential. Then I saw an ad for Veterans Green Jobs.

Sean Spurr, Virginia National Guard and Virginia Weatherization Training Program Participant

My mind had been starting to go down the “green” route for some time. I had seen how wasteful human beings can be. I had seen how frustrated people are over gas prices and their energy bills because of consumption. I felt I needed to find a way to make a difference. Veterans Green Jobs laid out a plan that sounded like it would be the right and proper path for me to take if I were to be successful in chasing my dream of change.

At first, the program seemed like a lot of information intake. But the instruction gave us the confidence we needed to keep pushing on toward our common goal. It was very much a team effort, which I enjoyed immensely. I feel all people work better in a cohesive function. 

The training also covered a wide range of other skills that I didn’t even know we were going to learn, but would prove to be very helpful in the job market. The program always catered to our needs if there was an issue or something we felt we needed to learn in collaboration with the initial intent. This allowed us all to be more productive. 

Veterans Green Jobs gives one the ability to be confident that you receive good training to help you find some kind of niche in a variety of markets. I know that I will use what I have learned to either start my own business or work my way up the ladder in a corporation that will allow me to reach the goal that I have set for myself.

Sean Spurr, Virginia National Guard
Virginia Weatherization Training Program Participant

There is something I find rewarding about an early to bed – early to rise, day of hard work. In addition, the Veterans I am lucky enough to serve with, bare the knowledge, functionality, and cohesion of a professional crew with decades of combined experience. We have three more similar hitches leading into the end of August, and I am looking forward to the wealth of knowledge to be attained from such a diverse yet united group of individuals.

On August 24th Veterans Green Corps will be launching its 13-week, Fire Fuels Reduction Program. The program’s overview will include fire fuels reduction & mitigation, noxious tree removal, and forestry and wildfire education projects on Colorado Public lands. Work will include: wild land urban interface thinning; beetle-kill Juniper thinning; Russian Olive and Tamarisk removal; and habitat enhancement thinning projects. Members will receive firefighting and power equipment national standard S-212 and 130/190 certifications.

I need to express thanks and admiration for the dedicated folks at the Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) in conjunction with Veterans Green Jobs for the outstanding opportunities they’ve made available to myself and my fellow Veterans.

If you are a current era Veteran looking for a challenge, and could use some work, don’t hesitate to check the web site and fill out an application.

-Ray Curry
USMC OIF Veteran
Veterans Green Jobs Energy Efficiency Professional

Ray Curry, HEAT Program Participant

After deploying to Iraq, I have many-a-buried-memory of entering strangers’ homes. These invasive orders were to directly ensure the safety of my Unit and myself. However, typically finding nothing of note, they made me feel like a perpetrator. In a detachment of security personnel, we become a tightly-knit fire team, equipped with high-speed gear to ensure the efficiency of our movements and missions.

As a ‘Green Veteran’ I have now been equipped with the training, tools and team for a different much-needed mission. Entering the homes of strangers on a daily basis to conduct home energy audits, I initially felt a hint of apprehension. Knocking on the first door, a 93 yr old woman named Patricia answered and I could immediately see that we shared that apprehension. After brief introductions, noting that we were veterans, I could see a sense of trust and respect begin to establish itself. We found ourselves sitting around the kitchen table, hearing stories and updates on her family members that were and are in the military.

Patricia was more than happy to show us around her home, giving us a brief – yet thorough – history of each room and appliance. As I examined the crawl space under her home, attic, and the rest, I began to feel an overwhelming sense of service and connection, knowing we were going to be able to make sure her pipes didn’t freeze and her heat wasn’t shut off this upcoming winter. I was no longer the perpetrator, but the fixer.

Accurately articulating the myriad of emotions I feel, assisting one family at a time would end in futile attempts. I am encouraged because my fellow participants in VGJ’s HEAT program all share these feelings towards this community. Daily, the second-wind of service re-enters my focus, and I am honored to be a part of the driving force that will tend to our suffering environment, heal our ailing economy, and re-connect and empower our communities.

-Ray Curry
USMC OIF Veteran
Veterans Green Jobs Energy Efficiency Professional

Nick Morgan, HEAT Program Participant

My involvement in Veterans Green Jobs is two-fold: it is a continuation of my unwavering dedication to fellow veterans and highlights my urgent mission of sustainability. I have a brief story to give an example of how needed this training program is for folks wanting lucrative non-military careers.

I have a friend who serves on active duty and has completed 4 tours to various combat zones. A few months ago, he expressed to me that he wanted nothing more than to get out of the Army. On his last tour, he was a victim of an IED attack and suffers a minor disability as a result.

When I asked him if he was going to get a medical discharge, he said he wasn’t going to consider it because he has a child on the way and he wanted the financial stability. He had tried college before joining the regular army and decided that it was not him. Understandably, there seems to be little opportunity in the civilian world for those who have a combat MOS. Fortunately for my friend and other vets with similar situations, Veterans Green Jobs programs like HEAT (Home Energy Auditor Training) and the Veterans Green Corp are available to offer a new set of tools for veterans to quickly assimilate into society within a lucrative field. Involving yourself with fellow veterans who share similarly intense experiences really assists in making this transition smooth.

One thing I have stepped back to consider is where most of our energy comes from and why this is detrimental to our overall sustainability. Not to beat a dead horse, but our over consumption of fossil fuels (non-renewable resources) cannot continue if we intend to preserve our lifestyle for future generations. Stripping away our landscapes to extract coal, going to war for oil, and creating radioactive waste are all highly destructive tasks in which the cost is placed on the backs of average citizens like you and I.

By taking on projects that involve energy reduction and weatherization, we are taking the first step in weaning America off its detrimental energy dependencies. Being cognizant of our everyday actions and the rippling repercussions of said actions, we can take great leaps in gaining our independence, financially and otherwise for future generations. The next step (or rather, a concurrent step) I would submit, is to continue creating technologies that are sustainable, environmentally and economically. I think we can all agree that taking care of this beautiful world of ours is paramount for the perpetuation of our way of life.

Home Energy Auditor Trainees (HEAT), CO June 2009

Geoffrey Talkington, HEAT Program Participant

Henry was thrilled to find out that Joe and I were combat vets from OIF. We were in Alamosa, Colorado doing energy audits for low income residents, as part of the Veterans Green Jobs Academy’s ‘first wave’ cadre of HEAT (Home Energy Audit Training) professionals.

Henry served his country with the US Air Force during the “Cold War”; and has since become disabled by being run over by a drunk driver. He has waited patiently for assistance ever since. You see, he has just bought an old, not-so-mobile home, and is trying to make it better for his teenage daughter and himself.
Henry is a good neighbor, making small improvements were possible, yet his disability challenges him.

The amount of Tier 1 energy improvements we installed has greatly boosted his morale, and will save him money on his subsequent Xcel energy bills. I went over his recent bill with him, as I like to do, because no one has ever stopped to do this for him.

It felt good to help him reduce his energy demand, but more importantly I felt honored to have made an instant friend when Henry sat back, smiled, and said: “Thank you for serving over there. You served so my daughter doesn’t have to.” The bottom line is that we are making a difference, and it is rewarding to connect in such a profound way!

Mike Flaherty, HEAT Program Participant

I just got back from doing my first two home audits with Veterans Green Jobs close partner organization, the Southwest Conservation Corps. It was a lot of fun and very educational. The training we received last week more than prepared us and that knowledge will continue to grow throughout the rest of the training process. We learned how to use thermal imaging devices, conduct a blower-door test (checks for air leakage), and a lot about appliance efficiency.

Going into homes of low-income families to help show them how to lower their energy bills each month is just one tiny drop in the vast ocean of what VGJ can accomplish. I’m not only learning how to conduct home energy audits; I’m learning how to be a leader in the field of Green Energy. I want to continue developing my ideas and see them come to fruition some day in the future. I want to show others how easy it is to make a difference, even if those differences are seemingly slight.

I still have three more audits to do today and I look forward to them. This morning we conducted audits on homes that only had Spanish speaking residents, which lent to some awkwardness. I can’t lie and say it didn’t seem reminiscent of doing home raids in Iraq. I never had to do any home raids, but those in my group that had agreed with me on that notion. The good thing is that you get the chance to actually show them how you’re helping them, and not just terrorizing them in their own home. Though it was hard to explain everything we were doing, I tried to break out some old high school knowledge to communicate better. I suppose I could use some brushing up on my Spanish

Back to my theme for this blog … I have always been told that I possess the qualities of a leader. In my younger days, some had told me that I had a tendency to lead people away from the good of the cause. While some told me that my natural ability to lead is very coveted by those who do not have “it”. I never feel like a leader until the time comes for me to take the reins and lead. I’m 27 years old now, and want to start becoming the leader I never thought I could be, yet others knew I could be. I’m learning more about leading now than ever before. I am now in the position where people are relying on me to lead, and to do well at it. I know I won’t let them down, for they have taken me this far. I have those around me that I look up to and hope to learn more from, and also to maybe teach them a thing or two as well.

Veterans Green Jobs WILL produce leaders for the Green Movement, and I hope to be living proof of that over the course of the next few months and past the next few years.

Mike Flaherty, HEAT Program Participant

Last May, roughly a year ago, I lost my grandfather to heart complications. He was the first grandparent I have lost. He really had a big part in shaping me as a young man and into my adulthood. He always had to be working, doing something to help others or maybe just to keep his idle hands busy. He taught me about work ethic, and doing a job well every time. He taught me about compassion and consideration of others. He taught me how to love those that I care about and always take care of my fellow man.

Papaw was a gigantic influence on who I wanted to be when I “grew up.” At his funeral, I rummaged through my wallet to find some offering to give to him; to place in his casket. All I could find with any sort of symbolism was my old Temporary Active Duty ID card I received when I got out of the ARMY. My grandfather served in the ARMY and always wanted to trade soldier stories with me; anything from sharing basic training experience at Ft. Know to deploying overseas during time of war. In my grandfathers eyes I was always a soldier, and I wanted to remain that way for the rest of my life. I placed my ID card into his casket and whispered to him, with eyes full of tears, “I’ll always be a soldier for you Papaw.”

Nearly a year passed, and I started feeling like I was welching on my deal a bit. I went into a slump and just started working and sleeping and eating and working and not really making much of a difference for the world I live in. Then my friend Garett came back from his training with Veterans Green Jobs. He told me about some of the programs that VGJ was starting. My ears perked right up and I wanted to know more! He told me of programs that will help homeless vets, and vets with drug and alcohol issues, and vets who just need help finding the venue to launch a career after years of military living. I wanted in, and Garett walked me through the process all the way until now.

I’ve nearly finished my first couple of weeks of the HEAT Academy in Center, CO. I have learned a lot and have already seen the kind of good that VGJ can do for people. Most of the guys in the group have stories similar to mine. Life was slowing down to a nearly complete stop and then one day they heard about this VGJ opportunity and things began to look better for us. We all needed this and plan to make even more great things happen!!

I thank Garett for guiding me, Brett for having his vision and sharing it with me and fourteen others, and thank the fourteen others for being such amazing individuals!! We’re all in this together to help bring VGJ to the forefront of the Green America and the entire Green Collared Nation!!

To any vets that are just thinking about joining the cause: please do it, and you can thank me later You learned a lot of great skills in the military, and it’s time to feel useful again and make a real difference in the world! This organization was founded to help guide our nation’s veterans into stable lifelong careers, and they deserve the most help! While the nation often forgets about what we’ve sacrificed, we have each other now to remind ourselves every day that this nation’s veterans can and WILL continue to serve our nation to the fullest! Please take advantage of this opportunity and maybe one day I can shake your hand and thank you for joining the Green Team!

Mike Flaherty is currently a participant in Veterans Green Jobs’ Home Energy Auditor (HEAT) Training Program in the San Luis Valley of Colorado.

Nick Morgan, HEAT Program Participant

As we approach the end of our first week of classroom instruction in Home Energy Auditor Training (HEAT), I feel it’s time to reflect and share my experience thus far. But before I do this, I would like to share a little bit of my background regarding how I came to be involved with Veterans Green Jobs.

I graduated high school in 2002 with a full academic scholarship, a pole vaulting state championship, and an enlistment in the United States Army Reserves. I grew up in a small town in WV and was ready to kick ass and take names in the “real world.” I had one marginally successful semester in college where I studied engineering before I went on to my scheduled Basic Training and AIT. The following semester was going quite well and then, unexpectedly, on Veterans’ Day, I received that infamous phone call….”You’re getting deployed to Iraq. Report to your new unit in two days.” Clearly, I’m paraphrasing but the time frame is accurate.

To make a long story short, I spent the next 16 months deployed to Ft. McCoy, WI and Baghdad (for one year and one week). Upon my return, I struggled focusing on my studies and relating to my fellow college students. I was in and out of school and dead-end jobs until I was recently introduced to Veterans Green Jobs (VGJ). I picked up an AA in business along the way and was accepted back into WVU’s engineering program in fall of 2008. I choose not to pursue professional engineering because my life experience had left me a little anxious, action oriented, and occasionally transient.

With VGJ, I find it greatly beneficial working with fellow veterans who I can relate with, and have fun in an educational environment. Our first dose of course work in ‘Green 101′ was spent in the Utah wilderness and was highly insightful, challenging, and fun. This segment of the program gave me a renewed motivation for the work and a great appreciation for it at the same time.

Following our time in the backcountry, we have buckled down to get into the nuts and bolts of our certification training in Home Energy Auditing (HEAT). The course aims at getting us vets trained and out in the field in a rapid, yet thorough, manner. The exchange of information, camaraderie, and individual growth has been nothing short of inspiring. From here, I look forward to expanding my knowledge of this socially, environmentally, and economically important work. I look forward to working with veterans from all eras and expanding my horizons to improve the livelihood of Americans and citizens of the world.

In Solidarity,
Nick Morgan
fmr. SGT. USAR
A Co. 458th En. Bn., 1st Cav. Div.

Nick Morgan is currently a participant in Veterans Green Jobs’ HEAT (Home Energy Auditor Training) Program in the San Luis Valley of Colorado.

I’ve been driving and fueling buses with biodiesel for veteran and disaster relief organizations since 2004. This work has was inspired by my military experience in the Middle East and hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike. If one believes in the goals of our military mission in the Middle East or in global warming or not, the two issues are connected and there must be solutions if the human race is to survive and prosper.

The fact that America needs the oil that comes out of the Middle East is one of the most significant reasons why we are there today. Spending billions to secure our interests and create stability in the region will continue for some time. This will continue to reduce our ability to respond to natural disasters here at home.

No matter where you fall on the spectrum, three things are true: 1) The amount of oil in the planet is not enough to sustain the world’s economy. Therefore, we need alternative fuels; 2) Having our national guard in another country when we are facing increased number and size of hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters at home requires that we improve our disaster preparedness and response systems significantly; 3) Our economy is in the tank. Whatever we do, it must include making and increasing the amount of alternative energy used in this country to be able to sustain our recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Fix-all solutions to these problems are not known. I certainly don’t claim to know what they are. But, from my own direct experience, I can say without hesitation that we need to get moving in a different direction that is sustainable for the next generation to be better off that ours.

The search for real solutions starts with investment in new ideas. At Veterans Green Jobs we are making investments in new ideas, business models and concepts of rebuilding America sustainably.

Demonstrating alternative energy solutions and adapting them to disaster relief and rebuilding is my mission within the organization. To help accomplish it we are building a biodiesel and solar powered bus with communications technologies to share the Veterans Green Jobs training with the country.

Over the next several weeks I will be documenting the bus retrofit process and discussing the reasons for each component we put in it. I hope that it will be both educational and inspirational for the veterans and the people they will be serving with it’s use as a green disaster response vehicle.

Check back here for updates, follow us on Twitter http://veteransgreenjobs.org/twitter, or check us out on Facebook http://veteransgreenjobs.org/facebook .

After the defeat of the British Army, General Washington submitted his resignation and returned here to fulfill his dream of a quiet agrarian life.  When the Second Continental Congress later called on Mr. Washington to return to serve his country in a new mission, he again answered the call, and led our new republic out of crisis and onto the path of greatness.

When I arrived in Iraq in the summer of 2006, I was an Air Force officer assigned to the Army for a year and handed a rifle—very much a fish out of water.  I was put in charge of a team of ten soldiers and my orders were, “Go figure out who’s blowing up the electrical infrastructure, and figure out how to stop it.”

I quickly realized that if you want to get something done in the military, you empower your soldiers with the right tools, as well as a sense of mission.  Those soldiers figured out how to solve that seemingly insurmountable problem.

Abraham Lincoln once said we have a sacred duty to care for our Veterans.  However, in the last few months we have had more veterans commit suicide than die in combat; while PTSD and traumatic brain injury are reaching epidemic proportions.

As a nation, we continue to experience the consequences of not adequately caring for our Vietnam Veterans.  One in three of our homeless population is a veteran, most from the Vietnam era.

As the unemployment rate of our Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans approaches 12%, nearly 4% higher than that of their non-Veteran peers, we are repeating our past mistakes and failing in our sacred duty.

Though not to Mount Vernon, many of our young Veterans have returned to their homes, but like Washington, their sense of service remains intact.

As we have discussed here today, we have a monumental task ahead to solve this climate crisis, but we also have a group of idealistic young leaders who are accustomed to dealing with ill-defined and seemingly insurmountable problems.

By giving our veterans a new mission, training and a new set of tools, we can fulfill our sacred duty and empower a workforce to lead America out of this epic environmental crisis.

It’s time to call them again to service.

Presentation by Chris Finan at Mount Vernon (President Washington’s home) to America’s New Energy Forum (3/20/09) sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts: http://www.pewtrusts.org/events_detail.aspx?id=50032