Page 19 - HIWT Spring 2016 World of Welding

police chief who was also a senior leader in my unit during Iraq) all
had their reservations about hiring me because of my experiences
in Iraq... but did not want to seem unsupportive of a veteran
“looking for a way back” and handled the situation while walking on
eggshells. For those that know even the most basic things about or
have interacted with me, one thing I am not is docile and calm, but
highly committed, convincing, loyal and unrelenting when setting
my mind to a task.

It would be in the wake of the tough decision to withdraw from law
enforcement as a career path that the opportunity leading me to
HIWT and the vast opportunities for the professional welder would
come to pass, and did so completely out of happenstance.

The road to Hobart

In 2008 while living in New York City I was cast alongside Matt
Damon in the Universal Studios movie, “Green Zone” A film that
dealt with the amalgamation of events surrounding the search
for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in 2003 through my good
friend and confidant Paul Rieckhoff, founder and Executive Director
of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA.org) the
nation’s largest non-partisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans service
organization. For 16 weeks and in 4 countries I relived some of
the most painful experiences of my life with only the realism a 135
million dollar movie could produce. One of my fellow cast mates in
this film was an Air Force veteran of Iraq named Paul Karsko and
we would become very close friends. Close to the point we traveled
across Spain together on days we weren’t filming, went on surfing 2013 HIWT Alumnus Paul Karsko and current student Edouard H.R.
safaris wedged in sidecars of motorcycles being passed on one Glück while working at The Frost School of Music, on the campus of the
lane mountain roads along the coast of Morocco, and even crossed University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida summer 2014.
the Strait of Gibraltar from Africa. That was an adrenaline fix. Paul
was a very tall, rugged son of a New Jersey iron worker, he loved Steel. I had mentioned to him that I had reached my professional
adventure and a good time. Truly the spirit of what people believe breaking point, becoming frustrated with jobs that simply didnt
the American iron worker and welders to be. Paul’s father lost his bring me any joy.
leg in an industrial accident but this never scared Paul away from Being the kind of person that he is , he suggested to find a local
the metal crafting trades. We remained close over the years and in welding program in South Florida, and try it first. If it is something
the spirit of not turning this editorial into a full on book, suffice it I liked, and with a little experience under my belt see if he could
to say we spent many hours on the phone discussing the trials and get me hired at Skyline. I pulled the trigger in January of 2014 and
tribulations of being veterans, learning to adapt, and simply trying enrolled in the night welding program at a local vocational school.
to find a damn profession that we enjoyed. I quickly realized from what Paul described of his HIWT experience
versus what I was learning that the local program wouldn’t give me
In late 2012 Paul mentioned to me that he would be attending what was needed become a successful welder, especially at my age
the Hobart Institute of welding in Troy , Ohio, a program that was of 38. I remained 3 months, just long enough to understand the very
internationally recognized as the reference standard for all process basic fundamentals of the SMAW and GMAW processes, enough
entry level welding training. He mentioned that it was an incredibly to maintain an arc. Paul brought me in to Skyline for an interview
veteran friendly school and that somebody with my artistic interests in late April 2014 and I distinctly remember the shop Foreman, a
and situation would probably find it to be enjoyable and worthwhile. man by the name of John Schlimbach, who was a master fabricator
I made mental note of this, but was not 100 percent sure this saying to me “I am hiring you because of Paul’s work ethic, skills
would be a viable path, let alone the path. I watched happily as and training. he’s vouching for you. I know you don’t have that much
Paul regularly updated all of us with his happiness and occasional experience but all I care is that you are safe, always carry a striker
aggravations during training. It brought me great pleasure to know with you, wear eye protection and are willing to learn and pay
that Paul’s parents retired from New Jersey to Boca Raton a town attention. I understand you aren’t afraid of heights and can read a
one hour north of my home in Coral Gables, a suburb of Miami, tape measure correct?” I responded yes, and John said in his raspy
Florida. Paul had just graduated with his full AWS certifications voice, “well we are going to find out”
from Hobart, and was highly excited that he accepted a job with one
of the largest steel erectors and fabricators in South Florida, Skyline (continued on page 20)

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