FORT SILL, Okla. -- Soldiers getting out of the Army may not have to leave the installation before finding their next career.
Fort Sill Garrison is partnering with national companies who want to train, certify and hire Soldiers, and they want to do it all in what was formerly the RecPlex, now the Industrial Training Center.
Jim Miller, Fort Sill Human Resources director, said the ITC is being used to offer opportunities for Soldiers to train during the end of their military career to gain credentials and licensing and "develop skills to transition into good paying jobs."
"We're going to have multiple players coming in offering our Soldiers as much as they can possibly offer," said Sgt. Maj. Thomas Miller, Senior Military and Soldier for Life program manager.
With 30,000 square feet of classroom and training space, the ITC building was originally designed so Soldiers could learn skills such as woodworking, photo processing and ceramics. Fort Sill leaders are using the layout to invite companies to plug in their programs and offer Soldiers careers.
The Marine Corps Artillery Detachment, 214th Fires Brigade and Soldiers in the Personnel Control Facility transformed the inside of the building by painting it and decorating with donated furniture and equipment which saved the Army $173,000 in renovations.
Any industrial partners brought into the ITC pay for equipment, training, modifications, usage, power, Internet, marketing costs, trainers and commit to hiring veterans into their company with immediate pay.
"It's going to mean landing real meaningful employment. They get training and they get hired by the industry partners," said Sgt. Maj. Miller.
This innovative venture was born from the example leaders at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., put forth.
"JBLM kind of turned the corner. The state was challenged with unemployment; from the amount of veterans that stay in that state and the number of folks who deal with unemployment," said Sgt. Maj. Miller.
Businesses there wanted to help with the unemployment rate, but said they needed to hire people who were trained and certified in the skills they required. That's where the partnership began.
"I think Fort Sill was ready for that next level," said Sgt. Maj. Miller.
He said the main difference is what JBLM did outside of their installation, Fort Sill is doing inside the gates.
This installation led the way in 2012 as the first Army post to fully implement the educational, entrepreneurial and technical aspects of the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act.
Post leaders want to continue that track record of taking care of Soldiers.
New partnerships
Representatives from Teamsters and their contracted partners, ABF Freight, did a site visit at the ITC Oct. 14-15 and representatives from United Association of Veterans in Piping visited Oct. 16.
"Fort Sill has really stepped up and created a space that everyone in the country is going to be looking at. There is no question in my mind. We travel the country with this training to placement program and this is the model that Department of Defense is following; it's the model that Soldier for Life is following; it's the model that TRADOC is following. Those are all the partners who brought us here to Fort Sill. Our goal is to kick off the program here in January and start recruiting Soldiers to go into the trucking industry," said Elizabeth Belcaster, Teamsters representative.
She said the trucking industry has an aging workforce, which will put them at almost a million drivers short of what is necessary to keep the nation's delivery system running.
"Everything has to go and come from somewhere, so the logistics piece of it is what holds up our country. This isn't just a shortage of truck drivers -- it's an economic impact on the entire country."
The company has locations nationally and she said the starting pay is $23 an hour with another $20 an hour minimum in health and welfare packages.
"Truck drivers are very much like first responders on many different levels. Veterans and military seem to be the perfect fit to fill some of those gaps."
Veterans in Piping
Veterans in Piping is going to set up its 18-week course in the ITC to train Soldiers on how to install fire suppression sprinkler systems.
Operating in 48 states, VIP representative retired Maj. Gen. Andy Aadland said the course is a rigorous one, but they have a 100 percent placement rate. He also said some states offer up to a year of advanced apprentice pay for graduating from their program.
"Anyone that's interested in the program, but their command won't allow them to participate, or the dates don't line up for them ... I want to interview those folks and I will personally introduce them to the leadership in the areas they're relocating to," said Michael Hazard, VIP training specialist.
Aadland suggested the training schedule for the course be four days a week leaving the fifth day for Soldiers to reconnect with their units and allow time for outprocessing.
Training for the future
Jim Miller said while the goal is to find careers for Soldiers as they leave the military the process is also a fiscally responsible one for the nation's readiness.
"The Army paid over $500 million in unemployment last year and as we draw down that amount will continue to increase. When you're paying unemployment compensation you're not buying beans and bullets. It works in the interest of national security to not pay that kind of unemployment compensation."
Currently Fort Sill has approximately 1,100 Soldiers in their transition window. Miller said he believes with that amount of people looking for future employment the demand for the ITC will be there.
He added commanders need to understand that while their mission comes first, they should allow their Soldiers to attend the training for the future of the force.
"I would tell the commander two things: One, that we're Soldiers for life. And our responsibility doesn't end when the Soldier separates from the military. Two: How Soldiers return to our communities, Hometown USA, has a tremendous impact on recruiting.
"If their story is a positive story of 'Guess what the Army did for me when I got out? They helped me find a job, they trained me, they got me a great paying job and now we're living comfortably,' that kind of story resonates in a community so they're going to be our best recruiters. You need that kind of testimony when you have an all volunteer Army," said Miller.
While it is in the best interest of the Soldier, Sgt. Maj. Miller said it also works in favor of those looking for quality employees.
"When they deal with veterans they already come with everything they're looking for in terms of discipline; in terms of work ethics; in terms of leadership even the value-based training that they receive. They understand teamwork and in most cases some of these industry partners have the same culture in terms of brotherhood the military has so they are actually a perfect fit."
Jim Miller said they are looking into other industrial partners for Sill's service members and are working with Oklahoma Career Tech to provide local opportunities as well.
"Never before have civilians been invited to come onto the bases and do training. This is a very historic undertaking," said Belcaster.
Soldiers can apply for programs offered in the ITC 180 days out of their ETS date. For more information call the Soldier for Life Program office at 580-442-2222 or visit Building 4700, 3rd Floor on Mow Way Road.
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