Military & Veterans

“You may be whatever you resolve to be” by Thomas Jonathan Jackson reminds me a lot of the Garney goal of allowing all employee-owners to reach their full potential because no matter what, you are able to achieve anything you want in life with hard work, a positive attitude, and determination. You are able to write your own ticket in life, even with hardships. If you have goals, hardships make you stronger mentally and physically to succeed.”

“My favorite quote has always been “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory,” from George S. Patton. What translates from my military experience to Garney is the drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of the work we do and holding ourselves to the highest standards, which we know we are capable of. We celebrate our successes, but always look to the next task and search for a better way to do things. Competition with our peers drives team and project success. Most importantly, we look after each other to ensure that all of us make it home at the end of the day.”

“I was stationed in Minot, North Dakota, as an Instrument and Flight Control Systems Craftsman maintaining and repairing B-52 aircraft. I was deployed twice, once to Guam and once to Qatar, along with many TDYs across the nation. After the military, I enrolled in college and got a job with Garney as I pursued my degree in Construction Management. I started as a Laborer and then quickly moved up to Carpenter for the company. I recently just finished my degree and am now a Project Engineer. I am happy that I started where I did because it gave me knowledge of how the field operates and how things get done. Garney has been great to me, and I am very thankful to be with such an amazing company.”

Chris facilitates Garney’s Veteran Employee Resource Group, which consists of several veterans at Garney who proudly served in different branches during different years, love their country, and are committed to the welfare of other veterans. This group meets to discuss topics such as transitioning from military to civilian life, career guidance, hiring recently discharged veterans, and more.

I served as a Field Military Police in Okinawa, Japan, and deployed to Afghanistan from September 2010 to April 2011. My service took me to several countries and offered many life-changing experiences. Garney has supported my transition to civilian life with a strong sense of camaraderie and the ‘I got your back’ mentality. The work is challenging yet rewarding, allowing me to continue serving my community. The Garney ESOP is a great benefit. One of my favorite quotes is Ronald Reagan’s: ‘Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.’