HESPERUS – One of the most difficult challenges for servicemen leaving the military is the re-assimilation into civilian life. However, a small organization in Hesperus is making a big impact.
“It’s hard to go from having so much power as a soldier – what you’re able to do given your job,” said Zachary Dancy, who served six years in the Army National Guard, spending two years as a medic in Afghanistan. “Then going into the civilian world where you might be working at Wal-Mart. To become a civilian again is almost impossible.”
Dancy, 31, is now in his second year as a crew leader for the Southwest Conservation Corps program that trains recently released military veterans to become wildland firefighters. On Tuesday, he ushered in the graduation of 10 new members.
“A lot of these guys are just coming off of deployment,” Dancy said. “I’ve seen firsthand this program work to help them re-acclimate.”
The SCC began training vets to fight forest fires in 2009, and since, more than 250 military personnel have graduated the course, which is a major résumé builder. Executive Director Ron Hassel said about 60 percent of graduates go on to get a professional job in the field. “It’s a transitioning program,” he said. “It’s providing vets the opportunity to serve with vets again. A lot of (vets) are figuring out what’s next in life, and this provides them with the opportunity for growth and development.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for all veterans was 5.3 percent in 2014, about consistent with the national average. But for servicemen who have experienced often emotionally and physically demanding jobs, the challenge of the job search can prove defeating.
“I think a lot of guys have higher expectations that are less realistic,” said Tom Wrobel, who served in the Navy from 2003 to 2010 with two employments in Iraq. “In the military, there’s good pay, but when you step out, you lose experience and have to restart your career.”
Wrobel, 30, found a new vocation through the SCC program. One of Tuesday’s graduates, Wrobel said he hopes to land a job as an initial forest fire responder. But the program also provided the camaraderie he lost when he left the military.
“You get a lot of guys here like me that are combat vets, and everyone knows how to work, and no one complains,” he said. “You put best foot forward and make things happen. And, at the same time, it’s a gateway to a whole ton of jobs.”
Over the last decade, wildfire seasons have continued to grow at alarming rates, with this year’s season the largest on record. Hassel said with resources stretched, the SCC crew is an important factor.
“The program not only provides opportunities for vets, it also helps firefighting units, which is obviously much in need at this point,” he said. “Our crews play a significant role when other firefighters get pulled to Oregon, Washington and California.”
This year’s graduating class worked on fuel mitigation on 220 acres throughout areas in the San Juan Mountains, Cibola National Forest, Santa Fe National Forest and other areas.
“This is just the kind of work that I love to do,” said Dancy, who will be returning for another season. “There’s pride in that. Camping for eight, nine days at a time, using a chainsaw, getting dirty, there’s no better way to have camaraderie. It’s just a great experience.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
