Ross Shaffer, United States Coast Guard
Aviation Maintenance Technician, Guardian Flight
Ross Shaffer joined the U.S. Coast Guard because he admired the military branch’s dual mission of saving lives and interdicting in the illegal drug trade. As an aviation maintenance technician (AMT) assigned to Coast Guard air stations, he served for 20 years inspecting, maintaining and repairing rotor- and fixed-wing aircraft vital to search-and-rescue missions, as well as personnel and cargo transports.
Shaffer wanted to continue serving the public when he left the military. The mechanical skills he honed over two decades translated perfectly to his new civilian role with Guardian Flight, a member of the GMR family. As a fixed-wing mechanic in the company’s Honolulu, Hawaii, base, he works on aircraft he says are basically the same as in the Coast Guard, only a lot smaller.
He credits his successful transition to a civilian career to his military training and participating in the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) SkillBridge Program, an initiative that helps active-duty service members by providing paid internships, apprenticeships and training opportunities during their last 180 days of service. “It’s a wonderful program that can assist you in getting the experience you need to immediately be an asset to the company on your first day,” he said. GMR is proud to be an authorized provider of the DOD SkillBridge Program, helping service members gain valuable hands-on experience and a pathway into meaningful civilian careers.
What does an AMT do in the Coast Guard?
AMTs inspect and maintain the Coast Guard’s diverse fleet of search-and-rescue aircraft including both fixed- and rotor-wing.
What did you learn in the military that helps in your civilian job?
“Over the course of 20 years, you learn a lot about how to lead a safe and effective hangar deck,” said Shaffer. “Those cross-over to the civilian world in a role like the one I have with Guardian Flight, where safety is a guiding principle of the company.”
Shaffer wanted to continue serving the public when he left the military. The mechanical skills he honed over two decades translated perfectly to his new civilian role with Guardian Flight, a member of the GMR family. As a fixed-wing mechanic in the company’s Honolulu, Hawaii, base, he works on aircraft he says are basically the same as in the Coast Guard, only a lot smaller.
He credits his successful transition to a civilian career to his military training and participating in the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) SkillBridge Program, an initiative that helps active-duty service members by providing paid internships, apprenticeships and training opportunities during their last 180 days of service. “It’s a wonderful program that can assist you in getting the experience you need to immediately be an asset to the company on your first day,” he said. GMR is proud to be an authorized provider of the DOD SkillBridge Program, helping service members gain valuable hands-on experience and a pathway into meaningful civilian careers.
What does an AMT do in the Coast Guard?
AMTs inspect and maintain the Coast Guard’s diverse fleet of search-and-rescue aircraft including both fixed- and rotor-wing.
What did you learn in the military that helps in your civilian job?
“Over the course of 20 years, you learn a lot about how to lead a safe and effective hangar deck,” said Shaffer. “Those cross-over to the civilian world in a role like the one I have with Guardian Flight, where safety is a guiding principle of the company.”
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