Aircraft Worker at URS Federal Services
Former Navy aircraft mechanic’s attention to detail leads to same work, shorter hours at new civilian job.
By Warren Duffie

In Anthony Blathers’ line of work, carelessness can do more than just anger a supervisor or client. It can lead to the loss of a multimillion-dollar plane and even the death of a pilot.

“The Navy taught me the importance of attention to detail,” said Blathers, 33. “That’s probably the most important skill I use on a daily basis.” 

On the Job
The former Navy petty officer second class is an aircraft worker for URS Federal Services – a major federal contractor offering a range of services in areas such as engineering, equipment design and maintenance, and operations management.

Based at Norfolk Naval Air Station, Blathers is an aircraft worker on the E-2C Hawkeye, a long-range surveillance plane. He helps guide the aircrafts out of a hangar so the pilots can take off. When the pilots return and land, he helps transport the planes back inside the hangar. The aircrafts are then refueled, washed and examined for any repair or maintenance issues.

Blathers is part of a 60-person crew splitting time between morning, night and afternoon shifts. He usually works from 0630 to 1500.

“I love the set hours of my job,” said Blathers, who started with URS Federal Services in November. “While the Navy was a great career, the hours were very long, and sometimes you didn’t know when you were going to come home. As a civilian, I know I’ll see my family at the end of the day.”

In Uniform
A native of Florence, S.C., Blathers wanted to attend college after high school, but money was tight. The Navy presented an attractive way to learn a trade and travel. After boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, he attended aircraft mechanic school in Middleton, Tenn. He was stationed in Virginia and Georgia.

The Transition
After 14 years, Blathers left the Navy in July 2010. Prior to separation, he completed transition classes and conducted a lengthy online job search. He also utilized his network. Since Blathers’ last duty station was at Norfolk Naval Air Station, he knew people who worked for URS Federal Services. One of them told him about the aircraft worker’s position.

“I really liked working at Norfolk and my family was here, so the location really appealed to me,” Blathers said. “Plus, I loved that I could do the same thing I was doing in the Navy.

“The hardest part was waiting out the hiring process,” he continued. “I got out in July and was brought on board in November. Waking up that first day without a paycheck was scary. I was actually getting ready to go back to school when I received the phone call from URS, letting me know I got the job.”

Blathers’ Advice:
Start early. “I wish I had started earlier than I did. By the time I knew I had to leave the Navy, I had about a month to get everything in order. It was really stressful.”

Develop a strong network. “Keep in contact with people regularly during and after your military career. You never know what a friendship could lead to.”

“I really liked working at Norfolk and my family was here, so the location really appealed to me,” Blathers said. “Plus, I loved that I could do the same thing I was doing in the Navy.”

What Blathers Likes About His Job

• The set hours.
• Doing what I love to do.
• Being able to provide for my family.

“While the Navy was a great career, the hours were very long, and sometimes you didn’t know when you were going to come home. As a civilian, I know I’ll see my family at the end of the day.”

Did You Know?
URS provides systems engineering and technical assistance to develop weapons systems, and maintain and repair vehicles, aircraft and other military equipment to extend their service life. URS also provides logistics support, installations management and trains military pilots.

URS ranks #4 on G.I. Jobs’ list of 100 Top Military-Friendly Employers. The company employs 9,000 military veterans and is a major contractor to the U.S. federal government. It provides services to more than 20 agencies of the U.S. federal government, including the Department of Defense, NASA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security and intelligence agencies.URS Federal Services