General Foreman at Amtrak
TAP program put petty officer on the right track.
by Warren Duffie 

James Corwin loves his job with Amtrak for several reasons: the pay, camaraderie, challenging atmosphere and powerful machinery. But there’s one thing that trumps even these compelling aspects.

“I spent much of my Navy career on submarines, working 108-hour weeks,” said the former petty officer first class. As a civilian, I’m working 55-hour weeks, allowing me to be a better family man. It’s a great feeling.” 

On the Job
Corwin, 31, is a general foreman at an Amtrak train yard in the Seattle area. Amtrak boasts 21,000 route miles throughout the U.S. and Canada.

As one of eight general foremen in charge of the yard’s 125 employees, Corwin oversees the inspections, maintenance and cleaning of 10 to 15 locomotives and trains. These trains rumble up and down the West Coast and stretch as far east as Chicago.

Corwin works from 2130 to 0800. He starts each shift reviewing work orders and other paperwork. He spends most of his time in the yard making sure project deadlines are met and repairs and other issues addressed. A couple of hours before his shift ends, Corwin meets with the incoming morning crew to discuss remaining problems and concerns.

“It hasn’t been too hard making the switch from submarines to trains,” Corwin said. “They say it takes about five years before you understand every aspect of this business, so I’m progressing just fine.”

In Uniform
Corwin joined the Navy in 1997, hoping to travel and see the world beyond Eugene, Ore. He attended machinist mate’s school in Orlando and submarine school in Groton, Conn. He was stationed on USS Frank Cable, USS Michigan and USS Henry M. Jackson. 

The Transition
Corwin left the Navy in May 2008 after taking several transition classes.

“I found the TAP program to be very useful,” he said. “I heard a lot of people say the classes wouldn’t help, but I took the instructors’ advice and it worked. If you’re thinking about leaving the military, you’ll hear people talk about how scary the civilian world is and how tough finding a job is. Some of those people might not have your interests at heart – they don’t want to lose any military personnel.

“My pay is substantially higher and I’ve been able to make a difference in how things work here,” he said. “I had no problems adjusting, but the most challenging part was the culture shock.”

Corwin's Advice
Don’t believe the hype. “You can have a successful civilian career and make more money. It’s scary leaving the military, but with some planning, you can do it.” 

Remember you’re no longer in uniform. “You’ll be working with a lot of different people as a civilian, some of whom might be anti-military. You can’t just bark orders and expect them to be followed.” 

Use your military skills. “Employers love veterans’ work ethic and sense of mission. We hit the ground running and carry our core values with us.” 

Did You Know?

• Amtrak boasts 21,000 route miles throughout the U.S. and Canada.
• It operates more than 300 trains daily to more than 500 destinations.
• It offers job opportunities in both operational and non-operational categories including customer service, engineering, business development, finance, IT, police, marketing, HR and transportation.