Quality Manager, UASOCS, at URS Ferderal Services
Former Air Force master sergeant uses military expertise to keep unmanned aircraft aloft.
By Warren Duffie

Nowadays when people talk about unmanned aircraft, they often mean reconnaissance planes or drones capable of devastating air strikes. However, Thomas Sawyer has a much grander view of this technology.

“Remotely piloted vehicles have a range of uses, recon missions being just one of them,” said Sawyer, a former Air Force master sergeant. “Today one pilot on the ground can control several aircraft by remote control. This could have a major impact in fighting wildfires, delivering freight or safeguarding our borders.”

On the Job
Sawyer, 40, works every day to help make this a reality as a contractor with 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 Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, Sawyer is a quality manager working within the Unmanned Aircraft System Operations Center Support (UASOCS), a military initiative aimed at enabling pilots and sensor operators to fly unmanned aircraft around the world. UASOCS provides IT and computer support to communications and maintenance crews at Creech.

“I do a lot of quality audits, customer service, writing documentation, and even lending a hand on the help desk,” he said. “The time management and flexibility I learned in the Air Force really help me on a daily basis. I’m also in the process of developing a set of standards and repeatable processes to help us deal with future IT issues particular to this project.”

In Uniform
Sawyer enlisted in the Air Force in 1989. Fresh out of high school, he had no future plans and thought the Air Force would provide discipline and direction.

After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, he completed training at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi and Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado. Sawyer served in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, D.C., and Mississippi.

The Transition
In 2009, after 20 years of service, Sawyer decided it was time to pursue a civilian career. He had already earned degrees from the Community College of the Air Force and Touro University (he earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix this spring). After taking transition classes, he applied to several companies and was hired by SAIC, a contracting firm that does much of the same work as URS.

“I made it a point to highlight my degrees, certifications and technical experience on my résumé,” he said. “Your military experience is important, but it’s a good idea to get as much education as you can before you leave the military.”

Sawyer was assigned to Creech as an systems administrator. When URS took over the contract, he was the training manager. “I had a great transition, no regrets,” Sawyer said. “The hardest part was figuring out what to wear. I was used to wearing a uniform for 20 years.”

Sawyer’s Advice

• Get your education. “I can’t stress this enough. A degree will get you through so many doors.”
• Take your time getting out. “Enjoy your military experience. You’ll miss it when you get out, believe me.”
• Craft an effective résumé. “Take it to transition classes. Have military and civilian friends look at it.”
  

How’d You Get That Job?
In 2009, Sawyer decided to pursue a civilian career.  After taking transition classes, he applied to several companies and was hired by SAIC, a contracting firm that does much of the same work as URS.

“I made it a point to highlight my degrees, certifications and technical experience on my résumé,” he said. “Your military experience is important, but it’s a good idea to get as much education as you can before you leave the military.”

When URS took over the SAIC contract, he was brought on board.

What Sawyer Likes About His Job

• Being able to work independently
• Maintaining high standards of quality
• Working with cutting-edge technology in the field of unmanned flight
  

URS Federal Services
HQ: Germantown, Md.
Employees: 13,000
2010 Revenue: $2.5 billion
www.urscorp.com

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 and installations management and trains military pilots.

URS ranks #4 on G.I. Jobs’ 2011 list of Top 100 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.