Senior Reactor Operator at Progress Energy
‘Silent service’ warrior makes soft landing at Progress Energy nuclear facility.
By Warren Duffie

Working on nuclear reactors can be stressful. But when Travis Rosser faces a daunting challenge, he calls on the skills he developed as a Navy submarine officer.

“Among my Navy duties, I drove the submarine and managed a crew of 30 sailors responsible for making sure everything worked properly,” said Rosser, a former lieutenant. “I learned the importance of teamwork, explaining tasks clearly and getting people to pull together – skills that help me a lot as a civilian.”

On the Job
Rosser, 30, is a senior reactor operator (SRO) for Progress Energy – a Fortune 500® energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9 billion in annual revenues. Progress Energy includes two major electric utilities that serve about 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida.

Rosser works at the company’s Brunswick Nuclear Plant in Southport, N.C. He’s currently training to get his senior reactor operator license. Progress’ training program is broken into three six-month sections. Rosser completed the first session, involving all classroom training, and is currently in the on-the-job phase. The last phase is simulator training. Rosser will complete the program in December 2010 by taking a license exam. If he passes, he’ll receive his SRO license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Rosser works 12-hour shifts four days a week, either from 0600 to 1800 or 1800 to 0600. When he and his fellow shift workers report for duty, they meet with the exiting shift to go over any maintenance issues or concerns. “Because I’m in training, there’s always a licensed operator working with me,” Rosser said. “That way, I have someone I can turn to for guidance and wisdom.”

In Uniform
While attending Tulane University, Rosser – a chemical engineering major – was recruited by the Navy Nuclear Officer Program. After graduating in 2001, he attended officer candidate school, followed by nuclear power school and submarine school. He was then assigned to USS West Virginia, an Ohio-class nuclear ballistics submarine.

In 2006, after three years in the “silent service,” Rosser reported to the U.S. Naval Academy to teach chemistry to first-year students.

The Transition
Rosser left the Navy in June 2008. To prepare, he took transition classes, read numerous books on interviewing and résumé writing, and networked with colleagues who already left the military.

“I knew I wanted to work in the energy field,” he said. “I had interviews with several companies, including Progress. Progress made the best offer, and I liked meeting with them best. They were very polished and professional and seemed focused on finding the best people, training them, and keeping them.

“I took a slight pay cut, but once I complete my training and get my license at the end of the year, I’ll see a substantial increase,” Rosser continued. “The benefits are great as well. They’re similar to those offered by the government and defense contracting companies, so there wasn’t a decline from my Navy benefits.”

How’d You Get That Job?
Rosser left the Navy in June 2008. To prepare, he took transition classes, read numerous books on interviewing and résumé writing, and networked with colleagues who already left the military.

“I knew I wanted to work in the energy field,” he said. “I had interviews with several companies, including Progress. Progress made the best offer, and I liked meeting with them best. They were very polished and professional and seemed focused on finding the best people, training them, and keeping them.

Go on a lot of interviews. “Even if you don’t get the job, it’s good to get the practice.”

Be confident in your military training. “You learned and experienced a lot while in uniform. Civilian companies respect that.”