Test Engineer at DRS Technologies
Military mechanic wrenches lucrative new career from a tight economy.  
By Warren Duffie

If it has a motor, Chad Ehnert can fix it – from bomb lifts to fire pumps. But his most important skills don’t involve turning a wrench.

“As a military mechanic, you learn about troubleshooting, prioritizing tasks, communication, and teamwork,” said the Air Force technical sergeant. “Those qualities translate well into the civilian sector.”

On The Job
Ehnert, 35, should know. As a test engineer with DRS Technologies – one of the nation’s premier contracting firms – he’s gone from repairing aircraft equipment to testing electrical devices on Navy ships.

Based at the company’s Milwaukee location, Ehnert and a team of engineers evaluate products and equipment sold to the military and other government agencies. He primarily works with motor controllers and other devices installed aboard Navy vessels.

“I’ll give you two examples of equipment we fix: a motor overload module and a variable frequency device,” he said. “The motor overload module alerts you if a motor is receiving too much electrical current, tripping off an alarm. This protects the motor from breakdown. The variable frequency device controls motor speed by adjusting the amount of electrical voltage being applied.”

Ehnert gets to his job at 0800 and works nine-hour days with every other Friday off. Throughout the day, he attends project meetings, checks equipment specifications, reviews contracts and writes equipment test procedures.

The Company
DRS Technologies builds and maintains computer and electronic systems used by American military forces, intelligence agencies and large contractors. Headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., this FORTUNE 500^® company employs 10,500 people worldwide and earns annual revenues of $3.3 billion.

Its products are featured in Aegis destroyers, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Apache helicopters, and Trident- and Virginia-class submarines. DRS Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica S.p.A., an Italian aerospace and defense supplier.

About 20 percent of DRS Technologies’ employees have prior military experience – and the company values veterans for several reasons. First, the firm deals primarily with military and government agencies. Second, flexibility and a willingness to travel are attractive attributes. Third, veterans usually have a security clearance, which is very attractive to companies serving the Armed Forces.

“We reach out to veterans in a variety of ways including: recruiting at conferences, military career fairs, veteran-focused Web sites and advertising in publications such as G.I. Jobs,” said Allison Bradley, a talent acquisition coordinator for the company.

In Uniform
A Wisconsin native, Ehnert enlisted in the Air Force in 1991. He wanted to go to college, but money was tight and he didn’t want to take on a lot of student loan debt. The military looked like a good option. After boot camp, Ehnert went to Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois for training with aerospace ground equipment.

“I dealt with diesel and gas turbine generators,” he said. “We worked on anything that could be attached to an aircraft, from hydraulic test stands to bomb lifts.”

While on active duty, Ehnert served in South Carolina and Iceland. However, his work schedule was grueling, making it difficult to enroll in college classes. He left the Air Force in 2000, but after the terrorist attacks of September 11th he felt a surge of patriotism and entered the Air National Guard. He spent 2003 in an “unnamed location in the Middle East” and currently serves with the 128th Refueling Wing in Milwaukee.

The Transition
When he returned home in 2004, Ehnert enrolled in classes at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and returned part time to his job repairing construction equipement. In May 2007 he earned his degree in electrical engineering and learned about a great job opportunity.

“I made friends with a professor and told him I was interested in finding a job with a company that worked with the military,” Ehnert said. “One day, he received an e-mail from a friend at DRS and recommended I send my résumé. I did and was hired shortly after that.

“Because I got out in 2000, my transition to DRS Technologies was smooth,” he continued. “I will say, though, that I’m making more money now because of my degree. I actually took a small pay cut when I first left the military. One thing that really attracted me to DRS Technologies was its 401(k) plan. I encourage all veterans to invest in their company plans.”

Ehnert's Advice
Prepare for your transition. “Figure out where you want to live and whether it’s a good job market. You should also set aside money for unforeseen expenses. Civilian life can be expensive.”

Don’t burn your bridges from the military. “These contacts could help you find a job or get your company some new business. Networking is so important.”