Veterans Are Naturals for Nuclear
Nuclear power has a promising future in the U.S., and the industry needs the skills and values military job seekers learned in the service.
by Kathleen Ganster

Even in tough economic times, there are still plenty of opportunities in some industries for those with military backgrounds. The nuclear energy industry is growing, and with growth comes new opportunities. For those transitioning from military to civilian life, there has never been a better time to look at the industry as a potential career field.

PG&E Has Nuke Jobs
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has many employment opportunities in the nuclear energy field, including openings for engineers, IT project managers and security personnel, according to Micah Van Bogelen, talent acquisition manager – energy supply. PG&E is hiring engineers with mechanical, civil or power engineering degrees, and experts who have worked with regulatory agencies, especially those with a background in economics.

“We hire veterans with experience in Navy nuclear programs, military police, Army Corps of Engineers and officers for the leadership experience into various positions across the company,” Van Bogelen said. There are several jobs that those with military experience are immediately qualified for at PG&E, including security positions and the entry-level nuclear operator positions.

The strong focus on security in the military provides an ideal background for the nuclear energy industry. “Veterans are used to working in an environment where strict adherence to safety guidelines can literally mean the difference between life and death,” Van Bogelen said. “It is a perfect match.”

Teenager Finds Nuclear Niche
Bryan Galvan knew little to nothing about the nuclear energy industry when he joined the Navy at the age of 18, but it turned out to be the path he would take for his professional career. It was a plan that paid off.

Galvan received extensive training for two years and then worked on a nuclear-powered submarine. “I was a nuclear power plant operator by the time I was 20,” he said. “I grew up really fast in the Navy, plus it built up a lot of confidence. I learned so much, so fast.”

Now 33 and an operations foreman for PG&E, Galvan credits his military experience for his excellent preparation in the nuclear field and helping him obtain his bachelor’s degree. After graduation from college, he worked in the research field for two years, but moved back into nuclear power. “My balance of life is better. I like operating the plant, and the pay is very good,” he said.
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Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company provides natural gas and electric service to about 15 million people throughout northern and central California.

Jobs available at PG&E include:
• Nuclear power operators
• Airplane and helicopter pilots
• Emergency response personnel
• Mid- and senior-level managers

Show Me the Money!
Those with experience in the field, and supervisors with five to 10 years of experience typically make $90,000 to $115,000 per year
Armed security officers at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Calif., may earn up to $90,000 per year
Entry level engineers and professionals get paid $65,000 to $80,000 per year
PG&E’s salaries are competitive:
Entry level workers (utility workers) can expect to make $50,000 to $60,000 per year
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Opportunities Are Everywhere
Joe Jensen, 51, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for American Electric Power (AEP), sees unlimited potential in nuclear energy career opportunities. “There are 104 nuclear facilities in 60-plus sites in the country,” he said. “All of these facilities need quality staff. The good news is that there are probably opportunities in a geographical area close to the veteran’s home.”

Jensen said AEP vigorously recruits veterans for its facilities. “There are a number of positions that the military is the perfect feeder for,” he said. “Some of these may be the more obvious – a vast majority of our security staff is military trained – but there are many others.” Positions in operations, chemistry, engineering, electronics and as training instructors also benefit from a military background.

A Navy veteran, Jensen said AEP recruiters like the leadership skills and maturity veterans bring to the company. “They also know how to learn,” he said. “Our nuclear operators are in training one week out of six. This isn’t for everyone, but our veterans are used to it and have a proven track record of success.”

Best Preparation You Can Get
Tony McMutuary, 48, is a work week manager for American Electric Power and a Navy veteran. It is his job to not only coordinate the work for the site, but to make sure everyone is performing safely. “We pay attention to detail and safety in the Navy and that translates into careful attention in this work force,” he said.

Although McMutuary originally planned on a career in the medical field, after the Navy’s aptitude test revealed his natural math and science abilities he was persuaded to pursue nuclear energy instead. “It worked out really well for me and I would recommend it to others,” he said. “I tell young people going into the military to figure out what you want to do when you come out, and then pursue that line of work in the military. It is the best preparation that you can get.”
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American Electric Power

Show Me the Money!
Starting salaries at American Electric Power:
$95,000 and $115,000, plus overtime, for senior reactor operators with 10 years of experience
$45,000 for entry-level operators
$36,000, plus overtime, for entry-level security positions 
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Coming Home
Nothing could have prepared Ivory Byers for a career in nuclear energy better than his Navy background. The 29-year-old operations instructor for Southern California Edison (SCE) said, “In this job, 90 percent of the skills I use, I learned in the Navy. That includes not only my nuclear training, but my leadership skills as well.”

The former lieutenant always had an interest in nuclear power, even as a child, and planned his career before enrolling in the University of California at Berkeley. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, he served as an officer in the Navy, working in nuclear energy.

When Byers separated from the Navy last July, his sights remained on nuclear energy. “I really enjoy what I do. And it is a field that is rapidly growing. Right now, the industry needs more people than they have,” he said.

Byers enjoys the camaraderie of his work environment. “The funny thing is that 75 percent of the people that I work with in this industry were in the Navy,” he said. “It feels like coming home.”

An Early Start
Sara Darling was only 17 when she began her career in the nuclear field. Now 29 and an operations training specialist at SCE, she said, “My mom had to sign the papers for me to join the Navy and she said, ‘I’ll sign if you can show me you will be able to get a job in the field that you are trained in when you get out.’ I chose nuclear and she signed.”

Ironically, after serving in the Navy for five years as a nuclear mechanic, she didn’t look at nuclear energy careers. She thought she wanted a career change, but after five years on the East Coast in sales, she headed back to Southern California where she grew up and back to a career in nuclear energy. Darling wanted to take advantage of her training and education from the military and said the salaries in the nuclear industry are “amazing.”

“There really isn’t anywhere in civilian life that you can get the education and training in the nuclear industry like you get in the Navy,” she said. “I was learning how to run a nuclear power plant at 17.”

Marreena Appleton, staffing manager for Southern California Edison, said SCE values the wealth of experience and skills veterans bring to the company. “Members of the military frequently have skills that are difficult to find in the civilian world and have undergone training that those outside the military have not experienced,” she said. 
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Southern California Edison

Positions at SCE include:
• Office support
• Engineers
• Technical specialists
• Training specialists
• Linemen
• Electricians
• Helicopter pilots
• Mechanics
• Information technology specialists
• Supervisors
• Managers

Show Me the Money!
Salaries vary at SCE depending on position, experience and other factors:
$60,000 per year for professional positions, depending upon the position and level, plus benefits
$25 an hour for skilled labor positions, plus benefits
$14 an hour for some entry level positions, plus benefits
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Motivated and Loyal
“The energy industry is a growing and emerging industry with vast career opportunities,” said John Orfanopoulos, manager of talent acquisition at Westinghouse.

Westinghouse likes to hire veterans not only for the excellent nuclear training but because of their loyalty to their profession and employer, according to Orfanopoulos. “They also tend to be mobile and willing to relocate,” he said. He cited veteran’s strong motivation as another benefit.

Leadership Training Key Asset
Patrick Neuschwanger, 40, is a structural module design engineering manager and has been with Westinghouse since he separated from the Army 10 years ago. The West Point graduate and former Army captain credits his leadership training in the military for his success at Westinghouse. “Initiative, accountability and team leadership are traits that the military promotes and develops. These are consistent with the competencies that Westinghouse uses to develop and evaluate its employees,” he said.

When recruiting staff, he seeks veterans for the same reasons he was hired – outstanding leadership training and motivation.

Like Darling at SCE, Neuschwanger believes the nuclear energy industry is the ideal career field, even in tight economic times. “It’s simple – this is an environmentally friendly energy where we are focusing right now. It has certainly been recession resilient and is rapidly growing.”

John Howard, 39, rotating equipment services shop supervisor and Customer 1st leader at Westinghouse, is a Navy veteran. Like other veterans, Howard believes his nuclear training from the military is priceless. But he also credits the Navy with other attributes for ideal employees. “The leadership growth opportunities and discipline required during my service made it a very easy transition into the corporate sector,” he said.

Howard said he was lucky to choose the nuclear energy industry at the ideal time. “The nuclear renaissance was a small glimmer in 2002. Fortunately, I was able to get aboard with Westinghouse and watch the renaissance happen,” he said. “My experience and Navy training were important factors in my decision to choose this career.”
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Westinghouse

Opportunities at Westinghouse include:
• Nuclear, electrical, mechanical, civil, structural and chemical engineers
• Project managers
• IS/IT professionals
• Field service technicians
• Operational professionals

Show Me the Money!
Salary ranges at Westinghouse vary according to experience:
$90,000 to $115,000 per year for senior level engineers
$60,000 to $75,000 per year for entry level non-management engineers
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Nuclear Nuggets

• There are 104 commercial nuclear power plants producing 20 percent of the electricity in the United States. They are located at 64 sites in 31 states.
• Nuclear energy has one of the lowest production costs – approximately 1.7 cents per kilowatt-hour.
• The energy in one uranium fuel pellet – the size of the tip of your little finger – is the equivalent of 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, 1,780 pounds of coal, or 149 gallons of oil.
• Nuclear energy supplies electricity each year to serve 60 million homes.
• Nuclear energy is by far the nation’s largest source of electricity that does not produce greenhouse gases, providing 73 percent of the electricity from all carbon-free sources, including hydroelectric, wind and solar.
• There are nearly 100 different nuclear medicine imaging procedures available today. An estimated 10 to 12 million nuclear medicine imaging and therapeutic procedures are performed each year in the United States.
• You would have to live near a nuclear power plant for over 2,000 years to get the same amount of radiation exposure that you get from a single diagnostic medical X-Ray.