Thank you for your service to our country. Can you explain the branch of military you were in and what your role was?
- During the first Gulf War I entered the US Army after college as a WOFT candidate (Warrant Officer Flight Training) and I graduated from WOC School (Warrant Officer Candidate) in Fort Rucker, Alabama. From there, I went on to Initial Entry Rotary Wing school and graduated flying Huey’s and Blackhawk helicopters. I was then stationed out of Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Pennsylvania.
What is your current position with CMI?
- I am a Senior Health and Safety Specialist and I love it! It’s the best job I have ever had. I get to see so many different industries and provide all kinds of training courses and services. I have always appreciated all things safety and in my current position I have vastly expanded my knowledge base. I knew CMI would be a great place to grow, but now I get to experience it and live it every day!
How has transitioning from military to civilian life impacted your safety career?
- Flying helicopters is a dangerous business. Flying helicopters in the military is even more dangerous. You need to be on top of your game every day, every mission, every flight to eliminate or reduce as many hazards as possible. If you don’t, the consequences are serious, and you do not get a second chance. This lifestyle and philosophy are a natural fit for a career in safety, they go together naturally like “hand in glove”.
How has your military experience benefited your career in health and safety?
- While commanding helicopters, I learned what to look for before taking off and why it was important to find information before launching a mission. If you didn’t, you and your team members could become casualties and statistics, and actually wind up impairing the mission you have been tasked to successfully complete. We take our jobs seriously, and that includes doing equipment inspections where details could never be taken for granted when flying. This should be the same with any safety culture in the military or the civilian world. At CMI I have found a home where I can confidently say we leave nothing to chance, nothing goes unchecked. To err is human, but to learn from past errors is the way we learn and grow and become more diligent. At CMI I have met my “safety match”, our way of life and safety can’t be beat, and we continue to build off one another’s shoulders every single day as we all make CMI the best it can possibly be!
Written by Frank Marino, Senior Health and Safety Specialist and Trainer