Meet Joshua Metzger a U.S. Air Force veteran serving as an AmeriCorps member with the Veterans Fire Corps program at Arizona Conservation Corps.
Tell us a bit about your personal background. Where are you originally from?
I am originally from a small town in central Pennsylvania. I went to Selinsgrove Area High School where I was a member of the marching band, honors choir, and German club. I have been a volunteer firefighter for Dauntless Hook and Ladder Company since I was 15 years old.
Tell us about your military background and why you joined the armed forces.
I served in the United States Air Force as an aircraft hydraulics mechanic (2A655) on the C-17 Globemaster. I was stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, but also spent time deployed at Thumrait, Oman.
I joined the military because public service and sacrifice have always been instilled in me by my parents. I also wanted to be part of something bigger than myself and serve in the world’s greatest military.
What did you do upon initially separating from the military?
After leaving the military, I initially lived with my parents and worked as a butcher’s apprentice in my hometown. I have had many jobs after leaving the military, and I’ve always found them to be too easy and without a sense of purpose.
How did you learn about this program? What interested you or made you want to join?
I learned about this program by researching fire crews after leaving the military. The fact that this program offered such comprehensive work experience and training made it such a good program to move forward in my career.
Tell us a bit about what you’ve done while in the program.
So far, I have worked on projects within the Lincoln National Forest, and Coronado National Forest. These projects have included trail/corridor work, forest thinning projects, and preparation for prescribed burns (including constructing fire lines both with hand tools and saws, and “snag felling” – or bringing down hazardous dead trees and branches). This program has taught me many useable conservation and firefighting skills, like tool maintenance, how to properly handle a chainsaw, and how to construct a fire line with a hand crew. I have earned my Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) certification while serving in this program.
What have you enjoyed about this program? What are the benefits? What have been some of the challenges?
I have enjoyed the structure this program offers and the purpose it puts back into my life. I have been challenged from the very start of this program, both physically, by the work and PT, and mentally, with all the information about the work, forest, and firefighting training.
What are your plans for the future? What do you hope to do after you leave the program?
After this program ends, I plan on working for an Interagency Hotshot Crew during the 2018 fire season. Hopefully, after working for a that type of crew, I can truly become a better firefighter and have a better understanding about how wildfires affect the nation.
What would you say to other recently separated veterans looking to make their next move? What should they know about joining a program like this?
I would tell other veterans that most jobs within the civilian sector will not offer them the profound camaraderie and purpose that a program like this can create. Other veterans should know that they can gain a wealth of knowledge about firefighting and conservation work while serving in this program. They should also know that this program will provide them with a strong set of training and job experience that they can use to advance their career.