A group of veterans is teaming up to fight wildfires while gaining needed experience to potentially land jobs in the forest industry.
The Chattanooga-based Southeast Conservation Corps fielded a team of veterans this year to form the inaugural Veteran Fire Corps. The program trains veterans interested in working on a fire line to perform burn preparation, conduct controlled burns and fight wildfires.
“One of the big pushes of this program is to take post-9/11 veterans and have us be the catalyst for these federal positions within the wild land fire community,” crew member Alex Neny said.
For training, the crew works in stints, traveling to different locations across the region for several weeks at a time. Crew members traveled to De Soto National Forest in Mississippi in January for their first trip but were limited due to the government shutdown. They returned Feb. 1 for another stint where they received their final certifications.
The entire program lasts three months, with members receiving a weekly stipend to pay for basic necessities. Upon completion, members will have needed certifications and experience to find jobs in the industry.