Courtesy Photo | Indiana National Guard Spc. Ryan Marrero greases the drive shaft of a light medium...... read more read more
By Staff Sgt. Erin Johns
38th Infantry Division Public Affairs
INDIANAPOLIS - National Guard soldiers and airmen, known as military first-responders, assist local and national civilian authorities after disasters, like they did following Hurricane Katrina, the tornadoes that hit southern Indiana in 2012 or during the polar vortex in 2014.
One Indiana Army National Guard soldier's training and experience led to a job with a company the Federal Emergency Management Agency uses to assess how well a community rebounds after a natural disaster, known as the Waffle House Index.
Training has come full circle for Spc. Ryan Marrero, a utility generation repairer with the 38th Infantry Division, because he now works and helps that company's restaurants remain open 24/7.
Starting out the day in the National Guard, Marrero stands at parade rest in formation as his section sergeant calls out assignments for the maintenance section.
"Marrero, shop."
This is where Marrero will spend the day working on service tickets to equipment that require heating, ventilating and air conditioning repairs.
Marrero and his wife moved to Indiana from California four years ago in search of a better life together.
In December 2011 Marrero reported to the Indianapolis Military Entry Processing Station to sign his enlistment paperwork for the National Guard. He said he thought his military occupation specialty was for power generation equipment repairer.
"I really didn't know what my Army job was,” Marrero said “My original MOS was supposed to be a generation repairer, but by the end of the day they told me I was going to be a utility equipment repairer.”
He was assigned a 14-week advanced individual training period as a utility equipment repairer. Marrero knew he was going to repair something but he didn't know what. "I didn't really find out really what that was until I got to AIT," Marrero said.
It can take two years and up to $30,000 to complete HVAC courses and certification in the civilian world, but military recruits can receive general maintenance and vehicle HVAC certifications within 14 weeks.
"There is a test in AIT where we have to make a crazy contraption, hook it up to an airline, and stick it in a bucket of water to see if it leaks. They want to make sure you know what you are doing," Marrero said about his experience at his advanced training.
"I was happy that I had my HVAC certification because it gives you a lot broader area instead of just general maintenance," he said.
When Marrero returned home from training, his certifications qualified him for an apartment manager position that then led to working for Waffle House.
"I love my job,” Marrero said. “When I first started at Waffle House I learned new things just because fixing waffle irons and toasters and a few other things was kind of new to me but fixing some of the smaller refrigeration systems that we deal with was a little bit of a challenge."
Marrero said he loves repairing equipment at nine different Waffle House restaurants throughout Indiana, but he also knows that this career path has growth and opportunity.
"I'll put three to five years in where I'm at currently and then if I'm still happy in five years I’ll just stay where I am," said Marrero.
His prospects are good working in the National Guard as a military first-responder and working for a company that keeps its restaurants open 24/7.
| Date Taken: | 01.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.13.2015 09:07 |
| Story ID: | 151870 |
| Location: | INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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