Photo By Ana Henderson | Marine Corps veteran Andy Pinkerton has worked as a welder at U.S. Army Yuma Proving...... read more read more
Subscribe
As the busiest test center in the Army, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) evaluates virtually every piece of equipment a Soldier is likely to put their hands on.
It does this in the natural environment in as realistic a manner as possible. Since items under test are oftentimes inherently dangerous weapon systems, the safety of evaluators is a key factor.
Many of the fixtures and components to support this rigorous testing are not available on the commercial market or need to be extensively modified for YPG’s needs. Whether it is a mock helicopter to serve as a target or a specialized mount to hold a machine gun under test, YPG oftentimes has to conceive of and build elaborate test fixtures to make possible a critical evaluation that Soldiers are counting on. Test fixtures or the items under test themselves sometimes break, too.
One of the people counted on to rapidly repair such items is welder Andy Pinkerton. After serving an enlistment in the Marine Corps, he stayed in his final duty station in Yuma looking for a trade.
“There was this guy I was kind of friends with, and he suggested I check out welding,” he recalled.
He started taking classes at Arizona Western College under instructor Sam Colton, who had worked at YPG for many years. Pinkerton had heard of the proving ground while in uniform but knew little about it.
“I knew of its existence, but he introduced me to the SCEP program where I would actually have a chance to work out here.”
The Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) in place at that time gave students the opportunity to work at YPG full time while pursuing their degree. After graduation, the Army had the option to convert the SCEP participant to a permanent employee. Pinkerton started here in 2005 and has remained ever since.
He’s seen his share of the post’s intense developmental test mission in the years since, from the busiest days of the surge in Iraq to YPG’s current position at the forefront of Army modernization efforts. The shielded metal arc welding he likes best remains the same, but he’s seen technology improve in his shop over the past two decades.
“We have a much better plasma cutting table now,” he said. “The cutting surface is nearly twice as big as our previous one. We can fit a 10-foot by 20-foot sheet on there if we want to, and it also has the ability to drill and tap threaded holes.”
He enjoys working here and has no plans to leave any time soon.
“I’m on the retirement path— if they’ll have me, I’ll keep showing up.”
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2024 09:06 |
| Story ID: | 484263 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 7 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From student employee to career: YPG welder makes his mark, by Mark Schauer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
