The Fight at Home

Dec. 19, 2024 – A collaborative work ethic. A sense of service. A desire to teach others valuable skills. These are the hallmarks of many veterans but two in particular who’ve used ACE to continue serving their country.

Justin’s Story

When Justin Dendy was in high school, going into the military wasn’t the first thing on his mind.

“Absolutely not,” he remarked.

Ironically enough, he headed to The Citadel – a military college in Charleston, South Carolina – to pursue an education in electrical engineering.

He left during his junior year and headed back to his hometown of Clinton, SC, unsure of where to go. Without many career options to choose from in Clinton, he figured out where he was heading next.

“I ended up joining the military. That was one of the best decisions I ever made,” he said.

He joined the Army in 2006. Through tours of Afghanistan and Iraq, he wore multiple hats – in the skies as a paratrooper and in a special forces unit.

Those experiences cultivated a sense of discipline for Justin, enabling him to return home ready to continue his education.

“I had a bunch of skills, knowledge and training I had been through to know I can accomplish anything,” he said – things such as organizational relationship development, team building and professional leadership training.

When he was back on American soil, he focused on finishing his education in Greensboro, North Carolina. He enrolled at Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC), with an estimated graduation date of December 2025.

Simultaneously, he took a job at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (N.C. A&T) as a machine lab manager. Then one day in 2022, another opportunity came along.

“The department chair at the time got the America’s Cutting Edge program started up,” Justin said. “He asked if I was interested in attending, so I did.”

N.C. A&T was the first ACE hub established outside the testbed area of Knoxville, Tennessee, making him one of the program’s early bootcamp participants.

“This gives students an opportunity to make something,” he said. “A lot of them find it exciting.”

For two years now, Justin has been a key part of the program, training scores of ACE participants. Supporting American manufacturing is his way to continue the fight at home.

Liz’s Story

One woman currently serving in the Air National Guard (ANG) is also an ACE trainer. Liz King leads training at one of the newest ACE sites: Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers’ Coalition (AOMC) in Marietta, Ohio. They got started this year as a spoke of Marshall University.

For the ANG, Liz does medical work as part of a CERFP (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package) unit. Part of her 11-year ANG resume includes trips to Washington, D.C., for every inauguration and State of the Union address.

“We are hazmat, mass casualty, triage medics,” she said. “We can operate a hospital for 72 hours with our own personnel and equipment.”

She began learning welding at Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) in 2016. During a 2018 summer class tour, she got exposed to a local machine shop – and that’s where the love of CNC machining began.

Liz made the most of the opportunity – turning it into a job. She now teaches welding and machining – among other manufacturing-related topics – at WSCO.

Even with all of that under her belt, she pursued an apprenticeship with Tooling U-SME. Part of that journey took her to Marshall University for their machining class – and an America’s Cutting Edge bootcamp.

“Liz was one of our most memorable and outstanding students and such a pleasure to have in camp,” said Carol Howerton, director of workforce development at Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center. “Her love for the craft is contagious and she makes a great role model for other women. Her skills and attention to detail are remarkable, along with her commitment to helping others to learn. “

She joined AOMC this year, where she primarily teaches adults – those starting out in manufacturing and those seeking to upskill. Liz saw a great opportunity to fit ACE into AOMC’s vision and got it started.

“It’s a nice, full circle moment,” she said. “I like to be able to take people from not knowing much to doing things without much supervision.”

Model for other veterans

Despite the geographic separation between Liz and Justin – of over 300 miles – the two share a patriotic pride at home by reigniting a passion for domestic machining and manufacturing in the lives of others.

Some of those they can impact the most are veterans returning to civilian life.

“A lot of the men and women coming out of the military are intuitive,” said Justin. “This would be perfect for them as they transition to civilian life.”

Ms. Adele Ratcliff, director of the DoD’s Innovation Capability and Modernization Office, which funds ACE through its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, stated, “Veterans are used to working with other people and leveraging the critical skills they learn in the military to achieve common objectives. They’re used to giving to our country and ACE is a great pathway to continue serving their country through manufacturing.”

That sentiment has been made clear through the lives of Liz and Justin. Although they have other aspirations in life – including Liz’s job at Micro Machine Works and Justin’s goal of starting a business after GTCC – they’ve found a sense of achievement by showing others a pathway to a fruitful career, whether they’re a student in high school, a current worker, or a veteran returning from duty.

“I needed to find something to do for the next stage of my life,” said Justin. “Now I feel accomplished.”

If you’re in the military community and looking for the next step in your career, start by registering for an ACE online course today. Join over 500 veterans and active duty men and women like Justin and Liz in supporting American manufacturing through ACE.