Expanding Opportunities for Service Members in Transition

The way Naeim Roozbehan sees it, making the successful transition from active-duty military to the civilian world requires hard work, persistence, and a partner who knows the way.

The hard work and persistence came easily to the 24-year-old, who spent five years as a Marine, working as a flight equipment technician on the MV-22 Osprey and reaching the rank of sergeant.

As his partner in the transition , he chose Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Aviation Maintenance Technology SkillBridge program, which connects veterans and those transitioning from the service to career opportunities with committed aerospace industry hiring partners such as AAR, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and Standard Aero.

“I enrolled because I knew it would certainly help me prepare for life after service,” said Roozbehan, who completed the program in November 2020 and is now an aircraft structural mechanic at L3Harris in Greenville, Texas. “It helped me get my Airframe and Powerplant Certificate, which is very, very beneficial to have on the civilian side. Some aircraft jobs require you to have an A&P.”

This innovative program, which already helped dozens of Marines at Camp Lejeune-New River make the leap to great civilian careers, has expanded to include Ft. Carson, Colo., Ft. Bragg, N.C. and Jacksonville, Fla. It’s also available as a virtual program through Embry Riddle’s Hurlburt Field campus in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.

“We’re very excited to see our AMT SkillBridge program continue to expand during these unprecedented times,” said Angela Albritton, Director for Military Relations and Strategic Initiatives. “It’s been a challenging year for the aviation industry, but our industry hiring partners continue to provide mentorship and support to the participants.”

Dr. Ken Witcher, Dean of Worldwide’s College of Aeronautics, said: “The College of Aeronautics is so proud to support our transitioning servicemembers and the aviation industry with this growing, innovative program.”

For Roozbehan, aircraft maintenance was a passion he wanted to pursue beyond the military and the AMT program provided the path he needed. But it was not always an easy road.

 “It was kind of tough due to the fact there were six college courses combined into nine weeks,” he said. “Especially for us marines, who had been away from school for a long time, there was a lot that needed to be done in a short amount of time.”

Roozbehan managed to cope with the learning curve and was quickly able to see benefits coming from other aspects of the course that went beyond earning his A&P ticket.

“It improved my knowledge on aviation,” he said. “Things such as physics, engines, hydraulics, FAA regulations, and much more. Along with that, I also improved my writing and presentation skills, as we would have to write essays and do research in APA style.”

As he got ready to graduate, Roozbehan learned about another Embry-Riddle advantage: Vast industry connections that make the difference in getting a job. A key facet of the AMT program is a guaranteed interview with an industry partner along with resume and job search help from Embry-Riddle’s Career Services team.

“Some of our participants have even received multiple offers of employment, which is fantastic to see,” Albritton said.

It all worked exactly as advertised for Roozbehan. The program gave him additional skills and created a bridge that put those skills to work in the field he was aiming for.

“My advice to future students who plan on attending this course is that all the work and effort you put in will pay off,” he said.