Veterans Day: Eight Skanska employees share their military experience
In honor of Veterans Day, we sat down with eight employees who share about their military experience, including the skills they have gained and how they relate to construction and development, and the best pieces of advice they’ve received in their careers.
In honor of Veterans Day, we sat down with eight employees who share about their military experience, including the skills they have gained and how they relate to construction and development, and the best pieces of advice they’ve received in their careers.
Anthony Tran
- Development Associate at Skanska in Seattle, Washington: 2 ½ years managing certifications for Kaye, a high-rise multi-family project under construction in downtown Seattle
- Former Infantry Officer in the United States Marine Corps: 8 years training, mentoring and leading infantry Marines for overseas deployments
What leadership skills or attributes did you learn in the military that you apply on the jobsite or in your career?
I use the Marine Corps 11 leadership principles I learned at Officer Candidate School every day on the job to help manage our team through stressful and challenging tasks.
What’s the best advice you’ve received in both of your careers?
Start with why. Defining the purpose behind shared tasks enables ownership, responsibility and creative problem solving within a team.
Raul Garcia
- Superintendent at Skanska in Irving, Texas: 2 years supervising, sequencing and coordinating work on construction sites
- Former Combat Engineer in the United States Marine Corps: 4 years handling and training with explosives, demolition, construction and landmine warfare in the Marine Corps; was an Enlisted Instructor at The Basic School in Quantico for 2nd Lieutenants
What leadership skills or attributes did you learn in the military that you apply on the jobsite or in your career?
Accountability, responsibility, time management, and being technically and tactically proficient in your day-to-day tasks.
What is something you didn’t know coming into the construction industry?
I learned more in my first three months being an entry-level project engineer on my first jobsite than I did in four years of college learning about commercial construction. I also enjoyed working in the construction industry more than I thought I would. The feeling of pride that comes with being a part of a team when the job is complete is fulfilling.
Daniel Myrick
- Senior EHS Manager at Skanska in San Francisco, California: 6 years managing Skanska’s safety program
- Former Staff Sergeant in the Army: 9 years performing reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in the Army
What leadership skills or attributes did you learn in the military that you apply on the jobsite or in your career?
The biggest skill I learned in the military is to assume the role of an older sibling—this doesn’t mean that you’re above them, but you should be guiding and teaching those in more junior roles to avoid the mistakes that you’ve encountered and encourage them to try and grow the team. This enables them to eventually take my position and leave the organization in better condition than I found it.
What is something you didn’t know coming into the construction industry?
When it comes to hazard identification and risk management, there is a lot of overlap. The tools that are used for determining risk factors are the same, just different terms.
Neil Moloney
- EHS Manager at Skanska in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania: 8 years overseeing Skanska’s safety program in the Pennsylvania district of the Metro region
- Current Infantry Officer, 1st Lieutenant in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard: 6 years overseeing all logistical, training and maintenance operations for the Infantry Line Company
What leadership skills or attributes did you learn in the military that you apply on the jobsite or in your career?
Being humble and open-minded. Construction and the military are like-minded in the sense that prior to work being performed, a plan must be developed with all parties.
As a young officer in the Army, I relied heavily on the senior enlisted noncommissioned officers that made up my platoon. Their knowledge and experience with tactics, weapons and situations helped me develop a plan that would achieve the mission set forth for us.
As an EHS manager at Skanska, I have subcontractors talk through their plan and rehearse what they will be doing so I can understand it. I then work with them to achieve the task they are performing in the safest possible way.
What is something you didn’t know coming into the construction industry?
The military and the construction world are very similar in the way that they are structured:
- Apprentices in construction, privates in the Army
- Journeymen in construction, noncommissioned officers in the Army
- Foremen in construction, senior noncommissioned officers in the Army
- Project management in construction, officers overseeing the operations in the Army
There is a reason why there are programs like Helmets to Hardhats for transitioning soldiers, because the structure offered in construction is something that transitioning soldiers can adapt to easily.
Michael Richardson
- EEO Compliance Manager at Skanska in Riverside, California: 10 years ensuring compliance with owner goals and requirements
- Former 19 Delta Calvary Scout in the United States Army: 3 years driving an amphibious assault vehicle
What leadership skills or attributes did you learn in the military that you apply on the jobsite or in your career?
Following instructions and listening is critical to working in both the military and in construction.
What is something you didn’t know coming into the construction industry?
I didn’t realize how similar the construction industry is to the military. They’re both dependent on teamwork. It’s also important to stay focused on the task at hand.
Daniel Dalton
- EHS Coordinator at Skanska in Portland, Oregon: 1 year ensuring our teams’ safety on construction sites
- Former Artillery Cannoneer in the United States Marine Corps: 4 years operating artillery pieces, small arms and training in non-lethal crowd control methods
What leadership skills or attributes did you learn in the military that you apply on the jobsite or in your career?
Perseverance on the good and bad days, learning to talk to people, listening to people’s concerns and promptly addressing issues as they arise. Adapting quickly was something I also learned while serving.
What is something you didn’t know coming into the construction industry?
When I came into the construction industry and specifically the safety side of it, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of safety since I was an ironworker. Boy was I wrong—there are rules and regulations that I wasn’t aware of and had to learn and put into practice.
Working in safety has helped me realize some of the mistakes I’d made thinking I was safe. I’ve even passed this knowledge on to my former ironworker coworkers.
Chuck Girten
- Project Executive at Skanska in Riverside, California: 6 years overseeing construction of several projects in southern California
- Former Crew Chief of Combat Aircraft in the United States Marine Corps: 4 years maintaining, launching, recovering, inspecting and certifying aircraft safe for flight
What leadership skills or attributes did you learn in the military that you apply on the jobsite or in your career?
The leadership skills that I learned in the Marine Corps have helped me throughout my construction career. Some that come to mind are leading by example, dealing with conflict, holding people accountable, mentoring younger staff, respecting the chain of command, planning of everyone’s efforts and following through with details.
Creating an environment of trust is critical—trust in your people and your leaders.
What’s the best advice you’ve received in both of your careers?
Never lead anyone to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself. Effort and attitude will outdo talent every day.
Joe Dressel
- Senior Program Engineer – SIS in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania: 2 years managing project budgets, schedules and quality standards
- Current Platoon Sergeant in the New Jersey Army National Guard: 16 years maintaining the cavalry scout platoon’s operational readiness and effectiveness
What leadership skills or attributes did you learn in the military that you apply on the jobsite or in your career?
The military taught me the importance of effective communication. Clear and concise communication is paramount in both my roles. Whether I’m briefing soldiers in the National Guard or facilitating communication between project stakeholders, conveying information accurately and efficiently is vital.
What is something you didn’t know coming into the construction industry?
One thing I discovered when I entered the construction industry was the intricate nature of project management. In the military, leadership and discipline are paramount, but in construction, there's a whole new set of complexities to grasp.
Managing construction projects involves juggling budgets, schedules and contracts, and navigating regulatory requirements, which differs from the military's command structure. I had to adapt my leadership approach to work harmoniously with various stakeholders, including architects, engineers, subcontractors and regulatory authorities.
Moreover, understanding the technical aspects of construction, like architectural and engineering plans, required me to acquire new skills and knowledge specific to the construction field.
Learn more about military recruitment at Skanska.