While serving for four years in the Air Force as an aircrew life support specialist, Curtis Sigur was responsible for ensuring that all flight and safety equipment was in perfect working order before departure. “I was in charge of inspecting survival equipment on the planes,” he says. From packing emergency items to inspecting survival kits, Sigur paid close attention to detail in order to protect and help many members of the Air Force.

Sigur’s interest in joining the Air Force sparked when he was 18 years old. “I’ve had relatives serve, including my dad who served in the Army, and I had a friend who was in the Air Force. The Air Force just seemed interesting to me,” he says. For his service, Sigur received the Kuwait Liberation Medal for participating in Operation Desert Storm. A prestigious honor, the medal recognizes military personnel who aided in the liberation of Kuwait. In addition to the medal, Sigur also received an Outstanding Achievement Medal for his hard work and leadership in the Air Force.

After he was finished with active duty, Sigur came across the Smyrna Career Center on his way into the store to do some shopping. “I was just walking into the store to look for some vintage items and noticed the sign for the career center and everyone looked friendly inside, so I walked in,” he says. After speaking with the career center facilitators, Sigur was referred to the First Choice Veterans Program, a job training and placement program tailored to meet the needs of military veterans looking to transition from active duty back into civilian life.

While enrolled in the program, Sigur tapped into his military skills of excellent service, precision and organization. He received hands-on job readiness training at the career center, and was put to work assisting visitors at the career center with logging in, building their résumés and searching for job postings online. “Being a part of the program really brought out my skillsets and allowed me to help others look for employment,” he says. Refining his skills within the program, Sigur was steadily preparing himself for his next job opportunity.

Today, Sigur continues to help people. As a corporate trainer for Coca-Cola, he helps associates grow and expand their knowledge. Through the process of onboarding employees, training employees on machinery and updating and presenting procedures, Sigur has been a valuable contribution to the Atlanta-based company for nearly a year.

With hopes to inspire other veterans returning for work Sigur says, “Goodwill is a good place for a veteran to go. It’s good to know there’s an organization like Goodwill to help you and respect you for serving your country. It was a very positive experience for me.

Learn more about Goodwill’s veteran’s programs by visiting: https://goodwillng.org/veteran-programs/.