August2017

G eorgette Kyriacou is currently an active member in the United States Air Force Reserves. While a member of the Air Force Reserves, she juggles her responsibilities with those at her job with FWH and attending school to pursue a degree in surveying. The goal of this interview is to recognize service members and the con- tributions they’ve made in protecting the safety and integrity of our great nation. Q: Thank you for taking the time to sit for an interview, can you fill me in on what branch of the service you serve, how long you’ve been serving our country, and also how long you’ve been affiliated with CAI. A: I am currently serving in the Air Force Reserves, going on 10 years this June. I have currently been affiliated with CAI for the last 5 years. Q: How did you come to decide to join the Air Force Reserves? Was it something you’ve wanted since you were a child? A: Well I’m a first generation American, and I wanted to find an opportunity to serve my country and thank it for all of the opportunities I’ve had in my life. So you could say it was a lifelong aspiration of mine. Q: What exactly does the job entail as a member of the Air Force Reserve, including the responsibilities or require- ments you are expected to fulfill? A: When you’re in the reserves you are required to report at least one weekend [Saturday and Sunday] of every month and a continuous two week period every year. While you are at the base you are expected to perform your specific assigned duty. Q: Being that you have a job at FWH and are currently attending school for your degree in surveying, one could say you are a very busy woman. How difficult is it to juggle this responsibility with those that you have in your everyday life?

maintaining the vessels and housing on base etc. Anytime an issue arose with any of our equipment I was responsible for determining the issue, and making sure it was rectified in a timely manner. Q: One could say you were a first responder in regards to health and functionality of your station? Correct. I was also responsible to sign off on any material recovered by divers that were deemed hazardous materials. We are also required to fulfill training requirements, par- ticularly tactical training, which was emphasized after the events of September 11th. Q: Going from the Coast Guard to working in an engi- neering office must have been quite an adjustment. Upon completing your enlistment, was it difficult to make the transition to civilian life? A: Not really, I enjoyed my time but I was looking for- ward to taking the skills I had acquired and beginning the next phase of my life. Q: Do you feel that skills you acquired during your time in the Coast Guard have helped you in regards to your career as an engineer at FWH Associates? A: Absolutely, I was responsible for an entire depart- ment, I was able to gain skills in project management and the trade skills I learned have correlated directly when it comes to my work with FWH, whether it be inspection, specification preparation, etc. Q: Jay, thank you so much for your time and your service. Any tips to anyone perhaps leaving the service and gear- ing up to enter the civilian work force? A: Most [people] join the military to get something out of it, be it education, trade skills or something along those lines. It is what you make of it, take what you can and make it worthwhile, get something out of your time.

A: Fortunately, you are given a set sched- ule for the year and in the event of a longer deployment you are given ample notice to

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Courtesy CAI-NJ.

Georgette Kyriacou

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