JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — They served our country and now they're looking for the next chapter in their career.
It can be hard for transitioning members of the military to equate their job skills from the military world to the civilian world, and in this economy, finding a high-paying job can be all the more difficult.
In this week's Stories of Service, we meet an Army veteran who moved his family to Jacksonville in hopes of a bright future.
For 14 years, Grant Carlton served in the Army as a Blackhawk mechanic. He was even deployed to Afghanistan for seven months in 2014.
"Everyone's a soldier first, everyone has to do that job," said Carlton. "But, our main focus was to make sure those aircrafts are running successfully so they can go save those who are outside the wire."
Carlton's time in the military came to an end in November 2024, and now that he and his family have moved to Jacksonville, he spent an afternoon at a recent Recruit Military event to explain to potential employers how his 14 years in the Army can translate to the business world.
"It's high tempo," said Carlton, "you need to have aircrafts working all the time, that's not a choice. We need to have our Blackhawks ready to go save lives."
Carlton excels under pressure.
"I'm very good at making thousands of pounds of machinery twirling around that leaks constantly fly, I can do that in the civilian sector as well," said Carlton.
After meeting with a few prospective employers, he has an idea of what he would like to do now that he's no longer wearing an Army uniform.
"Definitely focused on aviation, if I had an opportunity to do something with aviation, I'd love that," said Carlton, "I'd love teaching the new generation, teaching my replacements.
Carlton also spent three years as an instructor.
First Coast News thanks him for his service and welcomes his family to the First Coast.
More information on recruiting events for transitioning military and their families can be found here.
The Jacksonville non-profit Operation New Uniform also provides free training for veterans looking to transition from military life to the business world, more information can be found on their website.
If you have a Story of Service that you would like us to profile, send us an email to storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com.