The wireless industry is one of many that provide work opportunities to veterans transitioning from the military to civilian world. This helps contribute to millions of Americans’ collective sense of duty to help those who have served in the military.
Darren Stout—President & Owner of Stout Tower Services —is one such success story and an example of the industry’s capability to provide a space for veterans to contribute to society in a manner different from military service.
From the time he was a young boy growing up in southern Illinois, Stout said he had two interests—being a soldier one day and working in construction. As a combat engineer in the U.S. Army, he had the opportunity to do both those things.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to pursue my passion for construction, whether that be in the military world or now in the wireless industry,” Stout said.
After finishing his eight years of military service—which included a six-month tour during Operation Desert Storm—Stout worked in road and bridge construction, similar to his time in the military. Eventually, he found himself in the wireless industry when he, his brother and a family friend founded a wireless construction company in 2006.
“Truthfully, the wireless part of it was secondary to the construction side of things,” Stout said. “But it’s an industry I’ve grown to love over the past decade.”
In 2012, Stout founded his own wireless construction company Stout Tower Services, a company based in Northern Indiana. He said the skills he developed in the military world have benefitted him tremendously during his time in the wireless industry.
“Being a good soldier means being loyal, trustworthy and honorable,” Stout said, “those are things that transfer well to any job in the civilian world, including the wireless industry,”
Stout said he sees the relationship between veterans and the wireless industry as symbiotic– both can benefit from hiring more former service men and women.
He said his own company is involved with organizations, like Warriors4Wireless, that specialize in training veterans for tower technician jobs. Several of his employees have had military backgrounds.
“A good employee doesn’t have to have military experience, but it’s a definite bonus,” Stout said. “Whenever we’re looking to hire new crew members we give special credence to those who have a military background because it increases our chances of a dependable hire.”
by Benjamin Horvath
November 11, 2016
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