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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.
55
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?
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
Courtesy CAI-NJ.
Georgette Kyriacou
CONT I NU E S ON
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