"Camaraderie."
"Using the available resources to get the job done."
"Staying with it, non-stop, until you're through."
"Getting out of your comfort zone."
Those are the kinds of lessons more than two dozen Tri-County Electric Co-op employees learned in the military.
"I learned all my skills in that first squadron," Brenden Bass, network engineer, said. "The military, essentially, was a great foundation for what I do here."
Fleet manager Joe Friske said the biggest lesson he learned was to use every available resource to get the job done.
"I have used this skill to purchase vehicles and equipment we needed to replace or add on to the fleet," he said. "Other co-ops are having issues getting vehicles, equipment, and parts because they stayed in their comfort zone."
Bass, an Air Force veteran, helped set up communications systems from ground crews to airplanes, including bombers, jets, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
"You've got to be the best you can be - cutting-edge," he said. "It's pretty important."
Both cite teamwork as the biggest thing that carries over from the military to the co-op's operations - the idea that you have each other's back and you're in it together.
"Without a team, it's very hard to get work done efficiently," Friske said.
The lessons these and other veterans learned in the service of our country now benefit our members, every day.
At Tri-County Electric Co-op, they are recognized and respected for that service.