In honor of National Military Appreciation Month, we salute all those who are serving and have served our country. We are celebrating our military veteran employees by profiling members of the company’s Armed Forces Energy Partners (AFEP) Business Resource Group. We have an unwavering commitment to recruiting, hiring, developing and supporting military veterans. We are fortunate and proud to have more than 260 military veterans and active service members working for our company. Here are two of our veterans.
Craig Burge, LG&E Safety Manager (Electric Distribution, Transmission and Substations), 7 years
Military service: U.S. Navy, 8 years
What did you do in the military?
The first part of my career I was an aviation structural mechanic working on the F/A-18 Hornet and E-6B Mercury. I later transitioned to the Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary Security Force as a security specialist.
How did your time in the military help you in the job you have now?
My military experience has helped me professionally in almost countless ways. It taught me the importance of teamwork and having a mission-first mindset, both of which emphasize serving something greater than yourself. It also instilled self-discipline, adaptability and the capacity to make decisions under stress. And maybe most important, it taught me you can work really, really hard while still having fun. I’m also very appreciative of the Post-9/11 GI Bill that largely funded my education and helped me develop a new career post-military.
Anything else you want to add about your time in the military?
It was my honor to serve my country in that capacity, but there are many who gave a great deal more. Specifically, those who did not get to return home, and I’m eternally grateful for their sacrifice.
Chris Kluemper, KU Production Supervisor, 12 years
Military service: U.S. Army, Infantry division, 5 years
What do you do for our company?
I work at the Ghent Generating Station as the Production Supervisor for Units 3 and 4. I work with my team to promote a safety culture that is second to none. I manage the day-to-day operations of the units and help work with maintenance on scheduling of daily tasks. I also help plan the outage work that will happen with the units and assist with what LOTO (Lock Out/Tag Out) will need to be in place for certain tasks to be completed safely. I also monitor the units so they run as efficiently and reliably as possible and assist with any other problems as necessary.
How did your time in the military help you in the job you have now?
It taught me many core values, including loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.
What do you want to say to our customers?
I am very blessed and proud to work for this company. I take it very seriously to deliver reliable power in the most efficient way we can – to keep everyone’s lights on and have electric bills at a low cost for our customers. I work with a great group of people and consider myself privileged to help lead the operations team here at Ghent.
