To celebrate Veterans Day, EM highlights former service members who have joined EM on their journey in civilian work-life.
What is your name, and what do you do at EM?
Keir-Kevin Curry, I am a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management’s (EM) External Affairs Office.
What branch did you serve in; when; where stationed? How many years of service?
I served on active duty in the United States Army for more than 25 years. My duty assignments included tours in San Diego, California; Fort Carson, Colorado; Camp Smith, Hawaii; the Pentagon, Virginia; Fort Lewis, Washington; and Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt, Germany. I also had deployments to Iraq and Thailand.
Most memorable event/moment during your service?
There are many. One that comes to mind was as a member of Task Force 134, which was responsible for coalition detainee operations in Iraq. One of the most notable events was supporting task force operations in preparing for turning over the Abu Ghraib detention facility to the Iraqi government in 2006. This included escorting media to and from Abu Ghraib in a Rhino Runner armored bus. On one particular mission we had a flat tire on the return leg of the trip. The Rhino’s jack didn’t work. Fortunately, our translator found an Iraqi big rig in the line of traffic behind us that had an industrial-sized jack. The Iraqi driver allowed us to use the jack and assisted us in lifting the Rhino so we could change the tire. We all appreciated this spirit of cooperation. All the while we could hear bullets being fired in the distance — thankfully, none at us.
How has your military service helped prepare you for the job you do in EM?
Military service has helped me prepare for working in EM in many ways. One of those ways was with the Army values, which I believe endure beyond military service. They are loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage — all of which contribute to working as a team member toward accomplishing the cleanup mission at our various sites.
When did you begin working for EM, and what got you interested in the cleanup mission?
I joined EM in 2021 because I wanted to be part of the team supporting the world’s largest cleanup mission, which I believe is extremely important for the future of our country and the world. When working at the Pentagon, I became captivated by the energy resilience and operational energy initiatives of the Army supporting strategic communications for the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. So, working at DOE was a great fit.