To celebrate Veterans Day, EM highlights former service members who have joined EM on their journey in civilian work-life.
Name and what you do at EM?
Mark Spurlock. I work at the Savannah River Site as a physical security specialist with oversight of our contractor protective force, Centerra. And I also serve as the federal aviation manager for both our manned and unmanned aviation programs.
What branch did you serve in; when; where stationed? How many years of service?
I was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant from Bowling Green State University Army ROTC and served as an Army Infantry officer from 2008 to 2014. I was stationed at Fort Benning, Fort Knox and Fort Gordon.
Most memorable event/moment during your service?
My 12-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom XI-XII stands out the most because it was when I finally got to put my years of demanding infantry training to use. Our job was to train the Afghanistan Border Police to protect and defend the Afghanistan and Pakistan border in the Paktia province. I’m proud of the work we did and more importantly, I was able to bring all my men back home safely.
How has your military service helped prepare you for the job you do in EM?
As an Army officer, you’re instantly put in charge of 10-300 soldiers and responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of government equipment. Being able to manage people and programs effectively, operate safely and maintain a high level of accountability were skills that I was about to take from my Army time and apply to my positions at the Savannah River Site.
When did you begin working for EM and what got you interested in the cleanup mission?
I started at the Savannah River Site in January 2015 and was immediately drawn to the physical security side of EM operations. You can’t have an effective cleanup mission unless you have highly trained security professionals protecting your assets 24/7. I am proud to be a part of the greater EM mission and the hard work being performed by our security partners on the ground or in the air every day at the Savannah River Site.