Meet Tim Arends: TechFlow Business Analyst and US Air Force Veteran. As a Staff Sergeant, Tim served as a Computer Systems Specialist.
Tim, what inspired you to enlist in the military? My grandfather was a 30-year Navy veteran.
Where did you serve? High Wycombe AS (UK), Rittersdorf (Germany), Vandenberg AFB (CA), and Ramstein AB (Germany).
What years did you serve? 1986 to 1998
What do you remember about how you felt the day you enlisted? I was struggling after college and looking for a change.
What does your time in the military mean to you? Opportunity. I did a lot of things during my years of service that I never would have experienced elsewhere.
How did your perceptions of military service change after enlisting/serving? It’s not just a job. There’s a sense of you are doing something really important.
What are some things you remember most about your time in service? I will admit that I was kind of spoiled with my first duty station. There was a comradery among us from the Commander down to the new Airman that I just didn’t find at my other duty stations. Maybe it’s because we were sometimes stuck in an underground bunker for 18-hour days together…or maybe it was something else.
What do you wish people understood about being a veteran? We willingly sacrifice ourselves for the greater good.
Tell us about your path to civilian employment after service. I bounced around to various jobs in the San Diego area for a few years.
How did you end up at TechFlow? Does it have anything to do with your job training during military service? I was on another government contract as a subcontractor. The office had to be open on a holiday and all the subcontractors worked it. At the end of the shift they pulled us into an office and let us know that the contract was terminated and that was our last day. Got a call that evening for an interview with Techflow the next day. Techflow literally fell into my lap and I have been here ever since. That was 17 years ago.