Achievements to be proud of: military accomplishments from Basin Electric's veterans

They say that the greater the challenge, the greater the sense of accomplishment. For those in the military community, they’ve encountered situations that challenge them in ways most civilians don’t experience. In honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, we talked with four veterans at Basin Electric and asked them to share one of their proudest moments while serving.

Kelby Hovey

Pilot and safety officer at Headquarters
C-12 pilot, North Dakota Army National Guard

As I reflect on proud moments during my time served in the military, my mind is flooded with deployment memories. My team was tasked with flying our C-12 aircraft throughout the Horn of Africa to support ground forces. Each day was different – one day we flew military personnel to remote airstrips while the next flight involved delivering mail (and even turkeys on Thanksgiving). It was gratifying to perform a job that helped others more easily accomplish their mission and improve morale.

Todd Isaak

Lead mechanic at Leland Olds Station
Petty officer third class, U.S. Navy

While anchored in the Gulf of Oman, my ship would have up to four ships on the port and starboard side tied to her. We would sometimes work around the clock to make repairs to make sure ships were 100% battle ready.

One particular job stands out the most. I was assigned to rig out a gas turbine engine out of the engine room. I believe it was on a fast frigate. A ship is engineered and built around the equipment so people were looking at me asking, “How are you getting this thing out of the ship?” My team was able to achieve this task without damaging the turbine or anything else.

Our ship photographer took some photos for our cruise book of us rigging the turbine, and every few years I would look through the book and see a photo of 19-year-old me. It was a proud moment!

Jaime Riddle

Maintenance planning supervisor at Dry Fork Station
Cryptologic technician maintenance E5, U.S. Navy

The proudest moment for me was completing Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) on USS Yorktown CG-48. ESWS was a program were you went and learned all divisions of the ship, both operation and mechanical, on-the-job training, and studying for a final knowledge test on the entire ship. The purpose of this was in war time, if/when something bad happened, you could assist in other areas if needed. After completion, the award is presented by the captain. Completing this enabled the ship to basically have back-up people if something happened in wartime. Then if a certain area needed more people, they had a group of people with knowledge of the entire ship that could fill in if needed. It also gave bonus points which applied to future advancements.

Joshua Wolff

Boiler attendant at Antelope Valley Station
Corporal, North Dakota Army National Guard

One of my proudest moments of my military career isn't for me or my own self acclaim. It came in the eyes of my family and fellow soldiers. I joined when I was 17. A big inspiration for me joining was my father who served in the military himself. I always had an interest in the military, but as I matured it grew stronger. My parents had to sign a waiver for me starting my training while still in high school by doing what they called split ops. I would go to basic training during my summer and come back to graduate high school. They seemed hesitant, but I assured them I was going to do it when I was of age and didn't need their consent. After my first deployment at age 19, you realize that the soldiers you deploy with bond like a family. After the tour was completed, I received a pretty high award for a person of my lower rank. My family was allowed to be there for that ceremony. It was a very emotional time for me to show them that I handled my duty and helped my fellow soldiers. I know I put my family through a mess of emotions with being deployed twice, but it was a proud moment for me. I was able to do something that was honorable.

Thank you to all of the veterans who have served the United States, and a special thank you to those who work for Basin Electric. We are grateful for your service and sacrifice!