Ryan Dumont’s sense of duty motivated him to join the U.S. Marine Reserves when he graduated from high school. Once he was in, that same sense inspired him to transition from the Reserves to active duty.

Now a Design Integrator with Haskell’s Automated Manufacturing Systems Division, Dumont joined the Marine Reserves in Marietta, Georgia, and served at the Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

“I had two uncles who served, one in the Navy and the other in the Army, so growing up, I felt a calling to join the military,” Dumont said. “Originally, I wanted to serve as a pilot, but my mind was changed when I realized I did not have the stomach for it.”

Early in his service, Dumont spent several weeks in Latvia as part of an early group assigned to set up equipment and training camps with the Latvian Armed Forces. Once back in the U.S., he concurrently served in the reserves and began work on his engineering degree from Kennesaw State University.

About six months into his service, two unrelated factors created a need for personnel at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany in Albany, Georgia, and Dumont decided to move to active duty.

“A tornado had hit the base, and they needed help to fix it,” he said. “At the same time, the war in Syria was going on, and we were sending a lot of equipment there. Getting people down to Albany to help both events was critical, so I decided to walk away from school and go on active duty to help.”

He continued his education and earned his mechanical engineering degree from Kennesaw State. When he suffered a back injury and was medically discharged after about four years of active duty, he was introduced to Haskell at a career fair. He joined the AMS team and works out of the Atlanta office as a design engineer, most recently on the large greenfield Project Eco for E&J Gallo Winery in South Carolina.

“One thing the Marine Corps really taught me was to always work as hard as you can,” he said. “There are always worse conditions, so be thankful for what you have and what you’re dealing with currently. It doesn’t necessarily matter what circumstances you’re in. If there’s a job to be done, sometimes you have to pull yourself up and finish it.”

Dumont said another takeaway from his service was the sense of community.

“The military is great for allowing people to better themselves and work in a team environment,” he said. “I found it to be very fulfilling because, for the most part, every day what you’re doing matters, and it can directly help others.”

On job sites and in the office, Dumont said he found the same spirit at Haskell.

“I really like the people I work with at Haskell and the teamwork we do daily,” he said. “One of the biggest similarities between Haskell and the Marine Corps is teamwork. We work together to get the job done.”

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