To celebrate Veterans Day, EM highlights former service members who have joined EM on their journey in civilian work-life.
Name, and what do you do at EM?
Al Broch. I work in Quality Control Engineering and Requirements Management as a member of the Navarro Research and Engineering Inc. contractor team supporting the Environmental Management Nevada Program.
Tell us about your military journey — branch, years served and duty stations:
I served in the United States Navy from 1986 to 2014. I was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, then San Diego, California. I have 28 years of combined active and reserve service.
Most memorable event/moment during your service?
Being a member of the crew on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CNV-71) when we transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf on the first night of Operation Desert Storm in 1991. I was a member of the bridge navigation team, and it was an intense night of ensuring safe operation of the ship while entering an active conflict zone.
How has your military service helped prepare you for the job you do in EM?
I apply the safety practices and radiological controls training I received in the military to help accomplish our mission at EM Nevada.
When did you begin working for EM and what got you interested in the cleanup mission?
I joined the team in November 2024 and became interested in the cleanup mission after observing the magnitude of the tasks and its importance during prior assignments working with the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department of Energy.