[thielenjp]

Retired March 1 2020. Work in ready-mix for twenty years, did it all from batching the mud to hauling it. Best job I ever had, bar none. Long days/great money.
The twenty yrs before that worked for a beer distributer. Hauled beer, worked on taps, hung advertising. Didn't pay the greatest but sure had a lot of fun. 😏
Now I do what I want, unless the war dept gives me directions. 🙄

 

[JohnnySako]

I supervise a water / wastewater system for a Village of around 14,000 people. I am more or less on call 24/7 but it is a very rewarding job that I love doing. I have been doing this since 2008. Before that I worked in a factory for 17 years. When it closed I had to go back to school and reinvent myself.

 

[Gunhead]

Retired Chef Mixed of things past, Top shelf to what can you make with this stuff. Collecting from 1989 on.

 

[IronCross13]

Retired from the Marine Corps (2 tours in the sand box). Then worked for Customs and Border Protection. Now happily retired, into military surplus, competitive shooting.

 

[waw44]

Director, Technology Consulting. I charge people a lot of money to build them complex and expensive systems that tell them what they already knew before I showed up.

Started with, primary battle rifles of major WW2 combatants. Now, well... as they say in my business. There was major scope creep...

 

[TheYardbird]

I've been a welder in a factory for going on 4 years, first job and I'm still here.
been a serious collector just a tad shorter of that time

 

[NY50/70]

Retired end of 2014.
Spent 44 1/2 years at IDOT.
Fun job, especially the last 21 as an Operations Field Tech.
Gary

 

[Pardt]

Oil and gas. I have done roustabout, work over rig derrick hand and have been in NDT side of things for a little bit.

 

[bean_counter]

35 years as a cost accountant. Another 4 or so years before retirement. Took about 30 years off from the hobby, have been getting back into it the last year or so. Yeah, I missed the milsurp golden years.

 

[Binderdriver]

Cowboy tanker and now journeyman lineman
Focusing on wwii usgi and stuff around us halftrack

 

[Ready.Fire.Aim]

Worked at a nuke, made electricity. Started as an operations apprentice, retired as an executive.
A fabulous work culture focused on team work, initiative, and merit
The 7/24/365 world of making electricity was stressful as a Manager & exec.

Really interested in collecting arms my relatives carried in WW1 and WW2.
I have my paternal grandfather’s company photo taken in Metz, France after the Armistice , 1917 stacked nearby.
Interested in trying Cowboy Shooting (SASS).

 

[Saturn]

Fleet mechanic, been working for 5 years, started straight out of high school. Gotta love being told "millenials don't want to work" after a 75 hour week to go home and be told "you work too much" by your family.

 

[MasterChief]

1969 ~ 1989: U.S. Navy
1987 ~ 2016: Auto Mechanical Damage (Claim) Appraiser
2016 ~ to date: Fully Retired

MilSurp Collector since 1986.

 

[Ronbo6]

Retired mechanical engineer. More specifically I was a Plant Engineer in a coal-fired Power Plant.

Edit: When I was asked once at work what I felt my ideal job was (it was in one of those touchy-feely meetings many companies believe they need to have from time to time to keep their employees 'happy) , I instantly told them that I would give it all up to be a test pilot for a mattress factory.

Nobody knew what to make of THAT statement.

 

[Speedratchet]

Carpenter

 

[GenZCollector]

Currently a Apartment groundskeeper, but soon to be Industrial Plumber.

 

[Peter_Paul]

Penetration Tester and Detection Engineer

 

[BobM1919]

Did a 4 year stretch in the army, got out and worked construction, got a trade school diploma in electronics.
Spent 35 years in that field, starting as a bench tech and ending as a EE (sans the diploma).
The team I was part of are the guys they called to make the high tech gizmos work in the field, after the eggheads got them running in the lab.
Some of you long term service members might know my work, the computers that control the weapons systems on the anti-missle frigates and the Patriot missile system controller are the most prominent, at least in the public's eye.
In and out of interest in firearms since a teen, no real focus on collecting until the kids got self supporting, after that the interest was spasmodic until I decided that I wanted a shooting example of all the US service rifles from the trapdoor forward.
Pretty much there now, my stuff ain't pretty but all of it will hit what you aim at and it all gets shot at least once a year.
Pre-covid I used to haul it to "Range Days" but that's pretty much done now.

 

[David Murvihill]

I stare at nautical charts all day.

 

[lefty1]

38 years as a building trades Steamfitter. Been a 1/4 " tube bender to nuclear power steam piping welder to heavy rigger. Worked from Nebraska to western Kentucky, met lots of great people and loved every minute. Started as a lowly apprentice and ended as a Superintendent. Retired in 2014 then started collecting. Trying to learn reloading with cast lead (easier on the old body). The knowledge here is mind boggling and much appreciated.