Inspection Trends

Warrior-to-Inspector (War2In) is a nondestructive examination (NDE) trade school and apprenticeship program in Bellemont, Ariz. It offers a three-semester program open to civilian and transitioning military students. The courses include book learning, hands-on learning, and on-the-job training for students seeking an inspection trade specialty. War2In aims to prepare graduates for the employment marketplace and offers robust job opportunities, scholarships resulting in little to no debt upon completion, and competitive wages that typically match the industry’s national average in the first year of employment. Students can also enroll through Coconino Community College in Flagstaff, Ariz., to receive 45 college-transferable credit units for the three-semester program.

Although the school doesn’t offer training directly related to the AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) program, many of the courses are complementary to a CWI’s career, and a large number of CWIs hold these certifications together with their CWI credentials.

Origins

War2In was started in 2015 by Kenny Greene, who has been an American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) NDT Level II in ultrasonic testing (UT), penetrant testing (PT), and magnetic particle testing (MT) since 1989; an ASNT NDT Level III in UT and MT since 1999; and a CWI since 2009. Over the last 34 years, his ASNT, AWS, and International Code Council (ICC) certifications have provided opportunities to work on projects such as the Los Angeles 73-story First Interstate World Center (1989); the 5888-ton Mammoet crane (2008), which is the world’s largest mobile crane; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s 105-story World Trade Center Tower 1 (2010); and the development of a pipeline material verification process that was patented by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

As president and lead instructor of War2In, Greene dedicates the remainder of his career to fostering the next generation of expert inspectors and NDE practitioners.

COURSES OFFERED

General Industry

• Introduction to NDT: 40 hours
• Material Sciences – Metallurgy, Welding, and Corrosion: 40 hours
• Shutdown/Turn Around Job Readiness: 40 hours

NDE Methods

• Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) – Level 2: 310 hours
• Ultrasonic Thickness Testing (UTT) – Level 1: 
  250 hours
• Ultrasonic Shear Wave (UTSW) – Level 2: 670 hours
• Phased Array Ultrasonic (PAUT) – Level 2: 240 hours

Pipeline Integrity Courses

• In-Line Inspection (ILI)/NDE Correlation
• In-Ditch Technician
• Manual External Corrosion Direct Assessment (ECDA)
• Manual Internal Corrosion Direct Assessment (ICDA)
• Creaform Pipecheck Laser Corrosion Mapping
• AUT Automated Ultrasonic Corrosion Mapping
• Long-Seam Identification
• Stress Corrosion Cracking and Critical Crack Sizing

National Certification Exam Prep Courses

• API-QUTE – Qualification of Ultrasonic Testing Examiners (Detection)

Appreciation

War2In graduates and instructors as well as industry professionals are enthusiastic about sharing their experiences with the school.

Graduate Nathan Frady expressed, “War2In isn’t just a training program; it allows individuals to excel and grow as far as they desire. It’s a family for warriors and brothers alike with a new purpose and task as they did in their military careers. This program develops an individual’s character, mind, and body for the better. The owner/lead instructor won’t give up on you, and the staff believes in the principles of honor, courage, commitment, integrity, accountability, and, above all else, standing and helping others.”

Graduate and instructor Angel Alvarez shared, “As I began my journey in 2016 with War2In, it allowed me to become a well-rounded and proficient inspector. Seeing our impact on our students’ lives is the most rewarding part for me as an instructor. War2In allows inspectors to bring students into the field, giving them hands-on work experience and making great students into great inspectors. Accessing a job site and navigating through the different situations unique to each site builds the students’ confidence. They develop the ability to adapt and overcome situations they might face once in the field on the job.”

Industry professional Emilie Peloquin, director of global advanced product support at EVIDENT, said, “It is inspiring to see people like Kenny Greene in our industry, someone who sees an obvious need and rallies to make a change. Kenny noticed that, for a student, it is challenging to gather those precious on-the-job training hours required to progress in their career. He also noticed that many military veterans had perfect profiles for being an NDE inspector: integrity, passion for making the world safer, and a desire to continue contributing to society when returning from their deployments. His love for the NDE industry and his passion for sharing his knowledge culminated in creating a training center that truly cares about the expertise that students gather before heading out into the world.”

William Golliher, a retired U.S. Army combat medic, Purple Heart recipient for combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and graduate of the school, shared, 
“I have a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. I was told by the military and the VA [Veteran Affairs] doctors that I could never go to work or attend school again. I proved them wrong, graduating top of my class and now work for Sonic Systems International doing NDE for the nuclear power industry. Going to War2In helped me, and we had camaraderie and friendships that would last a lifetime. The knowledge and expertise I was provided at the school put me at least ten to 15 years ahead of my peers in the industry with the hours and certifications. It also helped me make it to the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) and receive my Performance Demonstration Initiative (PDI) certification quickly. We owe so much to War2In for helping me be a functional person in society.” 

This article was submitted by War2In (war2in.org), Bellemont, Ariz.