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NEW ORLEANS – Each year more than 200,000 service members leave active duty and return to civilian life, but the transition is not the easiest.
Vets to Drones, a nonprofit that helps veterans gain training and experience in the drone industry, is trying to change that by helping veterans find a second career after leaving the military.
Kickstarted by Marine Corps veteran Chris Lewis after a recent trip to California aiding in wildfire mitigation, Lewis knew what it was like to leave the military and search for a new path forward.
“I ended up right back in the civilian world, searching for answers I guess,” Lewis said.
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Chris Lewis, founder of Vets to Drones, watches a drone he is flying. (Chelsea Torres)
Lewis handled drones for a short time while deployed, but realized there’s a bigger future with unmanned aircraft systems. He started Vets to Drones with a fellow Marine who died in 2022, which ultimately pushed him even harder to help other veterans through the organization.
He believes the drone industry is a true fit for military members looking to enter the civilian workforce, adding that many of their field and infantry skills cross over seamlessly.
Vets to Drones has become a pipeline for the drone workforce, while bringing a new sense of purpose and community to veterans.
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When Marine veteran Dusty Lopez left the military, he got into disaster recovery and insurance, then started his own business in insurance claims and assessment.
Lopez came into contact with Vets to Drones at an event after clients asked him if he had drones to help with some of the jobs. That meeting led to a partnership with his company, Struction Solutions.
“I still live by the Marine Corps motto: honor, courage, and commitment,” Lopez said, adding that the branch helped him shape his career outside the military.
Dusty Lopez shows his drone used for several jobs under his business. (Chelsea Torres)
Now, Lopez has nearly a dozen drones for different jobs. One hefty drone, typically used by law enforcement or first responders for security over watch, is tethered and can stay in the air for days at a time.
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Veterans across the country train under Vets to Drones, then become FAA Commercial Drone certified, which leads them to jobs in several sectors.
Through the organization, veterans have participated in search and rescue, helped farmers, guided first responders during natural disasters and provided assistance for security operations, according to Lewis.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida’s landfall in Louisiana, Lewis said they created a 360 view similar to Google Earth, but “from the sky with the drone.”
Dusty Lopez, a Marine veteran, wears his FAA commercial drone pilot vest. (Chelsea Torres)
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Today, Vets to Drones has nearly 8,000 members with hundreds already licensed as commercial drone pilots.
“It’s [an] incredible feeling when I get that phone call [that] says, ‘hey, man, thank you. I had no idea this was a thing. And now I’m able to feed my family with this new skill,'” Lewis said.