I went from staring at a computer screen to fighting wildfires, thanks to Forest Corps | Opinion

This March, I was one of 75 AmeriCorps NCCC members to complete my service term with the inaugural Forest Corps cohort. In the last nine months, I’ve fortified lands against the threat of forest fires, led a team through prescribed burns in snowy national forests, become a certified sawyer and received the necessary training to become a Type II firefighter.

It’s hard to believe that this time last year I was wrapping up another 16-hour workday spent seated in front of a computer screen. Serving with AmeriCorps not only offered me a chance to do some good by safeguarding our lands, it opened the door to a completely new career.

Everyone should have the opportunity to gain this type of exposure to a new field. Service forced me to learn, grow and find the courage to lead.

Before joining the Forest Corps, I had recently graduated with a degree in architectural design, which I was eager to use. Studying architecture allowed me to bring my creativity to life, but practicing it had left me feeling trapped. Growing up, my father’s work assignments with the State Department moved our family around the globe, which instilled within me flexibility and a love of exploring. During my workday, I found I had an overwhelming urge to be outside, to work with my hands and to see more of the country.

I stumbled across an opportunity to serve with AmeriCorps NCCC in its new program, Forest Corps, a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. I accepted a team leader position, which involved leading a group of fellow young people (ages 18-26) through our term.

Last June, I moved to the NCCC Pacific Region campus in Sacramento for team leader training. Immediately, we had to complete the “pack test,” a three-mile hike in 45 minutes carrying 45 pounds, to demonstrate that we were physically up to our tasks, which included hiking up mountains and through snow drifts.

We spent the next three weeks learning project management and personnel oversight before our teams arrived, and a new series of training began. We learned how to use specialized equipment, like chainsaws, completed fire courses and bonded with our teammates, with whom we would be serving, sharing a food and supplies budget, traveling and living 24-7. While we were provided with a modest living allowance and education award, the majority of our expenses were covered by our team’s budget.

Our first deployment was in Northern California, where we dug hand lines and thinned overgrown parts of the forest. We learned from skilled professionals and spent our days ensuring that the forest was protected against future fires, which would impact nearby towns, farms and reservoirs.

Toward the end of that deployment, we were called onto the Bear Fire. Working under a local crew boss, we lived in a camp alongside 800 other firefighters, where we protected structures during the fire, made sure the fire was extinguished and helped repair damages. We left the site feeling tired and dirty, but also accomplished and invigorated.

Our team deployed twice more — once in California and once in Colorado. We surveyed areas for old growth, which helped inform timber sales and identify areas needing attention. We worked alongside technicians to repair fences for grazing lands, and with trail crews to remove hazardous trees. We worked with fuels crews to build burn piles to reduce the wood and brush that could otherwise fuel severe fires. Nearby residents, who remembered the destruction caused by a recent wildfire, committed to helping us with this lifesaving work.

Because of current uncertainty within the federal government, our final deployment ended sooner than we’d planned. But the firefighters we were working with made a point to provide us with advanced firefighter training, making it easier for us to access jobs. Six of my teammates will be entering fire management jobs in the coming months.

I joined Forest Corps with a basic desire to try something new. My team and I are exiting our term with stronger leadership skills, new career opportunities and the pride that comes with a job well done. AmeriCorps offered me more than the opportunity to serve, it gave me the chance to realign my career path. This experience has helped me build a future working in the forest, in a job beyond a screen.