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Happy Veterans Day, WECA! Spotlight on two current WECA Apprentices who have served:

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Happy Veterans Day, WECA!

Thank you to our Apprentices, Students, Staff, and Member Contractors who have served.

Spotlight on two current WECA Apprentices who have served:

Joseph Aragon, III
United States Army




This Veteran’s Day, we’re proud to spotlight Joseph Aragon II, a United States Army veteran and third-year Commercial Electrical Apprentice with WECA Member Contractor Reyff Electric Company.

Joseph—who served as a 63B-Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic in Afghanistan and Fort Lewis, Washington during his Army career—says that the Army taught him the principles of strong leadership, excellent worth ethic and the want and need for hard work, and that he’s applied it both in the classroom and on the jobsite during his Apprenticeship.

“I absolutely recommend an electrical career for veterans, and also for those who are going into the military,” says Joseph.

When in the classroom at WECA, Joseph notes that he particularly appreciates the teaching style of Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship instructor James Hall, saying “I really appreciate how much detail he puts into his instruction and willingness to pause to further explain [concepts] to his students who have questions.”

Joseph also suggests to current and future Apprentices that when in doubt or grappling with a rough patch, they “remember the ultimate goal and why you decided to pursue being an electrician," and reminds them that electricians "light the way.”

Thank you for your service, Joseph, and thank you for being part of the WECA family!

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Charles Burnette
United States Army




Another Veteran’s Day spotlight we're proud to share comes to us courtesy of Charles Burnette, a Commercial Electrical Apprentice working for WECA Arizona founding Member Contractor Corbins Electric!

Charles—who served in the Army for two years as an 11 Bravo infantryman stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia—was inspired to enter the trades by his father-in-law.

“I chose electrical because it’s forever changing and growing,” says Charles. “And I like WECA because it’s hands-on learning in the class and in the field, and I get to accumulate hours in the field while getting paid to go to school. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Charles’ favorite thing that he’s learned during his Apprenticeship was “potential” and learning how and why birds are not affected by the current when landing on a power line.

Charles says that current and future Apprentices should “keep an open mind because there is more than one way to do things; who knows—you may learn something new” and says that joining the trades after serving in the Army has “changed my life and given me a new drive to grow and learn.”

Thank you for your service, Charles! We’re thrilled to have you as part of the inaugural WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program!