When active duty military personnel retire, they become veterans, and that can be a scary thing when the service is all you’ve known. Meet Air Force Major Paul Cummings. You may think of him as a military lifer, but he’s only 40 years old. He joined when he was 18, and now will be a civilian in a few months The thought of that is scary, except for some help from a military program, and the county. Cummings will be seeking a new career, after 18 years in aviation, starting as an air traffic controller…

That’s what he wants to do when he gets out, and thanks to a Department of Defense Program called Skill Bridge, he’s working for the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services. Cummings says he heard about Skill Bridge from one of his buddies, and he thought it was too good to be true…

It’s essentially an internship with the county. Cummings lives in Lake Wildwood with his wife and two small children. He’s been deployed seven times, and is looking forward to spending time at home and watching his kids grow up. He’s hoping the internship will lead to a full time job at Nevada County O-E-S, and even has a job interview on Friday.

–gf