From military technician to data center commissioning

Commissioning tests are written procedures run step by step, with readings recorded and every deviation reported. Sailors qualified on a nuclear plant or a Seabee crew have done this daily.

Electrician's mates (EM) work on switchboards, breakers, motor controllers and generators. Machinist's mates (MM) work on pumps, valves, compressors and air conditioning and refrigeration plants. Seabee construction electricians (CE) install and maintain power distribution and generators, and utilitiesmen (UT) work on HVAC, plumbing and water systems. Air Force and Army electrical and HVAC specialties carry over the same way.

• ●Following written procedures exactly, and stopping when a step does not match
• ●Tag-outs and lockout/tagout on energized and pressurized systems
• ●Watchstanding: logging readings on a schedule and reporting abnormal conditions
• ●Qualification (PQS) on specific equipment and systems
• ●Switchboards, breakers, motor controllers and diesel generators (EM, CE)
• ●Pumps, valves, compressors and AC and refrigeration plants (MM, UT)

Most of what you need to learn is civilian terms. Civilian data centers use terms like switchgear, UPS, ATS, CRAH and chilled water plant, and test against the design documents and the NFPA 70 and 70E codes. Learn those names and map your systems to them. Our commissioning glossary defines the terms.

The other new part is working on a construction site. You test new equipment as contractors finish it, and the issues you find go to those contractors to fix.

• ●Civilian equipment names for the systems you ran
• ●NFPA 70E electrical safety training in civilian form
• ●How a construction project hands off issues to trade contractors
• ●Commissioning levels 1 to 5

The realistic first role is commissioning technician. Our role pages list military veterans as a source for commissioning technicians and commissioning engineers. Senior petty officers and chiefs who supervised testing or ran a division can make the case for commissioning engineer. The commissioning agent role usually takes 10 or more years in commissioning itself.

If you prefer shift-based work at one site, the critical environment technician role on the operations side also lists Navy nuclear and electrician's mates as a source.

Commissioning technician roles list OSHA 10 or 30 and NFPA 70E as required. If your military training did not include the civilian versions, get both before you apply.

• ●OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 Outreach card
• ●NFPA 70E electrical safety training
• ●EPA Section 608 if you worked on refrigeration or AC plants
• ●NETA Electrical Testing Technician certification later, if you stay on the electrical testing side
• ●If you are still serving, DoD SkillBridge lets eligible service members train with a civilian employer in their last months of service

Write every line for someone who never served. Replace ratings and ship systems with the civilian equipment name, the voltage or size, and what you did. "EM2, reactor plant electrical division" becomes "Operated and maintained switchboards, breakers and motor controllers on a nuclear power plant; qualified watchstander."

Keep classified details off the resume. Some data center owners require an active security clearance for certain facility roles, for example at government-region sites. If you hold one, list the level.

When you are ready, join our talent network. Tell us your rating or specialty, the systems you were qualified on and the metros you would work in.

• ●Civilian equipment names, voltages and sizes
• ●Procedures you ran and qualifications you held, in plain words
• ●Supervisory scope: how many people, what you signed off on
• ●Rating, years of service and discharge date in one line at the bottom
• ●OSHA card, NFPA 70E and any EPA 608