AEDC's Aaron Wiser: His journey from draftsman to engineer

  • Published
  • By Philip Lorenz III
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  When Aaron Wiser turned 18, like many young people, he found the path to take in life posed more questions than answers.

Throughout high school, Wiser, a draftsman for the ATA Design Engineering Branch, took courses geared toward college, but he still was on the fence about what degree to pursue and college was only a consideration at the time.

Exploring another option, he took a computer aided design and drafting (CADD) class during his senior year in high school. It was the first vocational class he had ever taken in school.

That experience "sparked" his interest in drafting and drove his decision to enroll in Shelbyville Technology Center. He still was on the fence about college and wanted to invest his money appropriately.

After graduating from Shelbyville Tech, Wiser found a job doing CADD work designing houses with a company in Franklin, Tenn. The experience brought him close to considering pursuing a college degree in architecture.

"For three years, that's all we did was design houses," he said. "I was almost ready to go for the architectural side of it, and then a job here came open for CADD."

However, the job opening at AEDC in 2005 changed the course of his life.

"That put [the study of architecture] on the back burner," he said. "Then I realized, I don't think there's anybody doing engineering in my family.

"I didn't really know much about the engineering side of anything. That's when I met people here and that's when I was introduced to it [for] the first time. It really interested me because I like tinkering with things."

Wiser attended Motlow State Community College for two years before transferring to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC).

All of his hard work, both at AEDC and academically, has paid off. Wiser graduated magna cum laude from UTC with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering May 5.

Sharon Carter, deputy of ATA's Project and Design Engineering Branch, is impressed with what Wiser has been able to accomplish while at AEDC.

"Aaron is an excellent drafter who has a great work ethic and is very bright," she said. "He has been going to school almost full-time while still keeping his standing as a full-time ATA employee. Louis [Vanacore], Jeff [Utley] and I believe that he will be an excellent engineer."

Besides balancing a full-time job and a heavy academic load, Wiser also got married five years ago.

"My wife, Amanda, has really been a big help to me through all of this," he said. "I couldn't have juggled all three things at once when I was younger because you just don't have those skills."

He also credits the support and mentoring from his coworkers.

"John McInturff has really been the biggest influence - he's an ATA mechanical engineer," Wiser said. "I'd go over to his house on a Sunday and say 'can you help me explain this engineering problem?'"

John Payne, an ATA electrical designer, also took time to mentor the young man.

"He's been a big influence on me, too," Wiser said. "It's just good to be working around people who you can go and ask, 'well, I've got an electrical problem and I'm mechanical so, how do you work this problem?'"

Wiser's great aunt, Debbie Wiser, is an ATA general clerk for purchasing.

She has watched a boy grow to manhood and mature.

"He has always been a wonderful kid with white cotton hair and a beautiful smile growing up, never caused his parents any trouble," she said. "Professionally he carried over the same traits from his childhood.

"Aaron works hard and will give 110 percent at everything he does. He's been balancing a full-time job on base, going to school and he also got married at some point during such a hectic period of time."

She added, "That's a lot to tackle and take on successfully for anyone, at any age. I'm so proud of him."

Maureen Burke, ATA Facility Design Section manager, has enjoyed working with Wiser.

"Aaron is professional, smart, energetic and a pleasure to work with," she said.

"Aaron works on a variety of CADD projects, from mechanical drawings to civil, architectural and electrical drawings. He is considered one of our top producers in the CADD Department. His efficiency and ability to churn out work is a major contributor to our success at meeting deadlines. He was part of a team to create a very large mechanical piping drawing package for replacement of the VKF raw water line."

Wiser served as the vice president of the UTC chapter of the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society.

"Aaron has been a good vice-president, helping the president with membership duties, and has represented our local chapter to others very well," said professor Gary H. McDonald, Ph.D., P.E, mechanical engineering department head for the College of Engineering & Computer Science at UTC. "I think he will be an outstanding asset to AEDC. First, an engineer in performing the various tests at AEDC, and then later in his career, I feel he possesses the personal and intellectual skills to be a good manager of both people and of technological systems."

Wiser said he isn't sure how he will spend his time now that he has graduated from UTC.

"I have no clue, I could probably find millions of things to fill my time with, but I want to try to relax for a month or two."