Gain experience in wildland fire fighting, prescribed burning with Veterans Fire Corps

Editor’s note: This post contains links to jobs that are active at the time of publishing. Positions remain open until they are filled.

Are you a post-9/11 era Veteran aged 18-35 who is transitioning to civilian life and seeking a career-building opportunity with the National Park Service?

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) has an opportunity for recent Vets to join their Veterans Fire Corps (VFC) Conservation Crew.

• Gain practical, hands-on training and certifications related to park management, natural resource management, and wildland firefighting.
• Be a part of a dynamic, fast-paced and hard-working team that performs heavy manual labor to complete a variety of conservation projects throughout the Southeast.
• Regain the sense of purpose and pride you felt in the military by helping to protect our public lands and ecosystems while building camaraderie with other Veterans.

Veterans Fire Corps

Season Dates: Jan. 13 to May 9, 2025

Duty station: Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area at Oneida, TN (ideally, members will live within one hour of duty station).

Status: full-time, seasonal, 17-week, 675-hour AmeriCorps National Service position.

Stipend: $600/week AmeriCorps living allowance, plus $300/week additional benefit ($900/week total, pre-tax, disbursed bi-weekly).

AmeriCorps Education Award: $2,817.14.

Other benefits: paid certifications and trainings related to wildland firefighting, Wilderness First Aid certification, Developing Thinking Sawyers certification, Public Land Corps Hiring Authority Certificate (upon successful completion of hours), $200 fire boot stipend, food and transportation provided while in the field overnight.

Crew: 1 Crew Leader, 1 Assistant Crew Leader, and 5 Crew Member positions available.

• Have an immersive experience with the National Park Service.
• Complete fuels management projects including prescribed burning operations.

No previous experience required, but a general comfort with and prior experience in outdoor environments is preferred.

“Originally from Ohio, my father was in the Air Force, so we moved around a lot. I enlisted in the Navy and served for 11 years as an aviation structural mechanic,” said Rachel Shyu, who served as a Veterans Fire Corps crew member in 2018. “I have always wanted to be a wildland firefighter throughout my service and saw the VFC as an opportunity for getting certifications and experience to help jump start my new career. I feel that this a great program for veterans to help them start new careers while giving back to the communities that we work for.”

All those interested in conservation, land management and firefighting are encouraged to apply.

SECC is a program of Conservation Legacy. Conservation Legacy also supports other regional offices that serve local communities and Veterans, including Southwest Conservation Corps, Arizona Conservation Corps, Appalachian Conservation Corps, Conservation Corps New Mexico, Conservation Corps North Carolina, Stewards Individual Placement Program and Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps.