Veterans find job training and camaraderie at Veterans Outpost, as drone training program helps them transition to civilian careers, tapping into a booming industry.

GREENVILLE, Texas — On a cloudless February day on the outskirts of Greenville, dozens of men crowded the back porch of a meeting house on a 50-acre retreat to take turns trying to fly drones. 

It was not, however, a week-long hangout to practice a new hobby. It was an opportunity for a group of veterans to learns skills that just might help new post-military careers take flight.

“Different generations, different branches,” said Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient Ryan Loya. “At the end of the day, it’s just one big fraternity. Being able to support each other. Learn from each other and have some fun.”

Veterans Outpost, the non-profit profiled previously by WFAA, offers its acreage as a retreat for military veterans, first responders, and their families. It hosted the Vets to Drones program, founded by Marine veteran Chris Lewis, as a chance to train veterans in the rapidly expanding drone industry. 

“They kind of handed me a box and say hey this is yours,” he said of an early moment in his nine and a half year military career. “I said hey what’s in the box? They said a drone.” 

“Back then, 2011-12, I said what is a drone? Had no idea.”

The next thing he knew, he was launching a “football toss” drone fixed wing called an RQ16 Raven equipped with thermal sensors to help scout and protect convoys in Afghanistan. Once out of the military, he found his calling as the commercial drone industry began to take off.

“I started in infrastructure inspection — power lines, cell towers and construction mapping,” Lewis said.  And with the Vets to Drones program he helped create, he says he found a way to bring other veterans along with him. 

“And before anything else, this is a way for veterans to have a community outside of service.”

The training featured instruction on a range of unmanned aircraft systems, including commercial drones, FPV drones, and larger agricultural drones used to spray crops. Veterans were given the chance to practice operating equipment used in fields such as infrastructure inspection, mapping, and aerial surveillance.

For some attendees, the program offers direction after years of service. Casey Summerhays, who served 25 years in the Navy, traveled from Austin to attend.

“Honestly, I’ve been pretty lost since I got out,” Summerhays said. “And coming to this, even though we’re all from different backgrounds, different services, different timeframes, it’s been really great to be around vets again.”

“I really wasn’t getting anywhere until Vets to Drones helped me out,” he said. “It helped me find my way.”

David Thompson, who established Veterans Outpost, said the gathering reflects the organization’s mission of supporting veterans through job training and shared experiences.

“This is actually amazing,” Thompson said. “This is exactly what we built the Veterans Outpost for,” he said of the variety of events, retreats, and training programs they hope to offer on a regular basis.

Organizers say the drone industry continues to grow, creating opportunities in agriculture, inspection and data collection — fields where veterans’ technical and operational experience can translate well.

“Is something we take pride in,” Chris Lewis said of the training program he brought to Veterans Outpost. “And doing it around this technology makes it a lot of fun too.”