Albany Marine Base plans to hire 250 to 350 additional workers

<p>The U.S. Marine Corps is looking for several hundred good fork-lift operators, mechanics, sand blasters, painters and welders. And they won't even have to spend 12 stressful weeks as a recruit in boot camp.</p><p>Albany's Marine Corps Logistics Base has announced plans to hire 250 to 350 additional civilian workers to rebuild vehicles damaged in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq and to handle the increasing demand for armor kits used on Humvees and other vehicles in the combat zones.</p><p>Col. Pete Underwood, officer in charge of the base's maintenance center, said the additional workers will help mostly in filling new orders for armor kits and in refurbishing amphibious assault vehicles.</p><p>"We need a lot more people for this work. That's a good problem to have," he said.</p><p>The maintenance jobs will be full time, one-year positions that could be continued for several years, depending on the center's workload, Underwood said Monday.</p><p>"This is terrific news. We're very excited about bringing more jobs here," said Tim Martin, president and CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce. "This points to the confidence the commandant and the Marine Corps headquarters and the Pentagon have in us."</p><p>Armor kits designed and built in Albany have been cited for saving American lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/8/162229