**NINE ENERGY SERVICE** [http://nineenergyservice.com] (http://nineenergyservice.com) Nine Energy Service, headquartered in Houston, is an oilfield services company offering completions, cementing, and wireline services. The company employs 1,000 people based at its facilities in Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Montana, North Dakota, and Canada. Nine faces a challenge in recruiting, selecting, developing, and retaining top talent because the energy industry is very competitive. To combat employee turnover, the company recognizes top performers and gives its employees plenty of opportunity to advance. Nine has had tremendous success recruiting and hiring veterans at Recruit Military Job Fairs throughout the country. And the company has found that its veteran employees often refer other high-caliber veterans to join the team. According to Nine, members of the armed forces have developed valuable skills and attributes that will set them apart and enable them to succeed in the oil and gas industry. These include: * appreciation for executing tasks at the highest level * ability to work odd shifts * ability to work in less-than-ideal conditions * strong mechanical aptitude * appreciation for safety * team approach to solving problems ###A VETERAN SUCCESS | JASON HITCHCOCK Jason Hitchcock spent 27 years in the United States Navy, retiring as a master chief petty officer SEAL. He ended his career as the command master chief for the SEAL Teams East Coast Logistics and Support Unit. He had executive responsibility for over 470 assigned military, DoD civilian, and contracted employees. Hitchcock is now the regional training and development manager for Nine Energy Service. He is responsible for creating and implementing training programs and overseeing the development of careers. He sets performance metrics, evaluates productivity, and helps workers create long-term career plans. “After serving for 27 years, I didn’t want to step into a role where I didn’t think it mattered,” he said. “I chose the oil and gas industry because it seemed like a civilian opportunity to continue to serve. I feel if we as Americans are energy-independent and not energy-reliant on other countries, it plays into our national security at some level.” Keeping an eye on the bigger picture definitely played a role in Hitchcock’s military-to-civilian transition. “Having a reason behind my job search helped me find my first civilian opportunity,” he said. “While my degree was helpful in many ways, to include compensation, I was hired because of the scope of my leadership opportunities and ability to translate that to any task within the company. Hats off to Nine Energy leadership for understanding the talent and yet-to-be-refined skill sets the right military personnel can bring to a company. They invested time into allowing me to learn – and what they showed me was trust, loyalty, and sound judgment.” The oil and gas industry has a lot in common with the military, according to Hitchcock. “As a senior enlisted leader, the things that really stand out for me are my human-resources and interpersonal skills, as well as my understanding of the safety culture in this industry,” he said. “It’s uncanny how similar the oil and gas industry is to the military in certain areas.” He believes that veterans will find a home at Nine Energy Service. “Areas that the United States military excel in such as process improvement, efficiencies, attention to detail, dedication to safety, and dedication to its employees are at the core of Nine Energy. The company absolutely realizes the positive impact that military personnel can have.”