My Nonprofit Reviews

My name is Bill Jones and I was the veteran hired to go on tour with Def Leppard during their summer tour with KISS. I was selected among thousands of candidates through the WWP Warriors to Work program, military.com, and the Raven Drum Project.

Before I get to the review portion, I will need to first give a little history as to how the Warriors to Work program has drastically changed my life. I retired medically from the Army in June of 2013. I was medically discharged primarily for PTSD along with some underlying back/neck/shoulder issues. I tried for six months to find work and the only jobs available were either minimum wage or based off of commission. Saying as if I commuted 45 minutes daily to Nashville to work a long day than drive back every evening was a lot to handle, but to do it without pay was worse. I was trying to make it in the life insurance industry and failed miserably.

When I signed up for the Warriors to work program, I was battered and torn. I was simply trying to find some stability. Around mid April, I received an email announcing a job opportunity for the summer with Def Leppard. Saying as if Def Leppard has been a huge impact in my life for over twenty years I jumped on the opportunity. My Warriors to Work rep in the Nashville office assisted me with ensuring my resume was sound and well written. I had no expectations as I knew I was competing with thousands. Eventually, through numerous interviews I was eventually hired.

The experience has been amazing. From being accepted into the Def Leppard family on the first day, to gaining valuable trade skills during the tour, I have proven that a veteran has an outstanding work ethic. I started out not knowing what I would be doing, than was directed to video because I was in a degree program for broadcast media. I was brought under the wing of a very experienced LED technician, learning everything from cabling and assembly, to identifying errors. I was also asked to run a camera during the show. Due to my work ethic, I was promoted to lead camera operator within the first month, and remained so until the tour completed on the 31st of August. Initially, I was supposed to go home after the tour, but I was asked to continue on with Def Leppard for an additional set in Mexico.

I can't thank the WWP enough for giving me that opportunity to be a part of something big. Something that only few have experienced. Without them, I would still be trying to figure out where our mortgage is coming from and how to feed our children. Thank You WWP.