I’m Tue Gillen. Before I was assigned to the Cordova Ranger District, I worked as a restorer for eighteen months, and as a substitute schoolteacher on and off for three years. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, I’m surprisingly acclimated to the cold weather here. Because of my experience working in an abandoned mine turned tourist attraction (www.bonneterremine.com), I’m used to being in a rugged environment where you learn as you go. My experience in the Navy as an Operations Specialist has given me a good read of charts (maps).

What do I plan to get out of the experience? Simultaneous service to the country and service to the environment. It will be cold, wet, isolated … and I believe I have a duty to work in it because not many others can handle it. I want to break into the environmental field, and getting my hands dirty is all part of the lineup. Cold, wet, exhausting … I’m looking forward to it.