18 Header The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 47, No. 5 Member Spotlight continued This photo of a truck used at Klamath County Fairgrounds Tuff Truck competitions was taken from 2003 or 2004 with a disposable camera. At the time, PLSO (thanks to Sue Newsletter) sponsored Joe’s purchase of a 5-point racing harness and neck brace and endorsed the PLSO logo on the side of the truck. That year, Joe got a first-place finish (and a last place from a head-on crash into race obstacles but he did not break his neck in the process so was still a winner!). an engineer.’ And then almost 20 years later, I went back as an adult and got my engineering degree to round things out.” This additional education enabled Young to become a civil engineer officer in the Air Force. Today, he serves as the Base Civil Engineer for Kingsley Field, a role he compares to a federal Air Force version of a public works director. “My squadron is in charge of all facilities operations and upkeep, construction of new infrastructure, contingency training, emergency management, fire emergency services, and the sustainment and repair budget of all the facilities to keep an Air Force installation open for business,” Young explains. While his current position doesn‘t directly involve land surveying, Young‘s passion for the profession has never wavered. “Ever since I started surveying and even when I put it on the back burner for a while to do military service, I knew that someday I was going to return to being a land surveyor. That’s where my passion is, that‘s where my heart is.” With military retirement on the horizon, Young is taking steps to re-enter the surveying profession. He plans to apply for Oregon licensure within the next year and recently rejoined the PLSO as an active member. “I want to refresh all the skills and restart the professional development to get back on track,” he says. “So, when military retirement comes, I can rejoin the surveying ranks.” Ever since I started surveying and even when I put it on the back burner for a while to do military service, I knew that someday I was going to return to being a land surveyor. That's where my passion is, that's where my heart is.
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