Nathan Short
Synopsis
After serving in Iraq and overcoming severe injuries from a truck accident, Nathan Short secured medical retirement from the Army and faced challenges finding suitable employment until joining PCSI as a Registered Equipment Management System monitor at Tinker Air Force Base. There, he found a supportive work environment under the AbilityOne® Program, enabling him to thrive professionally and personally, which he credits for his success and stability for his family.
The Full Story
After graduating from U.S. Army Basic Training, Nathan Short spent more than three years stationed at Ft. Sill in Southern Oklahoma, where he drove trucks of ammunition and other supplies. In December 2002—just eight months after the birth of his son, Spencer—Short received orders to go to Iraq.
While stationed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, Short was responsible for picking up trucks off the ships and monitoring the Mobile Tracking System, which tracks convoys and provides secure communication. After a tumor was discovered in Short’s ankle a couple of months later, he returned home on leave. Determined to finish what he started, Short volunteered to return to Iraq, and in February 2004, was stationed in Truckville in Kuwait. There, he ran missions to Ira, trucking supplies between ports and camps.
On April 20, 2004, while returning from Iraq to Truckville, the truck Short was riding in was involved in a major accident after camels crossed the road in front of another vehicle. The accident left Short with intestinal, wrist, hip, foot, and ankle injuries, as well as nerve damage that caused “drop foot,” which means he cannot raise his foot at the ankle. Short returned home in a wheelchair, but learned to walk again later that same year.
At the age of 25, Short secured medical retirement from the Army and began searching for a job. He did a brief stint at a factory and later counseled kids with substance abuse problems at a group home. However, it was challenging for Short to find the right match for his skills, interests, and abilities. That all changed when Short joined PCSI as the Registered Equipment Management System (REMS) monitor for Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. In this position, Short prepares trucks for shipping—the same trucks he previously worked with on the receiving end.
“I can tell you that the day I started working on an AbilityOne contract was one of the most important days in my career,” Short said. “What this act of Congress (Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act) means to me, is that if my leg is hurting it’s fine with my supervisor if I get up and move around…They are flexible when I have to go to doctors’ appointments to get new braces and things. These accommodations have made me successful at my job.”
Short and his wife, Courtney, purchased a new house in Mustang, OK last year. They both work to support Spencer, now five. They also recently assumed custody of a relative’s three-year-old and nine-year-old.
In a recent speech, Short thanked contracting officers and went on to say, “Please remember to think AbilityOne first.” AbilityOne contracts not only help people with significant disabilities, but they have a long history of winning awards for excellence and quality including the Malcolm Baldrige Award, the Military Dining Facility Hennessy Award, the US Nichols Award, the GSA Award for Mail Center Excellence, the Ney Food Service Award, the Blue-Ribbon Contractor Award, and the Air Force Eubank Award, just to name a few.
