Rail and the military: the backbone of America
Mark Major
Manager of Yard Operations
Union Pacific
Eugene, OR
1 year in the industry
18 years in the military
Base: Springfield, OR
It's clear that Mark Major, manager of yard operations for Union Pacific (UP) in Eugene, OR, loves serving his country. He spent a decade of active duty as a deep sea diver for the Navy then signed up with the Oregon Army National Guard more than eight years ago. After devoting five years to establishing a ballet academy with his wife, a former ballerina with the San Diego Ballet, it was Mark's turn to pursue a career. He has a degree in criminal justice from National University but for him, choosing to work in the freight rail industry was a no-brainer. “I picked the UP job because second to the military, I look at the railroads as the backbone of American infrastructure,” Major says. “I like working for a company that has so much history. UP goes back to the 1800s; they played a pivotal role in expanding and developing the west.”
Initially concerned the railroad industry hiring was lineage driven, Major instead found freight rail open to finding hires with specific job skills and talents the military tends to develop, like discipline, attention to detail and a serious work ethic. Major's position requires his team to assemble UP's freight trains for the 250-mile stretch from Portland to Klamath Falls, OR, making sure the right freight goes to the right customers, safely and on time. “I'm the problem solver, if we have locomotive or switching troubles,” he says. “If I make a mistake and don't send lumber to the right place, I could put 100 people out of work. It's a lot of responsibility.”
Major's 6-year old son and 2-year old daughter, born right after his last deployment to Iraq in 2009, fill Major's life with fun things like fishing and family time when he's not working. “I love my job, it's satisfying,” he says. “I'm contributing to the economy, and I'm committed to this industry. We take servicing our customers very seriously. We're helping them build America.”
Major has just accepted a job as manager of intermodal operations in Oakland, CA.