Those Who Served: Greg Culp, U.S. Air Force veteran

Greg Culp’s four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force was great preparation for his current career as Material Handling Manager at EKPC’s Spurlock Station.

When he left the Air Force in 1993 as a Senior Airman, Greg had plenty of experience operating and working on heavy equipment for the 317th Civil Engineering Squadron.

In fact, he helped build a military base in the Middle East, including air strips and tent cities, as the U.S. mobilized for and then fought Operation Desert Storm following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

“The Air Force training I received in heavy equipment helped me my entire life,” Greg says. “It provided a career path. And it taught me a lot of self-discipline.”

A decade after leaving the Air Force, that experience came in handy when he started work for EKPC as a coal yard operator.

Today, Greg oversees equipment operators who move coal and other materials around the power plant to ensure it keeps running 24/7/365, providing power to more than 1 million Kentucky residents in 87 counties.

He frequently applies the discipline and focus he learned in the Air Force, Greg says, especially to when it comes to safety. “In the military, attention to detail can be a very serious matter; and that’s true for us, too.”

And Greg says his service during Desert Storm also helps him maintain his priorities. “I have a greater appreciation for things that really matter in life, like family and friends, and caring about people.”