A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Dennis Odell joined the military to follow in the footsteps of his veteran family members. He also felt a sincere calling to serve and protect this country.
Dennis completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina before serving in Korea. He was then stationed at McNeal Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida before being stationed at George Air Force Base in California. In total, Dennis was in active duty for ten years.
Dennis developed a profound sense of determination in the Air Force. He says the greatest lesson he learned was to never give up, no matter how tough things get.
In addition to this military career, Dennis is also a career Combo Welder – honing his craft, precision, and work ethic over the course of 26 years. “My father was in construction, and I had previous experience before joining the military,” says Dennis. Today, Dennis serves as a Combo Welder for Performance Contractors, growing with the company for more than a year and half.
He says he’s truly grown as a leader in the military and at Performance. In terms of leadership skills, he feels like he's always open and willing to help any welder who’s just starting out.
Dennis knows that Performance openly supports veterans. He also believes that some of the core values he learned in the military help him excel in his position at Performance: discipline, respect, adaptability, and collaboration. “Performance has a heart for veterans” he says. “I believe that Performance hired me based on my skills and discipline learned while serving. Your military background feels like a value to the company, even as a candidate for employment. They do their best to always give veterans a shot to work.”
Today, Dennis lives in Destrehan, Louisiana. In his spare time, Dennis enjoys spending time with his three sons and nine grandchildren. He also loves spending time with his beloved wife – tending to their garden, watching college football, and going to the gym together.
