Montgomery native volunteers in Turkey…

Helm volunteered in Turkey this fall helping put radiation detection systems in at the borders in or around the former Soviet Union. He said these systems are positive for the area.

The systems look like poles and are put in by volunteers. "I was given the opportunity to go to Turkey to put in these systems on a volunteer basis," he said.

Contracted under the Department of Energy, Helm works at the Kansas City Plant, a national security solutions provider which is managed and operated by Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies. The primary mission of the Kansas City Plant is to assemble and manufacture a wide array of non-nuclear mechanical, electronic, and engineered material components for national defense systems.

After putting his resumŽ on monster.com, Helm became one of the first people to be hired in at the Kansas City Plant off the Internet. With only one year of experience in engineering, he said he had been having a hard time finding another job because most employers were looking for people with three to five years experience.

"This is exactly what I wanted to do out of college," Helm said. "This is the right fit. I can see myself there for a long time."

Helm works on the electrical parts of components for national defense systems. He said his college years were not what set the stage for his career in electronics.

"My dad did electrical work and also traveled the world," he said. "So I learned from him which proved to open the door to many opportunities."

Now that Helm has two years at the Kansas City Plant and 10 days in Turkey under his belt, he has been offered to embark on another trip overseas.

He said while many things in Turkey are a lot like things here, women are treated differently. The wear more clothing than American women, including veils and are not allowed out after dark.

The men wear suits all the time even in the cotton fields, he said. But the most out of place thing he said he noticed was cell phones.

"All the small towns had a place to buy cell phones," he said. "It was weird to see people sitting on a cart being pulled by a donkey while talking on a cell phone."

In Helm’s opinion, the Turkish people invented the Kabob. He said there was all kinds of different breads to choose from as well as chicken, lamb, beef and rice.

After every meal and throughout the day someone brings "Cay" or tea for everyone to enjoy. The tea was hot and sweet, he said.

Another oddity Helm noticed was that property is not taxable unless the building on it is finished. So, as one would assume, many buildings are unfinished.

While there is a language barrier between Helm and the locals, an interpreter is on hand for the volunteers. "The people there seem more hospitable than here," he said. "If you learn a Turkish word, they would learn an American word. They open doors for you, carry your things…anything to help us out, they would do."

The opportunity to see another side of the world is what Helm most treasured from his experience. While he is going back, he said in the future he would be willing to go anywhere else the government may want to send him. "Education comes in many forms," he said. "I appreciate all the opportunities I get to educate myself. It’s just another way to grow as a person."

Helm was recently in Montgomery visiting his parents, David and Mary Helm for the Thanksgiving holiday. He graduated from Barr-Reeve in 1994 and from the University of Evansville in electrical engineering in 1999. He has two brothers, Art, who attends the University of Southern Indiana and Tom, who also lives in Kansas City.

He will leave for Turkey sometime later this winter. Because he volunteers for the government on missions of security, the actual date in which he will depart is classified.