Bill Leahy grew up in Connecticut in a family with deep military roots. After serving as an Army infantry officer and later working as a reliability engineer, he founded Unturning Steel, a nonprofit that connects veterans with manufacturing internships and jobs in several states.
Local Need and Vision
Connecticut’s manufacturing sector—particularly the shipyards that build submarines and the plants that produce aircraft components—needs a steady pipeline of skilled workers. Leahy believes veterans can fill that gap, offering discipline, teamwork and technical aptitude. “We can’t compete on taxes, but we can compete on opportunity and community,” he said.
Unturning Steel currently places veterans in internships and full‑time positions in Tennessee, Texas and Illinois, and Leahy is working to expand those opportunities within Connecticut. He estimates the organization needs less than $400,000 a year to sustain its Connecticut operations.
State Support Landscape
Connecticut already offers a variety of veteran services through the Military Department, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Department of Labor. Those agencies provide housing assistance, health care, job counseling and federal program administration. Juliet Manalan, a spokesperson for the Department of Labor, emphasized a “no wrong door” approach, directing veterans to American Job Centers for comprehensive support.
State officials have expressed willingness to help Leahy publicize his program. Two years ago, former Chief Manufacturing Officer Paul Lavoie discussed the nonprofit on a media interview, highlighting the potential for veterans to bolster the state’s manufacturing workforce.
Funding Challenges
Despite these collaborative gestures, securing direct public funding has proven difficult. Leahy describes navigating a maze of agencies, presentations and meetings, only to be told that state money is unavailable or redirected elsewhere. State Rep. Jaime Foster, D‑Ellington, who co‑chairs the General Assembly’s Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs, acknowledged the frustration, noting that “when too many hands are in the pot, there’s no one really stirring the pot.”
The nonprofit’s modest budget request reflects the reality that much of the work—matching veterans to employers, providing mentorship and covering travel costs—relies on existing community resources. Yet the lack of a dedicated funding stream hampers the organization’s ability to scale its impact across the state.
Personal Motivation
The mission is deeply personal for Leahy. His older brother Sean, a Marine who served 15 years, died by suicide in 2022. At Sean’s funeral, a photo of a damaged armored vehicle sparked the name “Unturning Steel,” symbolizing the reversal of destruction and the restoration of function—mirroring the nonprofit’s goal of helping veterans regain purpose through manufacturing work.
Leahy’s own transition from military service to civilian life was marked by the stark contrast between the structured mentorship of the armed forces and the fragmented support he found afterward. “In the military, there’s 100 people available to you at any second that have done your job already, that are mentoring you. It wasn’t,” he said.
How to Help
Veterans and community members who need assistance can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. For those interested in supporting Unturning Steel, Leahy encourages connections with local manufacturers, donors and policymakers who can help secure the modest funding needed to keep the program thriving.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
