Army Veteran Sawyer Padgett Continues Life of Service at EquipmentShare

“Seeing what EquipmentShare and our people do for communities that have gone through a natural disaster has affected me deeply. The tornado that landed in Kentucky in 2021 hit me hard. Seeing the disaster truck show up with food, water and a trailer full of presents for kids, because the storm hit right before Christmas, was amazing. Seeing what our people did for that community changed me. Being on the EquipmentShare team allows me to continue to serve my country in this capacity. We assisted communities in the National Guard, and service to others is still very important to me.” - Sawyer Padgett

The EquipmentShare core values of integrity, humility, drive and intelligence mirror the values Sawyer learned in the military when he served in the Army National Guard from 2013 to 2021.

“Having core values that compare to the military was important to me,” Sawyer said. “I remember reading the Army values and memorizing them, and when I came home from basic training I was a different person. I now had the desire to have integrity and duty and my mindset shifted — I wanted to be a better person. Integrity above all is how I live my life. If you break something, you can’t cover it up and hide it — you have to fix it, and fix it the right way.”

The son of an Air Force veteran, Sawyer was convinced by his father to not take on full-time military duty, but rather to join the Army National Guard as a military policeman. He knew his life path involved serving his country and then taking on the role of protecting his community as a law enforcement officer. The plan was right on track when he took a job with the Greene County, Missouri, Sheriff's Department. 

But then Sawyer became a dad, and his plan changed.

“My oldest daughter was born and that really put my life into perspective,” Sawyer said. “I decided to change my career path, so I could be home more for my family. That’s how I found myself at EquipmentShare.”

Sawyer’s family owns a cattle farm, and he grew up working on tractors and farm equipment. In high school, he took some automotive technology classes, which sparked an interest in mechanics. 

“A family friend worked at a rental company, and he got me started there working on aerial machines like boom lifts and forklifts. I wanted to learn more, so I went to another company to get experience on dirt movers and bigger machines,” Sawyer said. Now, he can work on everything from small pumps to giant excavators.

Sawyer joined EquipmentShare in 2019 as a field service technician (mechanic) and serves the Springfield, Missouri, area. His day-to-day work is ever-changing, and that’s the way he likes it. But one thing is guaranteed — he’s coming home each night to his wife and two daughters. EquipmentShare is a People First company that also makes safety a first priority.

“Each day is different but generally follows a pattern of checking in to see what needs to be serviced,” Sawyer said. “If I’m not fixing something out in the field, I’m helping with service calls, work orders and annual inspections. Our T3 system saves me a lot of time, because it can pinpoint exactly where an asset is so I can find it, fix it and get home.”

Are you a veteran looking for the next chapter of your career? Wanting a better work-life balance and more time with family? Learn more about our Skillbridge internships and career opportunities across the nation at more than 160 locations. Learn more about hiring veterans at EquipmentShare.