ANDREW BLIK
An Army major uses the skills learned as a mechanical engineer to fly Black Hawk helicopters, train fellow soldiers, and plan and organize flight resources for an army division.
Written by Cathy Cecere
STUDENTS HEAR THAT their mechanical engineering degrees can take them places, but few have gone as far with theirs as Andrew Blik. He knows firsthand that mechanical engineering not only informs his day-to-day but also opened up a world he would not know otherwise. With a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering with a focus on aerospace, Blik is currently an Army Major and director of aviation for the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y.
Not many other members of ASME get to fly Black Hawk helicopters.
“The Army has been, absolutely, a great fit for me,” Blik said.
Blik holds a commercial pilot license for helicopters and spoke proudly of his time as a platoon leader of the UH-60M BlackHawk assault company when he was deployed to Afghanistan. He explained that his mechanical and aerospace education and course work made some of the helicopter training and flight-related tasks “easier.”
Early in his career, for example, his engineering background allowed Blik to understand lift and how aircraft systems work together with his actions in the cockpit. His knowledge of how hydraulics and engines work to move the main rotor of a helicopter indirectly helps his MEDEVAC and combat support responsibilities.
The ME mindset also proved a good foundation for his responsibility for safe and effective mission accomplishments in a combat environment under day, night, and night vision goggle and instrument conditions to include air assault operations and combat/external resupply.
This work allowed him to save lives and “make a tangible difference,” he said. Moreover, his responsibilities included being accountable for company equipment valued in excess of $26.3 million and planning and executing the packing and movement of company and personal property valued in excess of $53.5 million.
In addition to Afghanistan, Blik served a deployment in Romania, traveled the world on behalf of the Army, and instructed and mentored countless young soldiers here in the U.S. He’s even run the Athens Marathon in Greece.
“You are often able to break down the problem and look at it from a different perspective.”
Major Andrew Blik
OPERATIONAL WORK
Blik explained that his engineering education and background provided an ability to look at problems analytically. “You are often able to break down the problem and look at it from a different perspective,” he said.
Currently, Blik’s job is deputy director stationed in western New York. He uses both his project management and organizational skills, which are particularly important when you must align resources you have with jobs that need to be done—all while “ensuring that goals are met,” Blik said. There is also a component of training other soldiers using exercises that involves planning military operations.
While Blik does not believe the Army attracts a particular kind of professional, he does think that “your desires, aspirations, and what you are good at direct your military career.” Analytical responsibilities, new challenges, and looking forward to novel experiences have led him to project management, organizational, and logistic positions.
Blik graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering in 2009. He followed that with two master’s degrees: One in social-organizational psychology from Columbia University, and a master’s in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Those graduate degrees may not seem aligned with an engineering education—or with a full-time job as a soldier—but Blik said they complemented the more technical training.
“The social-organizational psychology degree was a good fit when I returned to West Point as a tactical officer,” Blik said. “The degree helped with the focus on the ‘people’ aspect of leading teams and managing those teams.”
The Army tries to match soldiers’ goals to its needs—“And it does a pretty good job,” he said—but Blik admitted rotating to new bases can be stressful. In fact, Blik is preparing to redeploy to Fort Bliss, near El Paso, Tex.
“When you are deployed, you are away from your family. And that can be difficult. It is not like just going on a business trip,” he said.
For Blik, it adds up to a satisfying career, and one he does not see himself leaving any time soon. “I chose to stay in the Army because I enjoy what I do and who I serve with.”
Editor’s Note: Any information or material, including advice and opinions, are the views and responsibility of Maj. Andrew Blik and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense and the United States Government.
Cathy Cecere is the membership content program manager.
© 2024 The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. All rights reserved.