In this episode of the Built to Serve Podcast, we sit down with Army National Guard veteran Eric Welford to hear his incredible journey from Lucedale, Mississippi, to deployment in Afghanistan, and eventually into the world of safety at Performance Contractors.   Eric shares what it was like deploying shortly after high school, including the breathtaking night skies over Afghanistan that remain some of the most beautiful he’s ever seen. He also opens up about the dangers his convoy faced after running over three IEDs in a single week — earning him the nickname “bad luck guy.”   After continuing his service in the Guard for four years following deployment, Eric took a completely different path and chased a lifelong passion for music, making it through four rounds of auditions for NBC’s The Voice in Los Angeles.   Now part of Performance’s EHS Next program, Eric discusses his longtime interest in safety and how the program gave him the opportunity to build a career in the field.   It’s a conversation filled with resilience, humor, purpose, and the unexpected paths that shape a life built to serve.