I went from desperation to inspiration!

Daryian Rhysing always wanted to work in aviation. He enlisted in the Army and became an aircraft electrician. He worked on CH-47 Chinook and BLACK HAWK helicopters fixing wiring problems and replacing thousands of wiring clamps. While deployed in Iraq on a combat mission, Daryian was flown in to fix a downed helicopter. That was their only way out, so the pressure was on to find the problem, fix it, and fly out (hoping he fixed it right).

When he transitioned out of the military, Daryian worked at Fort Drum as a contractor, continuing to replace wiring clamps. This caused a worsening case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

As a result, he lost his job and his house and was surviving on MRE rations. Daryian asked for help, and Solider On stepped in and helped him find an apartment and pay for utilities.

“I realized this was an opportunity to restart my life.” Daryian decided to go back to school to get a Computer and Systems Engineering degree. He saw that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) had the Yellow Ribbon Program which was a blessing.

Daryian had never considered entrepreneurship before taking an Inventor’s Studio class with Professor Asish Ghosh. When challenged with finding a problem to solve, his downed helicopter and carpal tunnel experiences created the spark of an idea to develop a smart wiring clamp.

Daryian and his wife Evaguel launched United Aircraft Technologies (UAT). They moved to Pittsfield, MA after feeling the “Red Carpet Team” love from Mayor Linda M. Tyer – “Veterans are not forgotten here.” That love came with a $300,000 grant.

They would go on to win many competitions including xTechSearch which accelerates transformative technology solutions into the U.S. Army.

The future is electric. And that means“wires!” UAT is a dual-use technology supporting both the military and commercial aircraft, ground transportation, and electrification infrastructure.