After 20 Years in the Army, David Lunebach Retrains for Robotics Work at Hyundai’s Georgia Metaplant

SECOND SHIFT · FROM THE FIELD

Ellabell, Georgia · Advanced manufacturing · Veterans’ SkillBridge training

Original reporting: Lucille Lannigan, Statesboro Herald · Updated September 22, 2026

David Lunebach retired from the Army after 20 years and wanted to stay in the Savannah area. He now works as a robotics and automation technician at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Ellabell, the Statesboro Herald reports.

Lunebach was in the first cohort of Heroes MAKE America, a Defense Department-approved SkillBridge program run by The Manufacturing Institute. Its eight-week mechatronics course gave him hands-on work with programmable logic controllers, electrical systems and machine controls, building on the maintenance, electronics and pneumatics experience he brought from the Army.

“They get you the right training,” Lunebach told the Herald.

The Metaplant has hired 17 program graduates, about 30% of the total, according to the report. The company expects four cohorts a year of 16 to 18 students each and wants to raise its hiring share to roughly 40%.

Fort Stewart releases a steady stream of trained technicians into the region every year. A short, employer-linked course that translates military skills into manufacturing credentials turns that flow into a local labor pipeline, and gives veterans a reason to stay put.

Read the original reporting at the Statesboro Herald →

Second Shift tells the stories of people building what’s next through new skills, new careers and second chances. From the Field items are curated from credited reporting, with Location Decision’s perspective. Location Decision Originals are independently reported by our team.

Curated by Location Decision. Originally reported by Lucille Lannigan, Statesboro Herald, updated September 22, 2026.

This item was sourced and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed under Location Decision’s editorial standards. Second Shift tracks workforce outcomes to inform our broader editorial analysis. All reporting belongs to the credited journalists; read the original story for the full account.