Meet our veterans: Tim Norris

At Solventum, we proudly support our veteran and active duty military members who have selflessly served across all U.S. branches. Their unique experiences and rich variety of perspectives are instrumental in helping us solve complex healthcare challenges for our customers. 

We invite you to join us in this blog series to get to know some of our Solventum employees who have military experience.

Name: Tim Norris
Solventum role:  Senior manager, technical support, imaging solutions
Military branch: Army
Rank: Sergeant E5
Length of service: 11 Years
 

1. Share your military background. What motivated you to join? Why did you choose the branch you chose?

I served just under 11 years in the U.S. Army as a 27E electronic technician working on the TOW and Dragon Missile Systems from 1985 to 1996. While in Germany, I was assigned to the shop office as a quality control inspector at a support company, where I deployed to the Gulf War in support the 503rd Support Battalion out of Fort Bragg in 1990 to 1991.

I come from a family of military veterans, which helped motivate me to serve my country.  I chose the U.S. Army because my dad was in the Navy and my brother was in the Marines. At the time, I wanted to pave my own path in a different branch of service that had nothing to with ships.

2. How has your experience shaped you? What are some lessons or skills learned that you apply to your everyday life?

While on a live fire exercise at Fort Benning, I was assigned to test and repair the TOW missile system for a company exercise. The company doing the exercise was being tested for readiness and had one system that was failing. The team with the failed equipment brought the system over to my location and I was able to get it running again so they could complete the live fire. Afterword, the company commander came over and thanked me for getting their system working so they could complete the exercise and receive a passing readiness mark from the battalion. I was awarded for a mission first response and received recognition from the battalion commander.

3. How does your experience impact your role at Solventum?

I knew going in that I would learn to follow orders and give them some day. The military taught me more than I expected, I was able to grow as an individual and a leader.  Through training and teamwork, the Army was a great path in learning service and support for the team and customers. 

Tim’s story is just one of many unique experiences our veteran employees bring to work each day. Make sure you’re subscribed to receive updates from Solventum Inside Angle and stay tuned for more!

Tim Norris is a senior manager, technical support, imaging solutions, at Solventum.