A Marshalltown Trowel Who Served His Nation - Twice

Bob Sargent’s story is one of quiet service – to his nation, his union, and his family – the kind of everyday selfless service that keeps BAC and the US strong. 

“I was raised in a house a block-and-a-half from Marshalltown Trowel,” remembers 30-year Local 3 Iowa member Bob Sargent. But while he grew up in the shadow of America’s most famous trowel manufacturer, it was never a sure thing that Bob would become a mason.  “I never even met a bricklayer in my life before I showed up for my apprentice interview,” explains Bob. And that interview didn’t take place until after he’d served a tour of duty in the US Army, one which took him far away from Marshalltown, and which was just the beginning of his service to his country.  

Following his graduation from high school, Bob tried college, “but I dropped out before they threw me out.” Returning home, he took on some odd jobs before joining the Army, a journey that took him to Missouri and Texas for training in air defense artillery, and finally to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany for the waning days of the Cold War. “We were some of the only Army personnel there, and it was great – we were in the Air Force’s hand-me-down barracks, but they were nicer than any Army barracks I’d seen,” laughs Bob.  

The end of the Cold War also marked the end of Bob’s Army career, and he headed back to Iowa after his discharge. He moved to Ankeny, worked for UPS on the night shift, and met his wife while taking classes at Des Moines Area Community College – but he was looking for a more meaningful path. “And one Sunday I was reading the paper, and there was a story that said the Bricklayers Union was looking for apprentices. I didn’t think you could get in if you didn’t know anyone, but I took a shot – and when I showed up for my interview, they were amazed someone who’d never worked construction would be interested,” Bob recalled. 

To Bob’s surprise, he was offered a spot in the apprenticeship, and was placed with Local 3 signatory Forrest and Associates – the same firm he’s worked for during the vast majority of his masonry career. He loved the work, including jobs on the Iowa state capitol and at Grinnell College, and thrived as a bricklayer for over a decade, but when the 2008 financial crisis hit, he “knew construction work was going to be thin for a long time,” and decided to take advantage of the coming slowdown and re-enter the service – this time, with the Air National Guard. He spent much of the Great Recession first in avionics training, later deploying to Afghanistan, and upon return to the US worked part-time in Air Force intelligence.  

But while he served his country in the Army and the Guard for two decades, Bob says “I never wanted to make a career of it,” because – quite simply – “I like to lay brick. I like the people, I like the work, and I like the sense at the end of the day that I did something meaningful … and with the union, there’s the pension, there’s workplace protections, and there’s just a better deal.”