Welder Thomas Gibson honed his skills in the U.S. Navy, repairing ship hulls while stationed in Japan. Today, as a welder at Northrop Grumman’s site in Charlotte, North Carolina, Thomas has a hard job, literally: he welds iridium, the second-densest material on Earth, in support of the company’s laser crystal production.
Finding Rainbows in the Fire
![Thomas wears an orange safety uniform and a colorfully graffitied face shield while welding at an industrial workstation](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.northropgrumman.com%2F-%2Fjssmedia%2Flife-at-ngc%2FCrystal-Rainbow--Thomas-Gibson-Hero.jpg%3Frev%3Dd6162d78a688466f905d3683764cdbb2&w=1080&q=75)