Where might you suggest? I have to stay here for 13 months. After I want to try and land a job before I just up and move

i agree move to where the work is.  second decide what you want to do, weld, fab, or inspector.  if welding start off as a helper where ever there is a pipe welding atmosphere.  there you can get a feel of where it starts and some exsperience.  its hot, it burns, and you have to go to the work, work isnt coming to you.  take your time and take all the advice somebody has to offer.  never assume you already done it and know how.  you have to have patience and when your ready to break out, you will know.  i never went to classes to learn how to weld.  i always asked questions and watched what the other welders did and didnt do.  there is plenty of work going on right now, so you couldnt go wrong with inspecting or welding.  metal will never disaper and a welder will always be needed.  if there is welding there will be quality control.  i have been welding for 7 years now, rigged out for 3.  i started as a helper in the shop, then tacking, then welding, after a year of seeing the same walls day in and day out it was time for me to roll out on my own.  i like what i do.  i dont always like the money, but my son has to eat.  if you want to do it just for the money, then get into inspecting.  inspectors make damn good money and mostly pushes a pen.  i like pushing medal.  pipeline isnt for everbody eathier(you just need to be related or have a good buddy thats related) to get on now days. pipeliners travel 98% of the time.  are you close to your family? wife? kids?  i thought i was ready before i had my son.  after he came its hard  for me to wanna work overtime.  my wife said she wants to travel after this year so we will see what happens.  my advise is decide what you want to do and take that road.  move where all the work is and get ya a taste of the cool morning smell of 6010 at 6am and go from there.  starting out is going to be ruff, hard, angry, and miserable, but if you can get through all that, you wont have to worry about s# it!

There is the VIP and also a "helmets to hardhats" program the UA does where you cant start as a second year apprentence

I just looked up the VIP program... Sounds interesting. From what you said, do they help find you a job? How would this pair with the course I'm about to take now

The National Pipeline school just behind the 798 hall in Tulsa has taught an awfull lot of kids to weld line pipe. That's why all those instructors are on full time staff and they just built a new school.
So really they WILL teach you to weld with a few prerequisites.
Previous main line construction experience is required, as it should be.
The Helmets to Hardhats program is in effect in all of the UA, including 798.

As everbody usually says, start out as a welders helper. It's the smart way.

The work isn't for everybody, it's not even for most. But people who love it, love it. It pays well, you get to travel, you get to enjoy the great outdoors.

J

Coming from the military you may think you understand the term "travel". There is a old pipeline saying a pipeliner aint got no home. You may be on a job 4 weeks and travel across the country for another job for 3 weeks. Then you are laid off for 4 weeks then travel 1500 miles to test for another company and bust the test. You are on the phone on trying to get a test somewhere.
Rig up cost for a pipeline capable rig is $40K on the low end and $125K on the high end. You have to have a dependable vehicle capable of standing up the rigors of pipelineing. Being drug down a ROW with a D6 and not come apart. You are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep on your equipment and tools.
Breaking in is a matter of paying your dues and building a network of contractors and friends that keep you up to date with what is going on, where , and who is in charge. To many this is a matter of knowing who is in charge and being friends or know them.
Well DUH!
That is any business. If you have to be carried it does not matter who you are working for, you are not going to get called. You have to make friends and have them help you get on jobs. And when it is your chance to help them out, your reciprocate.
Pipelineing is a interesting business. But the welding side is a young man's game. If you are in your late 30's or early 40's you do not have much time as you get older you start loosing your eye hand coordination. And your knees and back start going out. As a welder, the up and down and rigors of getting up and down the ROW will affect you. Hopefully by that time, you can land work doing the structural or compressor stations.
It is a hard physical job!
If you enter it, good luck. If you are married, your wife better have a really good sense of humor. Being gone for long periods of time, odd locations and opportunity for infidelity tends to have the better half loose that sense of humor.