How I went from company clerk in the Army to serving the Space Force

From satellites to space telescopes to the Space Force — my story began with a love of my country, an awe of the cosmos and a dream to do things that are literally out of this world. My wish is that my experiences help you live your dreams after your military service.

If you’re in the military, your family is probably very patriotic. Mine is too. So in 1986, I joined the U.S. Army.

Right from the start, I wanted to work in satellite communications. But I had to wait until the hardware arrived at Fort Hood — my first duty station. I took odd jobs in the interim and served as the company clerk for about a year. I got to see the inner workings of a unit. That was a blast.

Shortly after, I was deployed to the first Gulf War, then Korea and later to Fort Gordon. In time, my opportunity came: I was selected for a Colorado Springs assignment with the Army Space Command. That was my springboard into the space industry.

I enjoyed my 12 years on active duty. I got to be part of a team and do exciting things. But adjusting to the civilian workforce? That was a different story. The pace was slower, and I didn’t feel challenged.

Fortunately, I had built a network of exceptional ex-military individuals who already made the transition from the military to a civilian career. They were a great sounding board for my thoughts and opinions. One of the people I worked for was also former military. He mentored me, and my attitude gradually shifted. With his guidance, I began to see how the ways I excelled in the military could empower me to be an effective leader in the civilian world.

I took his wisdom to heart, and I’m really proud of where it led me — a dream opportunity at NASA as the Mission Operations Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope.

That was amazing, yet I found myself wanting even more of a challenge. The thought of going back to school kept calling me, but I worried that would mean making some big changes in my day-to-day life.

American Military University (AMU) solved that problem, and I wish I had thought of it sooner.

Thanks to AMU’s flexible class schedule, I could earn my degrees — in Space Studies https://rly.pt/SpaceStudies and https://rly.pt/MasterSpaceStudies
— while maintaining a job and a household. And because I kept my job, I could pay the tuition on my own dime. I didn’t need the GI Bill, so I didn’t use it. I figured my benefit could go to someone else in need.

To say AMU’s classes and professors were excellent would be an understatement. I learned a ton. In what felt like no time, I was graduating with honors for both my bachelor’s and master's degrees. Also, my career — which I didn’t think could get any better — exploded.

In 2020, I was awarded the Goddard Space Flight Center Outstanding Public Leadership Medal. That led to a new opportunity: I moved from a position at NASA to Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing company, where I am now the Systems Engineering Integration and Test Program Manager.

What does that mean? I get paid more than ever to work for the Space Force. Every day I build amazing things, fly them and put them into space. How cool is that?

Millennium Space Systems is hiring, by the way. You can search their job openings at https://rly.pt/MillenniumSpace

I really hope that sharing my experiences helps you in your education and post-military career.

Don’t forget: Network, network, network. Reach out to people you know, and stay in touch.

And if you apply at my company, message me on the RallyPoint site. I’m always happy to help fellow Veterans in any way I can.

Until then, remember: The sky is absolutely not the limit. I’m living proof.

Learn more

• Search Millennium Space Systems job openings: https://rly.pt/MillenniumSpace

• Find GI Bill information: https://rly.pt/VAgibill

• My bachelor’s program: https://rly.pt/SpaceStudies

• My master’s program: https://rly.pt/MasterSpaceStudies
The views and opinions expressed here are solely from the author and do not reflect the opinions of any organization in this piece.