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I planned to go into law enforcement. After an early detour in rocket launching, I became a data guy instead. I followed my passion, and it paid off. I hope my story transitioning from a military to a civilian career inspires you to follow your passion.
After high school, I pursued a degree criminal justice. But in that post-9/11 period, I knew I also wanted to serve the nation. I put higher education on hold and in March 2002, joined the U.S. Army as a 13M, a Multiple Launch Rocket System crewmember.
I completed basic combat and advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, learning how to operate and maintain rocket systems. At Fort Sill, I was permanently assigned to Charlie Battery, 1st and the 14th Field Artillery Battalion. Our team's main task was successful fire missions. I liked troubleshooting, resolving technical issues and collaborating with my peers. I developed a knack for leading complex, data-intensive projects.
I returned in 2003 from a deployment to Iraq and spent two more years on active duty in increasingly information technology-centric roles. In 2005, I left active duty, switched my military occupational specialty, and joined the Florida Army National Guard as a 25B, Information Systems Operations Analyst.
I served for six years with the National Guard, including four years on Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) duty at the National Guard Bureau with the Army National Guard G6. I worked in a variety of roles, all related in one way or another to information technology. I had discovered what excited me.
When I transitioned out of military service in 2011, I began my civilian career in IT at CSRA, a Virginia-based consulting company, and later spent three years at Hewlett Packard. While there, I led a 30-person team helping the government modernize and transform its technology services. (This is much harder than handling rockets!)
I arrived at ManTech in 2016, first as a program and project manager and now as an executive director of operations in our Innovation and Capabilities office, where I lead over 50 direct and indirect staff in collaboration with more than 100 cross matrixed members. If you’re interested in careers at ManTech, you can search openings here: https://rly.pt/3Noeebk
By 2017, I was well into my career, but I still wanted to finish college. Even though the military provided me with critical IT training and experience, a higher education would help to advance my professional development.
American Military University was the perfect place to earn my degree, which is in information technology management: https://rly.pt/3gWXsUk
AMU understood me — a military Veteran working full time while raising two young children with Theresa, my amazing wife. AMU allowed me to take courses online, which gave me the flexibility to learn while balancing a busy schedule. I could take classes after work, and still have time to take Kayla, age 7, and Jackson, age 3, to school and to playdates.
And despite my years of real-world experience, AMU’s program of study reinforced the founding principles of IT and computer science. I developed a better understanding of the “why” behind certain principles and how they work. The military instilled in me a desire and drive to finish my degree. My education at AMU sharpened my overall knowledge of IT and prepared me to reach new heights in my career.
Everyone’s military and post-military experiences are unique. But we all face degrees of risk. As you think about your educational plans and your transition to civilian life, it is OK to accept a measure uncertainty. And it is OK to change plans. Only you know what’s best for you and your family and what’s going to motivate you long term.
Dig deep, discover what excites you, and I’m confident that success after service will find you.
Learn more
• Search ManTech job openings at https://rly.pt/3Noeebk
• Find GI Bill information: https://benefits.va.gov/gibill
• View my educational pathway: https://rly.pt/3gWXsUk
The views and opinions expressed here are solely from the author and do not reflect the opinions of any organization in this piece.
After high school, I pursued a degree criminal justice. But in that post-9/11 period, I knew I also wanted to serve the nation. I put higher education on hold and in March 2002, joined the U.S. Army as a 13M, a Multiple Launch Rocket System crewmember.
I completed basic combat and advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, learning how to operate and maintain rocket systems. At Fort Sill, I was permanently assigned to Charlie Battery, 1st and the 14th Field Artillery Battalion. Our team's main task was successful fire missions. I liked troubleshooting, resolving technical issues and collaborating with my peers. I developed a knack for leading complex, data-intensive projects.
I returned in 2003 from a deployment to Iraq and spent two more years on active duty in increasingly information technology-centric roles. In 2005, I left active duty, switched my military occupational specialty, and joined the Florida Army National Guard as a 25B, Information Systems Operations Analyst.
I served for six years with the National Guard, including four years on Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) duty at the National Guard Bureau with the Army National Guard G6. I worked in a variety of roles, all related in one way or another to information technology. I had discovered what excited me.
When I transitioned out of military service in 2011, I began my civilian career in IT at CSRA, a Virginia-based consulting company, and later spent three years at Hewlett Packard. While there, I led a 30-person team helping the government modernize and transform its technology services. (This is much harder than handling rockets!)
I arrived at ManTech in 2016, first as a program and project manager and now as an executive director of operations in our Innovation and Capabilities office, where I lead over 50 direct and indirect staff in collaboration with more than 100 cross matrixed members. If you’re interested in careers at ManTech, you can search openings here: https://rly.pt/3Noeebk
By 2017, I was well into my career, but I still wanted to finish college. Even though the military provided me with critical IT training and experience, a higher education would help to advance my professional development.
American Military University was the perfect place to earn my degree, which is in information technology management: https://rly.pt/3gWXsUk
AMU understood me — a military Veteran working full time while raising two young children with Theresa, my amazing wife. AMU allowed me to take courses online, which gave me the flexibility to learn while balancing a busy schedule. I could take classes after work, and still have time to take Kayla, age 7, and Jackson, age 3, to school and to playdates.
And despite my years of real-world experience, AMU’s program of study reinforced the founding principles of IT and computer science. I developed a better understanding of the “why” behind certain principles and how they work. The military instilled in me a desire and drive to finish my degree. My education at AMU sharpened my overall knowledge of IT and prepared me to reach new heights in my career.
Everyone’s military and post-military experiences are unique. But we all face degrees of risk. As you think about your educational plans and your transition to civilian life, it is OK to accept a measure uncertainty. And it is OK to change plans. Only you know what’s best for you and your family and what’s going to motivate you long term.
Dig deep, discover what excites you, and I’m confident that success after service will find you.
Learn more
• Search ManTech job openings at https://rly.pt/3Noeebk
• Find GI Bill information: https://benefits.va.gov/gibill
• View my educational pathway: https://rly.pt/3gWXsUk
The views and opinions expressed here are solely from the author and do not reflect the opinions of any organization in this piece.
Posted in these groups: 
ManTech
Education
Bachelors Degree
94P: Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Repairer
Iraq
ManTech Education Bachelors Degree 94P: Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Repairer Iraq
Edited >1 y ago
Responses: 29
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Congrats, but my experience with Mantech was very different. I was a Special Forces Team SGT when I was in. I got a Master's in management and went into a highly technical field. I checked every box, got every relevant cert and was working on my PhD. I worked for several companies that were bought out by bigger and bigger companies and eventually landed at Mantech. During my several years there (over 12 years working for he same customer with various companies) I was a PM and managed a large DoD program. I grew that program by more than $300M, starting with myself and one other contractor. When an executive position opened up at the company I applied. Leadership gave me the most condescending, insulting, ridiculous speech I've ever heard during the interview. They informed me that Mantech's decades of experience have shown them that "worker bees seldom if ever make good corporate bees" - an ACTUAL QUOTE from a C-level exec with several other executives present and none of them disagreed. I pointed out all of my successes and they basically insinuated those had to be a fluke. Instead, they brought in an outside ivy-leaguer with zero real world experience. I watched that scenario play out time and time again, where Sr. NCOs and Jr-Mid level officers build programs and they took them away and handed them to their blue-blood buddies once they started to make real money. I left and made a very nice career for myself elsewhere as an executive and couldn't be happier with that choice. The guy they brought in failed and they lost the entire program I had built to a much smaller competitor. I guess there is some fairness in the world! Congrats on you Mantech success, but you are by far the exception there. My advice to anyone who has real aspirations is to either find a small company that shares your values or start your own.
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I had some dealings with Mantech in Iraq. Good folks. I got offered a job but I didn't want to go back to Iraq after what I had already been thru.
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Good stuff, congratulations on your success story , there are some good organizations that have comprehensive executive development programs for internal employees identified as highly talented with strong leadership skills. My story is similar and it was refreshing to be in a position to develop and promote other highly talented veterans.
Wishing you continued success!
Wishing you continued success!
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I have a story of how I transitioned from being an army officer to becoming a cheap gigolo.
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