The Long Game

He joined in March 1985. Cold War. Reagan era. He was young, ambitious, and willing to trade the Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering degree he'd started at Ohio State for something more immediate: the challenge of becoming a United States Marine.

MAG-39. Marine Aircraft Group 39. 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. HMT-303. Hueys and Cobras. Camp Pendleton. Colonel Underwood's command.

From 1985 to 1989, he worked on rotary-wing aircraft with HMT-303, troubleshot complex aviation systems, and learned that discipline wasn't just a nice-to-have—it was the foundation for everything that came after.

But he didn't settle. While most Marines were focused solely on the mission, he was building his future. He earned his BSc in Computer Science. Then an MBA. While still on active duty.

He left in September 1992. Not because he didn't love it, but because the path from enlisted to OCS in the Marine Corps was harder than it should have been, even with academic qualifications. So he made a different choice.

"Then he did what Marines do: he executed."

Within three years of civilian life, he'd built a business. The financial success came fast—beyond what most would expect. Now, decades later, he's a respected elder in the South Florida Ismaili community—a living reminder that the Corps doesn't just teach you how to serve. It teaches you how to win.

The Second Jarhead: 2002

He joined in June 2002, right after 9/11. Different war. Different mission. Same Eagle, Globe, and Anchor.

MOS 2651—Special Intelligence System Administrator/Communicator. SIGINT. Cryptography. SATCOM. He managed highly secure communications centers for units that couldn't afford to have their networks go down. Ever.

San Diego. 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing G-2—the same wing the first Marine had served in, fifteen years earlier. Intelligence. 4th Special Signals Communications Team (4th SSCT). The quiet professionals operating in the shadows.

Two tours in Iraq. High-stakes, high-speed, high-consequence work. The kind where you don't get second chances and you definitely don't get thanked publicly.

He made Sergeant. Led teams. Supervised and mentored junior Marines. Conducted performance reviews, training, and inspections in high-pressure environments where excellence wasn't optional... it was survival.

He got out in June 2007. Took his clearance, his technical chops, and his work ethic into the private sector. Started at a helpdesk. Then software developer. Then engineering manager. Then Senior Director of Customer Success. Then Global Vice President of Low Code Development for Avertra Corp, managing multi-million-dollar P&Ls across healthcare, finance, and public sector clients.

He didn't just transition. He ascended.

Now he's an AWS Certified Solutions Architect and Mendix Expert Developer, building cloud-native applications for Fortune 500 clients, designing fault-tolerant systems, and winning awards for digital transformation... including being the first to pioneer low-code microservices architecture in the real estate industry.

And his seva? Teaching a hundred kids (including a young boy we'll talk about later) how to march in formation for the 2007 Golden Jubilee in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He joined late. 26 years old. Most Marines enlist at 18 or 19. He had a degree in Finance and Economics. A career in financial services. A comfortable life running his own tax and financial consulting business.

But something was missing.

He'd worked 60+ hour weeks since he was 17. He'd built businesses. He'd consulted. He'd succeeded by every conventional measure.

But he wanted to learn the sword.

So in August 2015, he walked into the recruiter's office and said, "Let's do this."

Boot camp at MCRD San Diego. School of Infantry West. Twenty-nine Palms for Marine Corps Communications-Electronics School (MCCES), where he became Class Commander for his Cyber Training Platoon, Class 11-16.

Then the Reserve fleet. 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines (1/23). S-6. MOS 0651—Cyber Network Operator.

In 2017, he was the only Cyber Marine from his battalion selected for BALTOPS (Baltic Operations)—a multinational maritime exercise in the Baltic Sea. He ran the tech in the COC aboard the USS Arlington. Solo. 20-hour days. No backup. No safety net.

He stayed in for six years. Served with 1/23 (infantry battalion), 2nd Civil Affairs Group (Force Headquarters Group), and Surgical Company Bravo, 4th Medical Battalion (4th MLG). Deployed. Trained. Led.

When he got out in August 2021, he didn't slow down. He took his cyber skills, his financial background, and his operational mindset and built a career in defense contracting. Navy ERP. SAP. SABRS. CFMS. ePS. Financial & Acquisition systems for the Department of Defense—supporting Navy FM&C, Fleet Forces, Pacific Fleet, CNIC, NAVFAC, BUPERS, CDAO, USAF DTO, and more.

Then he went further. AI/ML integration. DevOps architecture. GPT development. FedRAMP-compliant cloud infrastructure. Now he's Director of Innovation at Navaide, leading enterprise-wide technology strategy for federal clients.

And in his spare time? He founded the Ismaili Warrior Alliance.

That young boy who learned to march in 2007 grew up.

In 2019, he called the third Marine. He was at Auburn University studying Management Information Systems, but something was pulling at him. "I'm thinking about the Corps. What do you think?"

The reply was honest. The path was hard. The sacrifices were real. But if he wanted it, he should do it. Not someday. Now.

So in September 2020, during COVID, he raised his right hand.

OCC-235 (Officer Candidates Class 235). The Basic School (TBS) Bravo Company 2-21. Basic Communications Officer Course (BCOC) at Twenty-nine Palms, Bravo Company 2-21. He earned his commission and his MOS.

He started as Assistant Communications Officer at 23rd Marine Regiment (2021-2024). ITX 4-22 at 29 Palms. UNITAS 23 in Coveñas, Colombia.

Now he's a Captain. Battalion Communications Officer with 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines (2/23), an infantry battalion. Manages a platoon of 60 Marines. Oversees network infrastructure for approximately 900 users. He just returned from a UDP (Unit Deployment Program) to Japan and South Korea. His job: keep the commander connected no matter the terrain, threat, or conditions, enabling mission success when it matters most.

He was also the youngest captain on deployment—most of the others were either prior enlisted or close to picking up Major. Big shoes to fill.

On the civilian side? He works for Boeing in Dallas. Procurement Analyst. Supplier Management for Government Aircraft Repairs. He's building a dual career—Reserve officer and corporate professional—and he's doing it with the same discipline the first three Marines modeled for him.

The same warrior-scholar mindset. The same commitment to excellence.

Three generations of Marines. Four different eras. One common thread.

The 1985 Marine (now in his 60s) joins a Signal group and drops wisdom on the younger guys. "Always invest part of your salary. Keep learning. Align with people who share your vision. The best way to move forward in life is to keep investing in yourself, your career, and your freedom."

The 2002 Marine (now a tech executive) remembers teaching that young kid to march in 2007 at the Golden Jubilee. The same kid who's now a Captain. "Haha you remember that? Thought the name looked familiar! Didn't know you had joined up. Wonderful to hear."

The 2020 Marine looks at the older guys and says, "You've paved a path for the next generation to follow and it's important that stories like yours are continuously shared. Your story on how you transitioned out from the corps could serve as good PME for Marines beginning a new chapter post-service. Truly inspiring." Later, he'll admit that during his UDP—as the youngest captain surrounded by prior enlisted officers and near-Majors—he wished a community like IWA had existed. "I would have leaned on this group during deployment quite a bit," he says.

The Lesson

Marines don't do shortcuts.

We don't do easy paths.

We don't do "just enough."

We play the long game.

The first Marine didn't just serve his four and out. He got degrees while in uniform, then built an empire in the civilian world.

The second Marine didn't settle for being a SIGINT guy. He became an award-winning technology executive leading digital transformation.

The third Marine didn't enlist at 18 when it would've been easier. He waited until he was ready and then he made up for lost time by deploying, leading, and building something that'll outlast him.

The fourth Marine didn't just commission. He's building a dual-track career that'll set him up for decades.

And now? They're all in the same Signal group. Mentoring each other. Challenging each other. Making each other better.

Because that's what Marines do.

We adapt. We overcome. We improvise.

And when we find each other... whether it's at a JK in DC, a Signal group chat, a bar in Galveston, or a reunion decades later; we take care of our own.

Semper Fidelis. (Always Faithful)