(BPT) - Key takeaways
For military service members, transitioning to civilian life brings about the question: What comes next? The answer isn't the same for everyone, but for the 8 million Veterans who are part of the civilian workforce today, there's no question that service has shaped their journeys.
This Veterans Day, meet five Army Veterans whose training and experiences in uniform have paved the pathway to new careers that prove that a Soldier's ability to build community and make an impact continues long after military service ends.
Lucas Baker practices corporate law at a top global law firm
Lucas Baker is an associate attorney at Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C., where he practices corporate law. He earned a master's degree in security studies and a JD from Georgetown University using the GI Bill and Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits.
Originally from Grimes, Iowa, Baker joined ROTC at Drake University and commissioned as an Army Infantry Officer. At 22, he was leading 40 junior Soldiers, many of whom had combat experience, an assignment he remembers as daunting but crucial to his development as a leader. He also completed Ranger School, where he says he learned perseverance, adaptability, and resilience.
"The Army taught me how to lead under pressure, communicate effectively, and manage competing priorities in demanding environments," Baker said.
Collin D'Antonio helps organizations solve complex problems as a management consultant
At Boston Consulting Group, Collin D'Antonio helps organizations solve complex problems, navigate change, and improve how they operate. He recently earned an MBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and says his Army experience strengthened the leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving skills he brings to the work.
As a child, he was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when he witnessed the Sept. 11 attacks unfold on television, an event that inspired him to consider a career in service. "When something bigger than yourself needs to be done, you have a duty to contribute," he says. He went on to attend West Point and graduated in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in systems engineering.
During his 10 years in the Army, he began his aviation career as an AH-64 Apache helicopter pilot before being selected to join the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, where he transitioned to flying the MH-47 Chinook. He flew in combat and led teams into combat zones, where each mission depended on trust and teamwork.
Leading soldiers in high-pressure environments taught him how to navigate uncertainty, build trust quickly, and solve complex problems, skills he now applies to his work at Boston Consulting Group.
"If I didn't have my time in the Army, if I wasn't able to do time in Special Operations, I probably wouldn't have gotten into the business school I got into. I definitely wouldn't be here at Boston Consulting Group," said D'Antonio. "Those hard experiences I had shaped me."
Antonio Johnson helps Soldiers transition from service by connecting them with civilian employers
Antonio Johnson is a program manager with the Army's Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) program, which builds partnerships between the Army and corporate America to create employment opportunities for Soldiers transitioning to civilian life, grounded in the belief that planning for the transition should start much earlier than most people expect.
Johnson spent 22 years in the Army, including time as a recruiter, an experience that influenced his current career. He also earned his bachelor's degree through the Army Tuition Assistance program and a master's degree in management and leadership from Western Governors University.
"My ability to influence senior executives at an organization to partner with the Army stems from my 14 years of Army recruiting experience," Johnson said.
Jared Beckham leads a team of 35 at two John Deere dealerships
Jared Beckham is the general operations manager for two John Deere dealerships in Arizona, where he oversees operations generating more than $35 million in annual revenue and leads a team of 35 employees.
Originally from Flagstaff, Arizona, Beckham joined the Army because, when college looked out of reach financially, he saw opportunities to further his education through service. As an Armor Crewmember, he served with the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea and the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, on two tank crews that earned the top tank designation in their brigades. The Post-9/11 GI Bill later made it possible for him to earn his bachelor's degree and MBA at the University of Arizona.
"The Army gave me the discipline, leadership, and problem-solving skills that have been instrumental throughout my career," Beckham said.
Former Green Beret and ex-NFL player Nate Boyer helps combat veterans and retired athletes find community beyond the uniform
Nate Boyer co-founded Merging Vets & Players (MVP), an organization that builds connections between retiring military service members and professional athletes to ease the transition to civilian life, alongside television personality and sports reporter Jay Glazer. He says careers for both groups often end young, and that it's easy to fall into the trap of self-doubt afterward. He is also a filmmaker whose work includes Indivisible, MVP, Survive the Raft, and an upcoming D-Day 80th Anniversary documentary.
Boyer enlisted in the Army in 2005 and served as a Green Beret in the Special Forces, completing three overseas combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. A self-described "city boy," he entered the Army with limited experience and confidence in his real-world abilities. But through hands-on training in skills like land navigation, developing long range communications systems, and overall tactical proficiency, he learned to step outside his comfort zone, solve problems under pressure, and trust his training — skills that would serve him well in the Army and beyond.
After six years of service, Boyer swapped one uniform for another by earning a spot on the University of Texas football team. Despite never having played organized football, he walked onto the Longhorns in 2011, eventually becoming the team's starting long snapper. He continued serving in the Texas Army National Guard during summer breaks before signing with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, becoming the oldest rookie in NFL history at 34 years old.
"It was because of the training in the military that I had the confidence to just dive into new ventures, like filmmaking and football, and know eventually I'd figure it out," said Boyer. "Going into the military, I didn't really know this world, and I wasn't familiar with it, but I just told myself that it was OK and that I may suck for a bit. I told myself I would have to work harder than everybody else and hang in there. Just don't quit and you'll start to figure it out. And that applies to anything in life."
Ask any of these five Veterans where they learned to lead a team, solve a problem without all the information, or keep going when they wanted to stop, and the answer traces back to their time in uniform.
For more information on these opportunities and all the possibilities of Army service, visit GoArmy.com.
This story was produced by Go Army and reviewed and distributed by Brandpoint.
