Careers in the Military
By Barbara Sorensen

   Thinking about joining the military? Before you head to the nearest recruiting station, you should research all your options. This is valuable advice from D.J. Vanas, Odawa, a former captain in the U.S. Air Force and an entrepreneurial businessman.

   D.J. Vanas was born in Muskegon, Michigan. His father served 22 years in the Air Force and his mother has been a nurse for 20 years. Vanas grew up in South and North Dakota, and spent most of his life in Biloxi, Mississippi. He starting flying airplanes at age 13 and attained a pilot’s license at 17.
   Vanas attended the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado where he earned a bachelor’s of science in management. He went on to earn a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California.
   As a captain in the U.S. Air Force, Vanas gained extensive leadership training and experience. For several years, he worked in the Air Force Space Program, leading an international launch team on a multi-billion-dollar satellite program. He lived in the Australian outback for six months while working on this program and led an international team of engineers on the project.
   Vanas was then selected as the chief of minority enrollment at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado; he was the youngest officer ever to achieve this position.

Entering As An Officer
Though Vanas is a proponent of joining the military, he is adamant about choosing the correct path. “There are so many Native people in the military,” he says, “but so few are officers. If you’re going to go in, go in as an officer. As an officer you will receive more responsibility, higher pay, and an education that is completely fund-ed. I can’t stress this enough to young people thinking about the military: explore your options.”
   Vanas believes that many young Native people are not given the full information about military choices. “You don’t have to decide immediately if you want the military to be your ultimate career, but it is a great place to get started,” he explains. “There are six remarkable things that you learn while in the military that you can take with you wherever you go: a sense of self-confidence; the ability to work with teams; self-discipline; responsibility; the ability to be flexible about travel; and a sense of integrity and honor which are the foundations of everything you will learn.”
   Self-discipline is crucial, Vanas believes, to developing any skill. “We live in a ‘now-now’ society,” he elucidates.“We waste our talents if we don’t know how to harness them.” Additionally, the military offers extensive travel which, according to Vanas, opens your perspective to the world and how you fit into it.”

Avenues
Many high school students join the military by simply signing up at a recruiting station. However, Vanas emphasizes the three options for entering as an officer. “Though highly competitive,” he says, “the military academies are still the best avenue to learning a marketable skill and they encompass a huge spectrum of careers.” The military academies include the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy, Coast Guard Academy, West Point, and the Merchant Marine Academy. Another choice for the college-bound student is to join their college or university’s Reserve Officer Training Core (ROTC). ROTC offers partial or full scholarships that will cover educational expenses. If a student has already graduated from college, he or she can attend an Officer Training School for a three-month period.
   “Education is a necessity, not a luxury,” says Vanas. “We live in an information age. The military academies can provide you with whatever educational path you choose to pursue. Anything you can do in civilian society you can do through the military.”

D.J. Vanas, left, receiving an award.

Left, D.J. in action at the Alpine Ropes Course leadership and teambuilding training.

The Call to Service
Though mainstream society vacillates in its view of the military, Native society’s understanding of the military has always been consistent. “Native Americans have always had a sense of pride in answering the call to service. We have always embodied a service-based concept and worldview,” Vanas explains. “A sense of protecting our land and people has always been a priority. The warrior spirit is not a new thing. Mainstream society has developed stereotypes for the military per-son. Supposedly, people in the military have been brainwashed. However, we are doing what everyone else is doing: acquiring skills and pursuing opportunities.”
   Vanas admits that not every young person will be accepted into a military academy or four-year college. For those students who are not as clear about what path they want to take, but are still interested in the military, entering the military as infantry can be beneficial if a practical skill is acquired. “A soldier can learn a skill that will translate into civilian society,” says Vanas. “You can take advantage of training in business, computers, mechanics, engineering, medical or dental assistance. You don’t want to leave the military only knowing how to operate a tank. Be conscious of moving yourself forward in life and take advantage of leadership opportunities. Don’t just be a soldier. Develop a mutual, beneficial relationship between you and the military.”

D.J. Vanas

Whether a person joins the military as an officer or soldier, Vanas is positive that it will be an “incredible adventure.” Not everyone will find the military a good fit, but the bottom line is to research all options before making a commitment.