Military Career

From Farm Boy to Naval Technician to Officer-in-Training

A Calling Rooted In Service

I didn’t join the military for a paycheck or because someone told me to. I joined because service had been part of my DNA from the beginning.

Growing up on a farm in Oak Hill, Florida, I learned early on what it meant to work with my hands, to wake up before the sun, and to carry more than my weight in any situation. My father—a Marine Corps veteran, carpenter, firefighter, and serial entrepreneur—was a force of nature. He didn’t just build businesses; he built systems, structures, and legacies. Watching him start Oak Hill’s first volunteer fire department, build our home by hand, and construct a sawmill from scratch, I absorbed the lessons of self-reliance, discipline, and accountability long before I ever put on a uniform.

The United States navy

The Navy was the obvious choice.

When it came time to decide what was next after high school, I was torn between two paths: firefighting or the military. The firehouse was familiar—it was home. But the military promised something more: discipline, global perspective, technical training, and the chance to step into something bigger than myself.

Electronics, Engineering & the Edge of Innovation

I enlisted in the United States Navy as an Electronics Technician (ET)—a rating that combined my love for engineering and technology with hands-on mission-critical responsibility.

From the outset, I was immersed in a world of complexity and precision. My training began with “A School”, where I learned to maintain, repair, and troubleshoot the advanced systems that keep the Navy running—from shipboard radar and satellite communications to sonar, radio, and encrypted networks.

Electronics Technician (ET):

Shipboard Radar and Satellite Communication

Sonar, Radar, & Encrypted Networks

Cybersecurity

Network Defense

Cryptology & Top Secret Clearance

As my technical proficiency grew, so did my responsibilities. I was selected to train in cryptology, the art and science of secure communication. Earning a Top Secret Clearance, I worked in environments that required not just technical skill but discretion, reliability, and an unwavering sense of duty.

I was trusted with access to classified data, operations, and secure systems—some of which were foundational to our nation’s defense posture:

Encrypted Communications

Radio Frequency (RF) Systems

Digital Signal Processing

Network Infrastructure Security

Counterintelligence Protocols

These experiences gave me a glimpse into the rapidly evolving cyber domain—at a time when the term “cybersecurity” wasn’t even in mainstream use. It sparked a curiosity that would later evolve into a passion and ultimately a career.

Officer Candidate Pipeline

While I valued my role and responsibilities, I never felt fully challenged. I knew I could lead, and I wanted more than technical mastery—I wanted command.

So I applied to the Navy’s BOOST Program (Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training), a competitive pathway designed to help enlisted sailors transition to commissioned officer roles. Based on my military record, performance, and leadership potential, I was selected.

I left active operations to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Newport, Rhode Island—a mental, physical, and psychological crucible.

OCS was designed to push you to your limit and beyond, to break down the individual and rebuild a leader. The program sharpened my instincts, refined my communication skills, and tested my ability to make decisions under pressure.

It wasn’t just about marching and memorizing—it was about responsibility, chain of command, ethical leadership, and learning how to carry the weight of other people’s lives on your shoulders.

Transformation Through Service

By the time I left the Navy, I wasn’t the same young man who had enlisted looking for structure and purpose.

I had been forged in discipline, shaped by service, and hardened by high-stakes responsibility.

I understood what it meant to lead in ambiguity, to act decisively with limited information, and to be accountable even when no one was watching.

The Navy didn’t just train me. It transformed me. It gave me the tools, mindset, and discipline to build, to lead, and to fight for what mattered—whether in uniform or out.

I emerged with:

A deep understanding of engineering systems and secure networks

Experience working in cryptologic and classified environments

Leadership skills rooted in integrity, grit, and empathy

A lifelong commitment to service and mission-driven work

Counterintelligence Protocols

Service Beyond the Uniform

While my military career eventually transitioned into civilian entrepreneurship and cybersecurity innovation, the values I learned in the Navy never left me.

Discipline

Accountability

Teamwork

Service before self

These aren’t just words—they’re the code I live by.

Everything I’ve done since—from building technology companies to fighting for IP integrity, protecting brands online, and investing in mission-driven founders—has been rooted in what I learned during my time in uniform.

The uniform came off. The mission didn’t.

For more about my journey, patents, and ventures, connect with me on LinkedIn.