No matter the branch of service, the military offers a chance to grow and develop as a person, says Brian Donovan, who served in both the U.S. Marine Corps. and the Kansas Army National Guard.
As a youth, Donovan described himself as “a punk teenager” who skipped school and graduated near the bottom of his high school class. Deep down, he knew he needed the kind of discipline and routine offered by the military.
At the same time, he knew what that lifestyle meant, having grown up while his father, David Donovan, served in the Air Force.
“It’s a tough life, period. Even as an Air Force brat growing up, I was making new friends every two to three years,” he said. “It’s not easy moving from town to town because of what it does to a family and social life.”
Even so, Donovan maintains serving in the military “gives you the basic structure and foundation to grow up and be better.”
Donovan used his life lessons to recruit young men and women into the military. For three years, from 1990 to 1993, he worked as a recruiter in Wichita.
“It takes a unique and special individual to take that leap of faith and serve their country,” he said. “I’ve recruited shoulder-to-shoulder with the Army, the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. All of our practices are the same. It’s an opportunity to become part of a structured workforce. And I stress structured because there’s a chain of command and a uniform code of military justice that you need to follow.”
But the rewards will last a lifetime, he said.
After all: “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”
DONOVAN was 15 when his family moved to Iola. His mom, Edna, grew up in Westphalia and his father was from Drexel, Mo. It was an opportunity to return closer to the family’s roots.
“I always knew that I would take a military path, just because I wanted to follow my dad’s footsteps,” he said.
He chose the Marines, believing it offered the kind of growth and development he needed. Donovan served from 1986 to 1996, leaving with the rank of staff sergeant. If he described his role in civilian terms, it would be “human resources.” He helped veterans with their pay, benefits and promotional opportunities, and assisted their dependents.
During his time in the Marines, Donovan’s deployments offered even more opportunities for training and development. He spent much of his time with an aircraft unit, and traveled for a Weapons and Tactics Instruction course in Yuma, Ariz. He deployed to Haiti during a time of political unrest in 1990. He traveled to Norway in 1995 aboard the USS Guam. He was stationed off the coast of Monrovia, Africa, to replenish supplies for the embassy there.
“Deployments will help you grow,” he said. “You’re away from home. You’re away from your family. You’re away from all of those things that make you comfortable. And you’re surrounded by a band of brothers who come together to take away that discomfort.”
AFTER HE left the Marines, Donovan became acquainted with a recruiter for the Kansas Army National Guard’s 891st Engineer Battalion, stationed in Iola.
