CC Dan Clare on networking

By D. Clare

Dan Clare

When I enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17, I wanted only two things in life—to be a Marine and journalist. It was only when I got out of the Corps four years later that I realized achieving one’s goals required more than desire and ability. Fortunately, based on my childhood ambition, being a former Marine and combat correspondent provided enough of a foundation to build upon my personal and professional goals.

By the age of 20 — when most peers from high school were still dependent on their parents— I had been a nationally-published writer, photographer, press chief and newspaper editor. 

I wanted desperately to be a broadcaster and my former boss, Master Gunnery Sgt. Don Long, ensured I had the chance at AFN Okinawa for my last year in the Corps. My DINFOS instructor, Master Sgt. Mike Eck, was my boss on the island and gave me every opportunity to experience the full scope of our mission there.

I returned to California for my first job out of uniform as the editor of the Flight Jacket just before Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was shut down and the paper was shipped to Miramar. But that foothold helped me find something else; a position in an advertising firm in Newport Beach where a partner, Greg Herder, was a former Marine and someone who recognized the value of military service. The experience was invaluable and it was a challenging but important way to transition to a civilian world that seemed planets away from life in the Corps.

My first experiences in branding prepared me for the next step. When my DINFOS roommate, Rob Lewis, told me about a position where skills I’d acquired could assist my fellow veterans, I jumped at the chance and switched to the charity sector. 

My boss there was a retired Marine who had commanded the detachment at DINFOS years before. After that move from California, I reconnected with another combat correspondent who I met in Okinawa. Amy Brackman and I married in 2005. 

I met Anthony Swofford, the Marine who authored the book Jarhead among others, and through his referral became a contributor to the New York Times Homefires blog.

The point is not that my journey is particularly remarkable. But nearly every success can be contributed to my efforts to maintain a network of good people in my life — the vast majority of whom are veterans, mostly Marines.

And when I have been in a position to support people in my circle or when I have needed help — those folks have always been a call away. Every hire I have made has come through my contacts. As a result, we’ve found people we could trust and who meet a higher standard in terms of their personal skills and ability to work as part of a team. Until you have been in an environment that is completely devoid of veterans, you can’t truly appreciate the value of the camaraderie we share.

While many folks get out and distance themselves as much as possible from their service, good advice for any CC is to connect with and maintain a network of peers and mentors.

At one time in our lives, we were joiners and we recognized the importance of being part of something bigger than ourselves. That doesn’t diminish in importance when we transition to new opportunities. 

Joining an affinity organization — whether it’s the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association or a cause like DAV (Disabled American Veterans) — enables you to alternately give back and benefit from a group of people who are a known quantity. It gives you a system of support whether you are hiring or looking for someone you can rely upon as a boss, colleague or friend.

Whether you are a lance corporal or a member of the First Civ Div, remaining always faithful and having a network of support is invaluable—in good times and bad.

Dan Clare is a former Marine and the communications director for DAV (Disabled American Veterans). A Life Member of the USMCCCA, he leads a team of ten, five of whom are former combat correspondents. DAV is a charity that is dedicated to a single purpose: fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; providing employment resources to veterans and their families and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a non-profit organization with more than 1 million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. Learn more at www.dav.org.

EDITORS NOTE:  Dan will moderate the “Friends in the Fight” panel in New Bern.