Matthew Dapson:
CLASS OF 1974
Taconic High SchoolClass of 1974
Pittsfield, MA
Industrial College of the Armed ForcesClass of 2001
Washington, DC
Rider UniversityClass of 1978
Lawrenceville, NJ
Matthew's Story
Hello,
Glad to see so many classmates have joined!
I'm 1.5 years into my new career with Textron and really enjoy it. Right out of college I joined the Marine Corps and served 26+ years. It was an extremely fulfilling career and I'd do it all again. Aside from a couple of staff tours and a number of years in school, I served primarily as a transport helicopter pilot. My flying career culminated in command of a CH-46 squadron (1998-2000). After a year spent getting a Master's degree, I was assigned to the Pentagon where I represented the Marine Corps on aviation and ground weapons procurement issues in dealings with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
I was selected to command a Marine Air Group, but turned it down. Having moved 23 times over my career, the hassles of relocating to NC simply outweighed the potential rewards. I really enjoy living the DC metro area.
Turning down comma...Expand for more
nd virtually insured my promotion opportunities were over, so I opted to retire. I finished up at the rank of Colonel; with an official retirement date up 1 Jan '05.
Working in the private sector was a quick adjustment, but I've had a few revelations. Military culture is different and very much oriented on mission accomplishment. The lines of authority are well defined, people understand they are responsible for the work assigned, and know they will be held accountable for failure. I have sadly discovered these aren't universal business behaviors.
Textron, is a conglomerate that owns a number of companies. Bell Helicopter and Cessna are two that work heavily with DoD on weapons systems. I'm a government relations director (read lobbyist) for Textron with a focus on the defense piece of the business.
Well that's enough. I hope you're all doing well. If you'd like to chat, please drop me a line.
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