Beyond the Uniform - Wyatt Huls
Wyatt Huls - MARSOC Marine and Security Professional
I had the privilege of working with Wyatt for several years in the first job that I found outside the military. He and I quickly connected with similar values, intrinsic motivations, and the gallows humor that only comes from service. In the time since he left the military, he has gone from government contractor, to program manager, to director of operations, and now COO of a group of companies.
Tell us a little about yourself. What was your path through the military and your path since you left?
I grew up in Minnesota and joined the Marine Corps when I was 20. I joined a bit later than most, after spending some time working and trying to figure out what I wanted from life. What I realized was that I didn’t want to just make more money or chase comfort. I wanted to be part of something bigger. I saw the military as a path to purpose, to real challenge, and to surrounding myself with people who were willing to risk something meaningful. The Marine Corps, to me, was the hardest path, and that made it the most worthwhile.
I started out in logistics and did several deployments. After my first four years, I started to feel frustrated with the Marine Corps, not because I didn’t love the mission, but because I felt like I wasn’t being challenged the way I wanted to be. Through some friends, I found out about the opportunity to try out for MARSOC. I went through selection in 2012, made it, and re-enlisted. That began a nine-month pipeline of training that eventually culminated in several deployments and specialty skills such as combatant diver and technical surveillance.
In MARSOC, I found the tempo and purpose I had been seeking. It was hard, it was meaningful, and it bonded me with some of the best people I’ve ever worked with. But by the time I reached Staff Sergeant and was on track for E7, I started seeing what the next decade would look like. I saw senior leaders behind desks, removed from the action, and not necessarily happy. I didn’t want to become that. I got out, hoping to join the FBI, but life had other plans. Still, it felt like the right time to try something new.
“One of the most important things I did was have a long-term plan.”
What have you been up to since you got out?
When I transitioned out, I immediately jumped into a fully online bachelor’s program at Norwich University. At the same time, I got married, my wife and I had been engaged for a while, and she was also a Marine. Starting a family was something we dove into right away. Between school, deployments, and raising kids, those first few years were chaotic but purposeful.
While I was in school, I worked overseas contracts, mostly short-term gigs, and between those, I picked up work in private security and surveillance. One of those jobs was with a private security company in Mountain View. I started out doing overnight surveillance, then took on a leadership role as a team lead. Just a week before I graduated college, I got a call from the founder of the company. They offered me a full-time role as a program director. After talking it over with my wife, I took it.
I started when the operation was just a handful of contractors, and was fortunate to watch the company grow to nearly 700 full-time employees before I left. It was a wild journey. I was able to experience new challenges and learned to lead in a completely different environment than I was used to in the military.
What do you think you did really well during your transition?
One of the most important things I did was have a long-term plan. My original goal was the FBI. Even though that didn’t work out, it gave me direction and helped me make decisions with a clear objective in mind. Everything else in my life was changing, new marriage, new locations, new work; so having that stable target helped me stay grounded and focused.
The second big win was leaning on my network. I called up friends who had already transitioned, asked them what was working, and stayed curious. One of those calls led me to that first company. If I hadn’t picked up the phone, I wouldn’t have known the opportunity existed. It wasn’t posted anywhere, and I wasn’t actively searching for that kind of role. Networking doesn’t mean spamming your resume, it means real conversations with people who know you, trust you, and want to help. That’s where the magic happens.
What do you wish you had done differently?
I wish I had taken more time to explore the programs and services available to transitioning veterans. There are so many organizations such as The Honor Foundation, BreakLine, Skillbridge—that offer incredible support, but I didn’t do enough research in time to take advantage of them. By the time I was thinking about my transition, I was already knee-deep in handing off responsibilities at my unit. I didn’t leave enough headspace to think about what came next.
Another thing I regret is not pursuing certifications while I was still in. The Marine Corps doesn’t always do a great job of translating military skills into credentials. The Air Force, from what I’ve seen, is a bit better at that. But that’s no excuse, I should’ve been more proactive. Getting certified, even in something basic, can make your resume pop and help bridge the gap between what you know and what the civilian world recognizes.
“In the military, we trained to know our gear better than the enemy. That mindset should carry into your tech stack.”
What stressors did you face when transitioning out, and how did you cope?
The biggest one was financial pressure. I had a family to support, and no steady paycheck for the first time in nearly a decade. I had to get very serious about budgeting, cutting costs, and making the most of the GI Bill. I even calculated how much money I needed for housing, food, and basic living before I got out so that I could save accordingly. That planning paid off.
The other big stressor was figuring out how to package my military experience for civilian jobs. You hear a lot about veterans having great soft skills like leadership, discipline, teamwork, but you also hear that we don’t have "real world" experience. That contradiction is frustrating. I had years of operational leadership, but when I looked at job postings, I didn’t meet 30% of the technical requirements. It made me feel boxed in.
To stay on track, I focused on jobs where I had clear hard skills,; that was contracting and surveillance, but kept building on those skills and exploring new ones. Over time, I gained enough experience to expand my options. But in those first few months, I felt very limited.
What lessons from the military still serve you in your civilian career?
The idea of ownership is huge. In MARSOC, everyone owns their role completely because lives are on the line. That sense of responsibility doesn’t go away. In the private sector, if you fully own your role, if you take initiative, deliver results, communicate clearly then you stand out fast. People want to work with someone who makes problems go away, not someone who waits to be told what to do.
Another is mission orientation. Understanding commander’s intent, aligning your resources to meet it, and having a PACE plan, those are habits that transfer directly. I don’t think there’s been a problem I couldn’t overcome with hard work and adaptability. If Plan A doesn’t work, go to Plan B, C, or D. The military teaches you how to think that way.
Also, be a master of your tools. In the military, we trained to know our gear better than the enemy. That mindset should carry into your tech stack. Whether it’s software, email, scheduling systems you need to know your kit. I’ve seen people lose credibility because they don’t understand the basics of their tools. Don’t be that guy.
“You’ll get rejected. You’ll feel lost. But you’ve already done hard things. Transition is just another one.”
What surprised you most about the private sector?
It blew my mind how hard it is to get your foot in the door, but how quickly you can rise once you're inside. On the outside, even with a great resume, you're just another name in a stack. But once you're in and prove your value, companies are eager to retain you and promote you. Experience, initiative, and adaptability can take you a long way.
I also realized how much weight internal systems and company knowledge carry. You can be incredibly competent, but if you don’t know the internal processes, you’re not as useful. Once you do understand those systems, you become irreplaceable. And when you pair that with ownership and strategic thinking, promotions tend to follow.
Wyatt - back when he was cool
How have you changed since leaving the military?
My whole definition of purpose has shifted. In the military, it was all about deployment, intensity, and high performance. You always knew where you stood, you had the rank on your chest, deployments under your belt. It was easy to feel like you were moving forward.
When I got out, all of that went away. I chased the FBI because it felt like the next logical challenge, but eventually realized it would pull me away from my family too much. That made me stop and think about what I was really chasing. What gives me purpose now isn’t being the guy in the fight, it’s being the father my kids look up to, the husband my wife can count on, and a man of faith who shows up for his family and community.
I’ve also embraced the spiritual side of life, which I ignored for a long time. I used to think that if my physical and mental health were good, everything else would follow. But the spiritual side is the one that has grounded me the most. It changed how I look at success. It’s no longer about the next rank or paycheck, it’s about living a life of meaning and service.
Any advice you want to leave other veterans with?
Once you make it, extend the ladder back down. Every opportunity I’ve had came from someone willing to help. Be that person for someone else. It doesn’t take much, just 30 minutes on the phone, a word of encouragement, a referral. That stuff matters.
Also, when you’re job hunting, don’t just blast your resume. Find a company you admire, search LinkedIn for someone from your branch who works there, and send a thoughtful message. Ask to learn; not for a job. Keep it low-pressure. Most vets are happy to share what they know. You might get advice, or you might get a connection. But either way, you’re building the right habits.
And finally, yes, you’re going to get punched in the face. You’ll get rejected. You’ll feel lost. But you’ve already done hard things. Transition is just another one. Make a plan. Stay humble. Keep moving. You’ll find your way.
