Retired U.S. Army Colonel William Wenger has a tremendous commitment to his country and to lifelong learning. He recently returned from a year tour in Iraq — one for which he volunteered. While there, he helped secure more than 3,600 miles of borders and 14 major ports of entry as well as train 20,000 Iraqi border police.
What kept him busy off duty? He earned a master’s degree in military studies, specializing in defense management, from American Military University (AMU) — his third master’s degree.
“Being a life-long learner is important because the world changes and evolves so rapidly,” says Wenger, vice president of Morlin Management in Los Angeles and a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Army. “Updating your knowledge and sources of information is critical to remaining a viable and valuable employee and service member — as well as being an informed citizen.”
At Morlin, Wenger is responsible for approximately 2 million square feet of commercial property, as well as new business generation. He is a certified property manager and registered property administrator.
“My degree has helped me in both my military and civilian careers — and the online format gave me the flexibility I needed while deployed,” he says of his time in Iraq. “I used my commercial real estate expertise and the knowledge I gained from AMU nearly every day. I negotiated many deals with building contractors who were building or repairing nearly 440 forts along the Iraqi border, as well as four training academies.”
Defense Management is a specialization that is now part of the public administration master’s program. It prepares students for management positions in government and examines the private sector’s expanding role in providing traditional government services.
“AMU’s curriculum, faculty and resources are cutting edge,” Wenger says. “My courses were practical and immediately applicable.” |
