From boots to business, Veterans are making the difference for our economy by commitments to more than one kind of service.
With Veterans Day this Friday, Nov. 11, NSBA would like to recognize the service and sacrifice given by all Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. NSBA is especially grateful to those small business owners who have or currently serve.
The embodiment of Semper Fi, Leadership Council member Ferguson “Juice” Dale is just one NSBA member who knows what it takes to go from boots to business. A 19-year active duty Veteran of the Marine Corps, Mr. Dale excelled in the cockpits of warfighting aircraft, including the EA-6B Prowler and the F/A 18 Hornet.
Mr. Dale enlisted in 2003, quickly rising through the Marine Corps’ ranks during his first 18 months on the job. During his time on active duty, Mr. Dale spent four deployments two on the ground and two in the sky — throughout the Middle East. From Afghanistan to Syria, Mr. Dale learned a variety of skills, enabling him to serve in a variety of navigational, cybersecurity, and signals intelligence capacities. Over time, Mr. Dale progressed into a commissioned officer and eventually being promoted to Captain. He was also named the 2006 Marine of the Year in his unit, the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Marine Regiment.
After his overseas deployments, Mr. Dale transferred to the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, Va. There, he further pursued his work in signals intelligence and cyber security, earning a Meritorious Service Medal for his work in defense innovation before his retirement in early 2022.
Looking for purpose after his service, Mr. Dale moved to the private sector where he continued to provide defense and aerospace innovation, founding Semper Sky, LLC. Mr. Dale and his team at Semper Sky are pioneering the future of sustainable fuel in aviation, including technological development around electric aircraft. Mr. Dale also manages to balance the demands of his burgeoning business with his duties as a reservist in the Marine Corps, approaching his 19th year of combined active duty and Reserve Service.
Having spent a career in the military, Dale recognizes that underserved populations often add far more value to the private sector than they are given the opportunity to provide. As a minority-owned, 100 percent service-disabled Veteran-owned enterprise, Mr. Dale’s business strives to support underserved communities an opportunity to shine. Always faithful to his call to selfless service in business inspired by his work in the Marines, one of Mr. Dale’s highest priority is to reimagine the limitations of “who can do what.”
To learn more about Ferguson “Juice” Dale and Semper Sky, please visit flysempersky.com.
