Director of Recruiting at L-3 Communications,
Army recruiting helps protect America by recruiting linguists to support U.S. military operations overseas for L-3 Communications.
by Warren Duffie

What made you join the military? Adventure? Sense of duty? Dissatisfaction with your life or career? These are all compelling reasons. Still, Thomas LiPuma stands out: He was threatened into enlisting.

It was 1976. The New York native was a disc jockey at a local nightclub when a buddy asked LiPuma to accompany him to an Army recruiting station. The friend wanted to be an MP, so LiPuma went with him to offer support. At the station, while his friend was being sold on the Army, LiPuma decided for the heck of it — to take the ASVAB.

When he returned home that night, he jokingly told his mother he had enlisted. As LiPuma’s mother swooned in shock, his father — an intimidating man who had once served time in prison — stood up, pointed his finger at his son, and said, “You better not be kidding!”

“What could I do,” LiPuma says with a laugh. “I couldn’t tell my dad I was playing around, so I went into the Army. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Although LiPuma joined the Army because of a joke, his current civilian career is no laughing matter. The former command sergeant major works for L-3 Communications, a contractor providing intelligence and information technology products and services to a variety of government agencies.

LiPuma — who works in the Titan Group Linguist, Operations, and Technical Support division of L-3 — is the director of recruiting for accessions, and is in charge of providing linguists for security contracts in Iraq, Qatar, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Based in Herndon, Va., he oversees a national team of 42 recruiters who scour the country looking for speakers of Arabic, Urdu, and Dari, to name a few. Their main target markets: New York, New Jersey, California, and Dearborn, Mich.

“We do a lot of phone solicitation and advertising and attend quite a few job fairs,” says LiPuma, 49. “We recruit from Wednesday to Wednesday, and each Sunday process 45 to 60 new linguists. We then put them through a rigorous two-week program to ensure they can read, write, and speak English and their respective languages perfectly — and are physically, mentally, and morally fit to safeguard American security.”

LiPuma typically arrives at his office at 8 a.m. and reviews reports on potential linguists who need to be contacted. He then assigns recruiters to this task and spends the rest of the day addressing any security, medical, or deployment issues related to his linguists. He usually leaves around 7:30 p.m.

“If there’s one military attribute that helps today, it’s the leadership I learned after nearly 30 years of service,” LiPuma says. “The ability to make decisions and not waver, the ability to get to the bottom of a situation — these are so attractive to civilian employers.”

A Military-Friendly Culture
Leadership values permeate L-3’s corporate culture, LiPuma says. Founded in 1997 by veterans, L-3 has grown into a $9 billion company with customers such as the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, various government security agencies, and commercial telecommunications and wireless companies.

Many of L-3’s senior management have military backgrounds. In fact, LiPuma’s chief of staff is a former Marine Corps colonel, and about 15 percent of the linguists he hires have served in the military.

“Veterans have the discipline and technical knowledge employers want,” LiPuma says. “I know on my end, we always keep an eye out for military people who are fluent in different languages and have experience in the Middle East.”

“One reason L-3 Communications likes veterans so much is their commitment to the mission,” says Derek Weaver, the Titan Group’s vice president of accessions and LiPuma’s supervisor. “They have a lot of drive and are well equipped to advance through the ranks here.

“My advice to transitioning veterans is to never sell yourself short,” Weaver continues, “Even if you were an infantryman or a tank driver, you probably had to display leadership and calm under pressure. Civilian employers value that.”

From Building Air Strips to Building Up the Ranks
After completing basic training, LiPuma was schooled as a “light/heavy airborne soldier.” This entailed parachuting into jump sites after heavy equipment had been dropped in, and helping to build an airstrip within 72 hours. It was exciting, challenging work, but after eight years he was tired of the constant smell of oil and diesel fuel.

So LiPuma went into recruiting, serving at different stations over the next decade. His first recruiting assignments were in Syracuse, N.Y., and Miami. During that time, LiPuma managed 300 recruiters and traveled throughout the Northeast, Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Puerto Rico, and Saint Thomas.

In August 2001 LiPuma was placed in charge of the recruiting and retention school at Fort Jackson, S.C., where he oversaw 76 instructors who taught 5,000 students each year.

“That was a great job because I actually helped make a difference in the careers of recruiters and their commanding officers,” he says, “as well as strengthening the Army.”

After that, it was on to Fort Knox, Ky., where LiPuma served in public affairs promoting the Golden Knights — the Army’s world-famous parachute team — as well as Army Marksmanship Unit. He also coordinated liaisons between the Army and organizations such as NASCAR and the National Hot Rod Association.

By January 2006, LiPuma was approaching 30 years of military service, and began looking toward his future. Then fate intervened. The former head of the Army’s recruiting command contacted LiPuma and told him about a job opening at L-3. LiPuma called the company, had a phone interview that day, and was hired a few weeks later.

LiPuma also advises veterans to consider the financial consequences of leaving the military. Although civilian pay can eclipse your military salary, you lose the free benefits provided by Uncle Sam.

“I was making pretty good money as a command sergeant major,” he says. “But I knew I would have to make at least $45,000 a year to maintain my lifestyle. I’m lucky that L-3 has a great benefits package [medical/dental/vision plans, a 401(k) plan with company match, employee stock purchase plan, and educational assistance].”

LiPuma’s Advice:

Don’t sell yourself short. “Your leadership and technical skills are truly valued by civilian employers. Sell these.”

Rely on your leadership. “Veterans are often more mature and have been in more stressful situations than many of their civilian counterparts. Companies look for this kind of ability and vision.”