Air Force veteran Dan Roby shares his takeaways from getting a degree while in the service, his role at American Military University and more on the Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
Dan Roby once rode his bicycle across the Canadian border with fireworks hidden under the seat. He was a kid from Plattsburgh, N.Y., who worked hard to round a 64.5 in chemistry up to a passing 65.
His life took on a different trajectory, thanks to his stepfather.
Roby’s stepfather, a retired Air Force tech sergeant, brought him to an American Legion post to shoot pool and listen to the old-timers’ stories. Those afternoons planted the seed, and Roby shipped off to basic training in September 1978. He went on to retire as an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant and become one of the most recognized voices in military education.
Now, Roby is the Vice President of Military Relations at American Military University (AMU). He shares his story and dispatches advice to transitioning servicemembers and their families in this week’s episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
Roby knows firsthand how hard it is to earn a degree while serving. It took him 12 different schools and 27 years to complete his bachelor’s degree, losing credits nearly every time he moved. A year from retirement, he still needed 11 classes, and he finished them while on temporary duty for 264 days.
His advice to today’s servicemembers: “Don’t be me. Learn from me.”
That experience shapes his work today. Roby leads AMU’s outreach team of about 24 people, most of them veterans and military spouses, who meet students near installations across the country.
He talks about monthly start dates, faculty who understand deployments and last-minute inspections, military training credit, tuition rates extended to spouses and dependents, and 24/7 mental health support. He also makes the case that a degree is not the only route, and that certifications and skills-based training matter as AI reshapes the workforce.
“The future is now. If you are not embracing AI, if a university has not embraced AI right now, they're way behind the power curve,” he said.
Roby shares what mattered most from his Air Force career.
“All those plaques and everything on the wall, I realized they meant nothing,” he said. “The things that meant the most to me is the people that I touched.”
Case in point: a former NCO he mentored who called him first after a recent health scare. Roby also shares the best career advice he ever got, from a first sergeant back in 1982: do your job well today and the rest will follow.
Also in this episode, co-hosts Stacy Pearsall, Adam Marr and Joe Worley:
• Dig into student veteran data (a 3.34 average GPA compared with 2.94 for traditional students), the credit-transfer wall many veterans hit and GI Bill delays.
• Explain The American Legion’s push for military credentialing reform.
• Share mental health resources, including Be the One training.
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