University of Minnesota’a ROTC Commissions Dominic Thao as Second Lieutenant

On December 16, 2011 in the Mississippi Ballroom of Coffman Student Union in Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota held their graduation ceremony for ten commissionees receiving the honor of Second Lieutenant. Dominic Chafue Thao, 33, of St. Paul, MN, currently an active duty member of the United States National Guard, and was the sole Hmong person to be honored that night, receiving a degree in Business Administration.

Thao joined the University’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program in order to simultaneously pursue his college education and his career as an officer. But how did he decide to join the military in the first place? A chance encounter with a recruiter in 2004, in the right place at the right time sealed his fate: “I met a recruiter who rented a booth from my father’s flea market,” Thao recanted. “During that time in my life, I was stuck in a financial rut and I needed to make drastic changes.” Thao, the eldest son of four children, had recently lost his job with Comcast and was plagued with his financial situation, trying to manage his credit card debt and school loans.  Thao knew he needed to go back to school, but also knew that acquiring a loan would be difficult due to the high amount of debt that he had accrued over the years.

The business venture managing the flea market wasn’t going too well, either. “Having met the recruiter at the flea market was a blessing in disguise,” said Thao, “I was 26 at the time and still young enough to meet the physical criteria.  I had always entertained the idea of being in the military. In high school I had spoken to another recruiter, although [then] I had been indecisive about making such a commitment.” So when the opportunity presented itself to Thao again, it was crucial that he accept the commitment in order to make the necessary changes for his life. The recruiter immediately offered Thao an enlistment bonus, which would help in eradicating a large portion of his debt, and was also offered the chance to have his college career financed by the military at the same time. “The National Guard, was a good fit for me since it offered the same training as the active duty Army, yet the commitment was flexible enough that I was able to attend college and maintain a civilian job,” said Thao. With military schooling at Fort Benning in Georgia, Camp Edwards in Massachusetts, and Camp Shelby in Mississippi, Thao has been active in his duties to the country for the past seven years.

Thao’s military career has taken him to numerous states in the U.S., and to many nations overseas as well, including Kuwait and Qatar. Thao has also endured a 22-month deployment to Iraq. In addition to basic training, Thao’s training also consists of specialized concentrations in Air Assault, Armor Training, Field Artillery, Patrolling, and Land Navigation. After three years as a part of the ROTC, Thao finally attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

“There are many aspects [of being in the military] that are rewarding and yet difficult. The worst part of being in the military is having to be away from your family and friends because you are either deployed or conducting a training somewhere,” said Thao. But overall, he enjoys his life decision, stating that the best part about the military is the sense of accomplishment you feel when you have completed your duties and training. “You are given a chance to reflect on the simple things in life that you may take for granted back home,” Thao said—after having been to war torn country like Iraq, it allowed him to appreciate the freedoms and luxuries that are available in the U.S.  “Freedom and peace are often assumed to be a given right among U.S. citizens,” Thao said, “however, in some underdeveloped countries these virtues are a continuous struggle for many people around the world.”

As for Thao’s future, he plans to make the most of his military career. He is currently reclassifying himself from his Infantry duties into Air Defense Artillery, planning to travel to Fort Sill in Oklahoma to attain a new set of skills. “For my long-term goal, I am considering doing 20 years in the military and then retiring,” Thao said. “I hope to attain the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel upon retirement.” And although the possibility of being a General is an option, Thao has yet to decide upon putting in the 20+ years needed for an intensely competitive rank to attain.  “Once I retire, my ultimate goal is to move into either the public or private sector,” said Thao. “I would like to work in either an intelligence agency or defense contractor firm.” Some of the firms that Thao has inquired about working for in the private sector include General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

So, how does it feel being the only Hmong person in his graduating class to attain the title 2nd Lieutenant? Thao is quick to mention that he hasn’t been the first or only Hmong person to attain the rank: “There are other Hmong individuals who have attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant within the Army and the other branches of service,” Thao said, but he believes that being another Hmong person serving in an officer role can definitely create a good impression to the greater public about our ethnicity.  “Hmong individuals who serve on the enlisted side play a contributive role to the military as a whole,” he said. “Having been both enlisted and now an officer allows me to see the perspective of being a good follower and a good leader.  I believe that there is importance in understanding the roles of your soldiers prior to leading them into battle.”

Thao also reminisced about what this job meant for his roots: “In prior wars, the Hmong people have demonstrated that they were committed as soldiers, and those who were in leadership have shown to be resilient and vigilant commanders,” he said. “I hope to further demonstrate to America that the Hmong people are effective members of the Armed Forces, [both] during peace and in [times of] conflict.”

Thao currently resides in the Phalen Lake area of St. Paul with his lovely wife Youa Vue.

By Elizabeth Thao