Col. John Flynn Has Been and Nonetheless is Match to Serve

John Flynn has had many roles all through his life – together with as a soccer participant, serviceman within the Air Drive, adviser to then Vice-President Joe Biden as part of the Obama Administration, and he at present is the senior vice chairman of administration and aviation for MGM Resorts Worldwide. Whatever the place he has held or the individuals he has labored with in these positions, there are two frequent traits – service and management.

Flynn mentioned about MGM Resorts International Aviation Division, “I’ve received a few totally different departments I get to guide and handle. We’ve received a number of planes and a pair dozen pilots.” He additionally works with the Safety Operations Division and their Navy and Veterans Program (MVP) with different navy members. In whole, Flynn works with over 2,000 individuals in his a number of roles within the company world. Which may seem like very totally different in comparison with his navy profession, however he discovered that the 2 fields have extra in frequent than one might consider.

“A number of the issues we discovered within the navy are what we worth within the personal sector. I believe a few these issues are you study to be versatile, proactive, the right way to reprioritize totally different objectives such as you would with the navy, and also you fail so much. However it’s not a matter of failing. It’s a matter of whether or not you get again up.”

John Flynn’s dedication to management and the betterment of others might be traced again to his childhood. Flynn was the youngest of two youngsters rising up in Irvine, California. Sports activities was a giant a part of his life due to being round groups such because the California Angels (MLB), Los Angeles Rams (NFL), and others. He wasn’t only a fan of these sports activities, however he performed them as nicely.

“I grew up enjoying baseball, soccer, and basketball, whether or not it was in my faculty or in Irvine.”

Soccer was the game that Flynn succeeded on the most. He began as quarterback for Mater Dei Excessive College for 3 years, they usually completed because the primary crew within the nation. That led him to pursuing alternatives to play for Vanderbilt or the US Air Drive Academy. He felt that prime faculty was an vital time for him as a result of a number of the classes he discovered on the sector may very well be utilized off the sector.

“It’s the place I first discovered the right way to efficiently get better from failure on a play-by-play foundation,” he mentioned with fun. “It was a very good lesson for all times.”

He was capable of study different classes from folks that served as mentors reminiscent of his dad and mom, coaches, and lecturers throughout his childhood as nicely.

“You don’t absolutely admire these mentors till you’ve type of moved away, grown up, matured extra in life.”

As he was ending highschool, Flynn had thought he was going to go to Vanderbilt, however a change within the head coach place there shifted his sights to the Air Drive Academy. One journey to Colorado Springs, Colorado later, and he knew the place he was going. In hindsight the selection is sensible for him as a result of he grew up in an space the place it was frequent to see Marines and Members of the Navy. His father served

within the Marines and his grandfather was within the Navy throughout World Struggle II. Despite the fact that he was becoming a member of a special department, the navy might have been future within the making.

“The thought of flying planes, graduate, and mainly go do no matter you wished to try this the navy presents have been actually interesting to me.”

He can be a backup quarterback in his soccer position, however he received to take pleasure in a number of moments together with his teammates and discovered worthwhile classes on the school degree as nicely. He additionally labored as a coach on the again half of his senior season. He remembered that yr fondly as a result of his crew completed within the prime ten in rating within the nation.

“For a service academy soccer crew to complete within the prime ten within the nationwide rankings, it was a fairly large deal.”

As soon as his school profession ended, he dedicated to the Air Drive full-time, the place he amassed greater than 3,100 hours as a C-17 Evaluator Pilot. A part of his profession was spent in Afghanistan in addition to in Baghdad, Iraq and different areas. He was proud to be part of that effort, however he acknowledged that missions of the magnitude he was concerned with took the help of numerous teammates and fellow servicemembers.

“Preventing within the early days of the Struggle on Terror within the mid-2000’s was fairly unbelievable. Being within the navy and pulling off these profitable missions required working with lots of people.”

Apart from working beneath nice leaders and as part of management in each sports activities and the navy, one other frequent theme is being bodily prepared always. That’s why health has been an vital a part of his life, and it nonetheless is right this moment.

“As soon as once more, there’s much more similarities than variations,” mentioned Flynn with regards to health degree for each fields. “Usually, I believe staying match, maintaining your cardio going, maintaining your muscle tone going is vital. Generally, it’s a must to carry 150 kilos in your again on these missions, and it’s a must to be in fairly unbelievable form to try this.”

John Flynn would transfer on to work in Washington, D.C., the place he labored for the Division of Protection as a Legislative Fellow beneath Senator Invoice Nelson, on the Pentagon, and in the end can be concerned with the last word type of management – a Presidential administration. Flynn served as a Particular Assistant to the forty fourth President of the US, Barack Obama and as an adviser to then Vice President Joe Biden. After flying for ten years, that change in dynamics may very well be a shock for most individuals at first, however Flynn adjusted and located yet one more approach to contribute to his nation.

“It was actually instructional and insightful after being on the tip of the spear to be on the tail finish of coverage after which the orders come down and also you observe, operationally, these orders,” he recalled. “That was extremely instructional for me.”

Following his time in Washington, he moved on to the place he holds now with MGM Resorts. He’s nonetheless concerned with the Air Drive as a reserve assigned to AFWERX. He additionally commits time to staying in form as a result of it’s a variable that permits him to be his finest for everybody round him in addition to himself.

“You can also make clear choices, you can also make higher choices, and be extra assured in what you’re doing,”

John Flynn needs to ensure the subsequent technology of People are conscious and positively impacted by the navy as nicely. He took his son to a Veteran’s Day occasion referred to as Salute to the Troops that paid homage that have been prepared to offer their all to freedom.

“Crucial this subsequent technology sees us celebrating service members,” he mentioned.

Despite the fact that he’s within the personal sector now, he feels the navy can nonetheless be an amazing choice for younger folks that need to set themselves up for excellent success sooner or later. He advises to have a look at all choices fastidiously earlier than making a last determination.

“It’s a very thrilling time to be a 17 or 18-year previous graduating from highschool as a result of there’s a lot for you on the market that may enable you to obtain your objectives,” he defined. “Do your analysis, and you ought to be wanting into firms and the navy, and even schools or universities to search out the perfect choices for them.

You possibly can study extra about Col. Flynn by following him at John S. Flynn on LinkedIn