Danny Rojas can point easily to the moment he knew he was going to be in the military.
He was in the third grade on Sept. 11, 2001, and he recalls seeing the chaos of that day and watching the towers fall.
“I decided then I was going to join the military,” he said. “Sounds kind of crazy, but I kind of fell in love with it after that. I followed along as we deployed and went to war.”
That was, for 8-year-old Rojas, a stabilizing moment in his life at the time. A chaotic family environment saw Rojas change schools 11 times before reaching third grade.
As he continued his education, Rojas held fast to that ambition. Though he excelled academically and earned a scholarship to attend a state school, Rojas’ dream would not be deferred. He had already enlisted through the Army’s Delayed Entry Program during his junior year of high school, dropping varsity baseball his senior year to focus entirely on preparing for the infantry.
“It helped me find value and purpose,” he said.
Danny Rojas’ Army Achievement Medal awarded for his time as an Army recruiter in Fort Worth under the Dallas Recruiting Battalion is on display surrounded by other commendations. These medals are given to soldiers who display an exceptionally meritorious performance within their duties. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
A wooden plaque given at separation is inscribed with the dates Danny Rojas served. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Branch: United States Army
Rank: E-6 Staff Sergeant
Years in service: 2011-21
Current title: Senior Principal of Product and Market Insights at iCIMS
Definition of service: Simply the act of putting others before yourself
The spark
Two weeks after graduating high school, Rojas stepped onto a commercial flight for the first time in his life, bound for basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia.
“I remember hugging my mother right before I got on the bus,” Rojas said. “I grabbed her face, looked at her, and told her I had joined the infantry — after letting her believe for a year and a half that I was going into a safe supply job. Seeing her emotional response, I knew right then that no matter what came my way, I wasn’t going to fail.”
Rojas served in light and heavy infantry units at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Stewart, Georgia. Moving rapidly through the enlisted ranks to staff sergeant, he led weapon squads through intensive live-fire exercises, field operations and high-stakes tactical evaluations.
His approach to command quickly diverged from the traditional military hierarchy. Rather than focusing on rank or posturing, Rojas built a top-performing weapon squad by investing heavily in the well-being of his individual soldiers.
“I was never the ‘figure your stuff out’ type of leader,” Rojas said. “I believed in investing in the whole soldier — professionally, socially, emotionally, financially. I’ve done marriage counseling with soldiers in my living room, answered 2 a.m. phone calls before they made a bad decision, and kept my guys training on the fundamentals when everyone else was sitting around. When you take care of your people, the performance takes care of itself.”
Throughout his six years in the line infantry, Rojas constantly volunteered in opportunities like hurricane relief in Georgia and Houston, participating in reading programs at local elementary schools and managing a 35-person team at the Department of Defense Wounded Warrior Games at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
In the final chapter of his military career, Rojas volunteered for recruiting duty, returning to Fort Worth to manage operations out of the exact Ridgmar-area recruiting station he had enlisted at years earlier. Rebuilding relationships with local school districts and colleges, he focused on student mentorship and transparent community engagement.
Finding a career trajectory
That approach would eventually point Rojas’ trajectory toward his career as a civilian, working as a corporate recruiting executive.
Despite a decade of military accolades and executive-level recruiting success, Rojas was not prepared for the world he faced.
“Transitioning out was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, harder than infantry training or special warfare courses,” Rojas said. “Most of my buddies were lifers who stayed in, so when I got out, I was in uncharted territory alone. You step into corporate America and realize people are just clocking in and clocking out. You lose that deep sense of camaraderie overnight.”
After landing his first civilian role, Rojas resolved to eliminate that isolation for others. He stepped into corporate talent acquisition roles at JCPenney and The Container Store, rapidly rising into management while taking on leadership roles in corporate veteran employee resource groups. He spearheaded major philanthropic campaigns for Carry the Load and other veteran organizations.
One of Danny Rojas’ highest-ranking challenge coins was given to him by Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr., who at the time was the commanding general of the United States Army Special Operations Command. Challenge coins are a military tradition used to signify high-ranking officials, special duty assignments and specialized units within the military. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Danny Rojas holds both a certificate of honorable discharge and his oath of reenlistment. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Tailoring the Transition
Recognizing a critical gap in traditional veteran transition programs — which often provide outdated advice disconnected from modern hiring practices — Rojas and his wife, Thania, launched their nonprofit, TailoredVets.
The nonprofit provides one-on-one career coaching and resume mentorship exclusively through corporate recruiters and hiring managers. The organization pairs service members moving into the civilian world with professionals who understand market dynamics. In its initial pilot phase, all 11 participating veterans secured jobs.
Rojas’ full-time work reflects his dedication to supporting others, as his job at software company ICIMS centers around mentoring displaced workers nationwide.
Danny Rojas and his infantry unit pose for a photo on top of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, during a training mission in 2012. (Courtesy | Danny Rojas)
At home, he anchors his daily life in his family, balancing professional directives alongside his wife and six children. For Rojas, service is no longer defined by a squad live-fire exercise or an official commendation, but by the quiet, ripple effect of lifting up one person at a time.
“In the military, you’re around people where you know someone has your back when things get hard,” Rojas said. “On the civilian side, people often feel completely alone. My mission now is to make sure our veterans and our community members know they aren’t alone, that there’s always someone standing beside them to help them find their path.”
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
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