Ian Johnston
Ian Johnston
Class Year
’15
Current home
Ft. Bliss, Texas
Major(s)
International Political Economy
Current Position
Bradley Fighting Vehicle Commander
Ian Johnston ’15 is a combat engineer in the United States Army. As commander of the Bradley Fighting Vehicles — an armored fighting vehicle, he is responsible for the training of soldiers and BFV maintenance. His missions focus on mobility, counter-mobility, and survivability.
Commander Johnston, an IPE major, says Professor Art Cyr played a vital role in his success. He says Professor Cyr along with several other faculty continue to be great mentors and friends to this day.
What have you enjoyed most about your career?
“The ability to contribute to an incredibly large team where the everyday efforts are directly related to the success of the United States as a whole.”
How did Carthage prepare you?
“The close-knit community that helped me thrive while at Carthage is very much the same as in the military. Everyone I encountered in my time at Carthage believed in helping those around them to see everyone succeed at whatever they were trying to accomplish.”
How has your liberal arts education benefitted you?
“Our unit’s commander demands that every soldier master three fundamentals. Shoot, move, and communicate. While I did not learn how to shoot and move tactfully at Carthage, I did work constantly on my communication. Developing the ability to realize who you are addressing (superiors, subordinates, and/or peers) and then determine how to express your message in the most direct and informative way possible allows you and your team to be successful and stand out from your peers. No matter how much planning goes into a mission or task that my unit must complete, the execution never goes 100 percent in sync. There are always factors that arise and force us to think and react quickly.”