Serving in the Skies: Embry-Riddle Prepares Marine Officer, Father for Pilot Career

After U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Samuel L. McManus spent almost every day in the air during a deployment to Afghanistan, he knew he needed to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot.

“It really solidified when I was serving as flight crew in Afghanistan,” said McManus, who has served 13 years in the Marines. “I really grew to love flying when I was a flight crew member and I loved seeing everything from above.”

Now McManus is one step closer to his goal, after graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on May 4 with his B.S. in Aeronautics and a minor in Homeland Security. He was commissioned as an officer the next day.

“I wanted to go somewhere that would prepare me for flying and Embry-Riddle was the right place,” he said.

McManus moved to Port Orange, Florida, with his wife and three children to attend Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus through the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP). He pursued his degree while also helping to train and mentor the Navy ROTC midshipmen on campus.  

“There are times it’s been difficult balancing family and school,” said McManus, whose children are ages 7, 4 and 1. “I knew I wasn’t getting anything done when I got home, so I tried to do all my schoolwork on campus.”

McManus also experienced the death of his father, a U.S. Navy veteran, right before he was accepted into the commissioning program. His mother lives with his family in Port Orange.

“It was sudden. He had a massive heart attack when he was visiting us for Christmas,” he said. “I think he would have been incredibly proud of my accomplishment.”

Growing up in San Diego, McManus said he decided to join the Marines following high school, compelled by the events of 9/11when he was just seven years old. He liked the Marines’ camaraderie, and he worked across a range of areas, from ground intelligence to serving as an instructor for formal Military Occupational Specialty training. As a military pilot, he said it is important to him to be as knowledgeable and prepared as possible.

“The number one task of a Marine officer is to get your crew home safely,” said McManus. “So the last thing I want to do as a pilot is make a mistake due to a lack of knowledge.”

He said the Embry-Riddle program was comprehensive, and he particularly appreciated the aviation safety and homeland security courses he took.

Dr. Kimberly J. Szathmary, associate professor of Aviation and Aerospace Safety, said McManus’ perspective elevated her class.

“As a veteran, Sam brought maturity, discipline, humility, and some real-world perspective to my aviation safety classroom,” said Szathmary. “Seeing him succeed is an absolute privilege.”

Chris Bonner, an associate professor in the Security Studies and International Affairs Department who retired from the FBI, said McManus was “a proven leader in class” and shared “anecdotal examples of his Marine Corps experiences that could be tied to my lectures in terrorism and intelligence.”

Now that he has graduated, McManus will continue to assist with Navy ROTC officer training at the Daytona Beach Campus and receive additional military training as an officer. In about a year, he plans to move to Pensacola, Florida to start flight training.

“I won’t know what I’ll be flying until two years from now,” he said. “It could be a plane or a helicopter.”

Either way, McManus said he will be prepared and ready to fly.  

“Embry-Riddle has given me a lot more understanding and knowledge of aviation,” he said. “So I am well prepared for the area I am going into.”