‘I Am Honored I Served’ 

After his time in the U.S. Army and New Jersey National Guard, Daylen Osmer now offers support to fellow Rutgers alumni veterans.

Though his U.S. Army military occupation specialty was “combat engineer,” Daylen Osmer’s military service ranged from fighting fires in California to helping a father through a divorce and preparing his fellow soldiers for the college admissions process.

Now, having earned his MBA from Rutgers in 2023, he is serving his second year as an officer with Veteran Alumni of Rutgers University (VARU), helping his fellow student and alumni veterans by planning networking and social events, working with the Rutgers ROTC programs, and handling the organization’s finances as treasurer.

“We're trying to get veterans involved and make a positive impact,” says Osmer, a contractor in the credit and insurance division of Blackstone, an alternative asset management company in New York. “Whether it’s helping with resumes, helping people get jobs, or just having that camaraderie of ‘I served, you served,’ we have something in common and can talk with each other.”

Osmer moved to New Jersey in April 2021 and joined the National Guard in July, serving in their human resources department at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. In January 2022, he began coursework in the MBA program at the Rutgers School of Business–Camden, which he says is “military friendly.”

“Rutgers University as a whole supports veterans in a lot of ways,” he says. “I was still serving in the National Guard at the time, and my professors accommodated my schedule. The school offers veterans flexibility with online programs and financial assistance through veteran scholarships.” 

Osmer, who is now working on a master’s degree in business analytics at Cornell University, credits Hyun Gon Kim, his economics and international business professor at Rutgers–Camden, with providing him a strong foundation in microeconomics and macroeconomics, and their impact on international business.

“His lesson on competitive advantages really stuck with me, and it’s a lesson I use to this day,” he says. “He is another reason I’ve stuck to finance for my career.”

In the Army Now

Osmer grew up in Salem, New Hampshire, and moved to New Jersey, where he found his passion for finance. He also found his passion for Mae Artta, whom he dated for two years and then married in 2016. As a newlywed, Osmer saw this as the ideal time to fulfill a lifelong dream to enlist.

“I joined the military to deploy and serve my country,” he says. “That was the main reason I became a combat engineer—combat is in the name. But the Army’s not all glory. There are times you’re conducting vehicle maintenance, going to the field to train, becoming ready. There are the day-to-day operations that make us prepared to deploy.”

Osmer honed those skills in the Army in preparation for seven months of training in Thailand. In less than a month, his unit got vehicles inspected, weapons loaded, and bags packed. Then COVID happened, locking down Thailand, and the mission was cancelled.

“I make it a point to say to other veterans who didn’t deploy, ‘You know what? You did what very few people do: You made it through basic training, and you were ready and willing to answer the call. Not everybody will or does, but you were willing to serve and make the ultimate sacrifice regardless of what you ended up doing.’”

In 2020, Osmer’s unit was called for 30 days in the California’s Mendocino National Forest, working closely with firefighters whose operations were much like the military’s. It was hot and dangerous, and he led a team of seven soldiers, focusing on mission readiness and operational efficiency.

Making a Difference

During his service in the National Guard from 2021 to 2024, he helped three soldiers gain admission to college and taught others how to apply for Veterans Administration and GI bill benefits. But sometimes, his help came in the form of just listening.

“Being able to do that for soldiers who were going through hard times made me feel good that I could give them that sounding board and let them just talk and not judge,” he says. “Not giving them advice, not as a therapist, just being someone they could bounce ideas off of and talk to.”

Osmer is also a “wish granter” with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, in gratitude for the charity’s support when his brother was diagnosed with cancer at age 10. He granted one child’s wish to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

“Make-A-Wish came through for us,” he says. “We got to go to a Super Bowl. That’s why I really am passionate about trying to help in any way I can. They gave my family so much, so whatever I can give back, that’s why I'm part of the organization.”

From firefighting to human resources, Osmer is happiest knowing he made a difference.

“To know that in some small way, I made a positive impact on people’s lives, whether it was helping someone with his divorce, helping kids get into college—just knowing that I made a positive impact somewhere,” says Osmer, whose overall military service spanned six years.

Osmer says Veterans Day means a lot to him because of his family lineage as well as the friends and skills he gained in the Army.

“I am honored I served,” he says. “It’s a day when I think back on my service. I take the time to look through old pictures and think of the positive things I accomplished. I reach out to a few service members and thank them for their service.”

About Veteran Alumni of Rutgers University (VARU): The organization’s purpose and mission are to develop and maintain a robust network of veteran alumni “in furtherance of esprit de corps while leveraging the resources of the Rutgers community on behalf of all Rutgers veteran alumni.” To get involved, Rutgers veterans should contact VARU’s president, Steve Flett, at VARUpresident@gmail.com.

For more information about Rutgers and veterans, visit the Office of Veteran and Military Programs and Services. Details are also available about this year’s New York Veterans Day Parade plans and the upcoming Rutgers football tribute.

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