From Service to Space: A U.S. Veteran’s Path to NASA Stennis

It was “many Moons ago,” but Van Ward distinctly remembers the presentation a NASA speaker gave to his third-grade class in Union, Mississippi.

The speaker showed Ward’s class a space suit and astronaut helmet. “A bullet could bounce off the helmet’s glass face shield,” the presenter said.

The thought of bullets bouncing off glass inspired Ward’s 9-year-old, superhero-occupied brain. It also planted a seed, propelling Ward into a career of service, first in the U.S. Marine Corp, the Department of the Army, and then with NASA, including the last eight years as chief of Center Protective Services at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Overall, Ward recently reached 30 years of combined military and government service.

In his NASA Stennis role, Ward leads center operations for security, emergency management, and fire protection. His department provides protection for all work conducted onsite for the Artemis program and the NASA Stennis federal city at large.

“It is exciting, stimulating, utterly mind-blowing knowing years from now, we will be witnessing humans return to the Moon, then Mars, and maybe beyond,” Ward said. “Just knowing I am part of a team of professionals enabling that historic feat is immeasurable. We are literally a part of something truly historic.”

Ward started at NASA Stennis 17 years ago as a personnel security specialist. He eventually transitioned into the physical security specialist’s position before being selected as chief. He is continuously reminded how special it is to work at NASA.

“Whenever I am on work travel for training and say I work at NASA, that always gets heads turning and piques interest,” he said. “It just solidifies in my mind that this is a special agency, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

The Slidell, Louisiana resident knows about being well traveled. Ward joined the Marine Corps less than two months after high school. He served in countries in Central America, Asia, Africa, Western Europe, and the Middle East regions, including, but not limited to, Hungary, Kosovo, Greece, Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Greece, Albania, Egypt, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Japan, Korea, Panama, Cuba, and Haiti.

Ward was also able to further his education during and after completion of service in the Corps, earning a master’s degree in security management from American Military University, as well as a master’s in business from the University of Southern Mississippi.

As a member of the NASA Stennis Veteran Employee Resource Group (ERG), Ward has a chance to connect with coworkers who also have served the United States militarily. ERGs highlight the talent of a very broad and diverse workforce at NASA.

It is being united with a group of professionals wanting to see NASA and NASA Stennis achieve great things that contributes to Ward’s satisfaction at work.

“The best innovations are spurred by teams of diverse individuals who can bring fresh new ideas to the table, and NASA Stennis certainly has no shortage of diversity,” he said. “This diversity, paired with a strong spirit of resolve are certainly two major factors that have yielded wins for NASA Stennis time and time again. I look forward to the fresh, interesting ideas commercial entities will bring to space flight and the role NASA Stennis will play in order to help them to be successful.”

For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:

www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/