How a Booth Alumnus Helps Military Teens Thrive

For Backsmeier, the new role is a continuation of his service, from his own military experience to his civilian job for Medcor, managing a team that supports workers injured on the job.

Growing up in Bloomington, Illinois, Backsmeier read a book about the Civil War in fourth grade that inspired a desire to attend the US Military Academy at West Point and become an officer. “My parents laughed it off, but that was my dream—to serve my country and help others,” he says. That dream crystallized after he watched the Twin Towers fall on TV in his eighth-grade classroom on September 11, 2001. He went on to graduate from West Point in 2010, and subsequently earned a Rotary scholarship to pursue a masters in international security studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

As an active-duty officer in the Army, most of Backsmeier’s time was focused on humanitarian assistance abroad, working alongside the US Agency for International Development. He was deployed to Ethiopia and Djibouti in East Africa to help people in impoverished communities access nutritious food, mosquito nets, and malaria medication, as well as veterinary medication and vaccines. Backsmeier also spent a lot of time in Japan planning disaster relief. “It cultivated in me a deeper desire to serve others,” he says. “It made me realize that you still help, even in ways that people don’t always see.”

After coming to Chicago in 2016, he transitioned to the Army Reserve. He took on a few civilian jobs before working his way up to his current role as division vice president at Medcor, a healthcare company based in McHenry, Illinois. There, he oversees a team of 400 nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals who guide injured workers through the claims process—a role he sees as a continuation of his patriotic service.

“You see the push to reshore manufacturing in the US, and there’s a national security element to that,” he says, “but it’s not going to help unless we keep the electricians, plumbers, and all the folks on the assembly line healthy.”

Backsmeier came to Booth’s Evening MBA Program in 2021 because he was attracted to its data-driven approach to strategy as well as its reputation for supporting veterans. The Chicago Booth Armed Forces Group reached out to him as soon as he applied, he says, providing advice on transitioning back to school as well as a hub of support from other veterans on campus.

“There’s an inordinate amount of trust you develop with someone through that shared veteran experience,” he says. “It’s like reconnecting with a childhood friend you haven’t seen in 20 years.”

He also appreciated that his professors were understanding of his ongoing obligations in the Reserve, even when he had to temporarily deploy to the Asia-Pacific region during the school year.

Working full time at Medcor and going to school at the same time mutually reinforced each other. “I’d learn a concept or theory in class, and within 24 hours, I’d speak to my CEO about making changes based on it,” he says. In return, he added to class discussions on leadership and negotiations from the richness of his military experience, whether talking about managing 200 people at age 21 or dealing with black market traders from Somalia.

He was approached last year to take up his current role as board chair for Orion, where he’s seen firsthand the good the organization has achieved. “It’s been so rewarding to hear the stories,” he says, citing a single mother who thought she’d have to exit the military after repeatedly having to leave her daughter with several different relatives in different school districts. The opportunity to send her daughter to an elite boarding school she could attend through graduation helped resolve the issue, bringing much-needed stability to her daughter’s life. “To go from that uncertainty to knowing her daughter will have a core group of friends, clubs, activities, and sports—those are the stories that really cheer you up and let you know you’re helping.”

In the coming years, Backsmeier hopes that he can help increase awareness and funding for the program to expand the number of students it can help each year. At the same time, he aspires to take command of a battalion of up to 1,200 soldiers as he continues on his path to lieutenant colonel in the Reserve and climbs the corporate ladder. “My passion to help others will always continue, regardless of the role I’m in.”