Darius Radzius had great plans for his life, but he never thought it would include dedicating so much of himself to the Navy.
Radzius joined the Navy in 1994 serving as a Yeoman, planning to serve just four years before beginning his civilian career.
“I joined for selfish reasons, really. I wanted to get my life started and it was a way to get my college education,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d stay after my four years.”
His first assignment with the Navy was at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, D.C. While putting in long hours doing administrative and clerical work, he began taking college classes at George Mason University and finished his degree in communications with a concentration in journalism in 2004.
Radzius left active duty in 1998 but continued in the Reserves and became a lieutenant commander in the Navy, which he said was probably the highlight of his career.
“When I first enlisted, I wanted to become a journalist in the Navy, but that rating was always closed,” he said. “So it felt like I was always doing work I wasn’t entirely interested in instead.”
But once he got his degree and got into television, he was able to become a public affairs officer in the Navy and got to work in a more interesting environment.
“I realized I liked serving my country,” he said. “I liked being part of something bigger. I’d see stuff on the news and am like ‘I was a part of that, it was a part of my duty.’”
Radzius also continued to excel in his career in his civilian life, too. After leaving D.C., he worked different reporting positions in Virginia, Texas and Tennessee before settling down in New York City in 2009.
Working in different states shaped him and taught him to be more open to different ideas and not casting judgment.
“In New York, there’s a gun violence problem, but in Texas, you’ll find a lot of gun rights advocates,” he said. “Living in different places and traveling the world in the Navy has helped me understand different cultures and viewpoints.”
Traveling in the Navy while also pursuing his civilian career has not been an easy task, but it’s one he is happy to do.
“I’ve been traveling a lot recently and it’s tough doing all that while also trying to advance in my career,” he said.
From being deployed to Italy, Japan, Africa and South Korea amongst other places, it hasn't always been easy keeping a civilian job.
“I was working for a TV station that didn’t really like military folks and they ended up firing me after I had just gotten back from a deployment,” he said. “But I had luckily developed contacts with Audacy and eventually got my first radio job with them.”
Audacy has been the best company to work for, according to Radzius, who’s worked with them for 10 years now.
Working part-time as a reporter and anchor at 1010 WINS on 92.3 FM and 1010 AM has been a positive step in his career and he hopes to become full-time whenever an opportunity arises.
“There’s just a positive culture throughout Audacy and I think it’s deep-rooted,” Radzius said. “It’s like a family there.”
With no plans to slow down, Radzius has a drive to continue to dive deeper into the world of journalism while continuing to serve his country.
He said he has so much more to learn, not just with broadcast journalism, but also with the world and geopolitics.
But there’s one thing he knows for sure- “I won’t ever leave the Navy or Audacy until they leave me.”
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