Interview with Maria Munoz, March 24, 2017

00:00:00Kate Dahlstrand: It is Friday, March 24th, 2017 and I am Kate Dahlstrand interviewing Maria Munoz for a Veteran Oral History. If you could give, you know, your name and the highest rank you achieved and what branch of the service, your basic service information.

00:00:30Maria Munoz: Okay. My name is Maria Munoz. I was a senior airman when I left the Air Force.

00:00:38Dahlstrand: When did you serve?

00:00:40Munoz: When did I serve? 2009 to 2013.

00:00:43Dalhstrand: Okay. Okay. Big simple question. Why did you join the military?

00:00:50Munoz: The main reason I joined the military was to-- because I knew I was eventually going to go back to school and I was aware of the educational benefits. Another reason I joined the military is because I was living in a small town and I didn't see myself having many options so I was, just decided that I needed to sort of just get out of the small town and thought the military would be the worst way for me to kind of travel the world and at the same time is like be able to eventually go back to school.

00:01:21Dahlstrand: Right. What small town were you living in?

00:01:24Munoz: Kingsland, Georgia.

00:01:26Dahlstrand: Kingsland, Georgia. And is that where you're originally from?

00:01:29Munoz: No, I had to move around all over the place when I was younger. I grew up as a military brat. My dad was in the Army, then the Coast Guard. Kingsland is just where he retired from, so we sort of just ended up there. It's the longest place I've lived. So I consider Georgia my home state now.

00:01:46Dahlstrand: What other places did you live growing up?

00:01:50Munoz: I was born in Germany. Oh. The first few places were Hawaii, Kentucky. I lived in Virginia, Washington State, and Puerto Rico.

00:02:01Dahlstrand: So all over. You've lived all over. When you joined the Air Force, what was your job?

00:02:09Munoz: My designation was Operations Intelligence Analyst.

00:02:13Dahlstrand: Okay, so tell me a little bit about where you got trained for that, what the experience was like?

00:02:19Munoz: Well, after my basic training in San Antonio, I was sent to Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas. And that's sort of the intel base where you get your training for, it's different intel fields, including like imagery analysts and things like that. But, so I spent six months at Goodfellow, and you just get trained in, it was mostly, it's mostly briefing, that's what your, that's what the job is, like you're it's-- we call it a briefer, so you just get trained in threat briefings and then at the end of the training we culminate that into an exercise just to give like updates and we make PowerPoints, give briefings and we did things with like, this is an exercise with North Korea in terms of like what would happen. But, so just updating like things on maps and stuff like that for when forces are moving and that's sort of like what that culminated into but which I guess came in handy because my first base was South Korea.

00:03:30Dahlstrand: Oh nice. What was like the breakdown of your class at Goodfellow? Was it mostly male, mostly female, like what was that experience like for you?

00:03:46Munoz: I guess it was slightly more than male, but it was almost even. It was a lot of younger students. There was a few NCOs (Non Commissioned Officers) that I guess were being reclassed into that job field, but most of the people were just coming out of the, of course, basic. And I was one of a handful that were older, past 25 at that time.

00:04:13Dahlstrand: When you went to South Korea, did anyone from your training go with you?

00:04:18Munoz: No. Yes. It was kind of, you get your assignments while you're at tech school, and I was the only one that got South Korea for my class. Most people stayed stateside, and I think a few went to, I think two other people got overseas, and that was like in Germany.

00:04:41Dahlstrand: Okay, what did you think of South Korea? How was your time there?

00:04:46Munoz: I loved it, it's a short tour, so I was only there for a year, although I could have extended, but I didn't do that in time, there's like a window you have to do that in, but I loved my time there, because it was fast-paced, and it made you feel like, 'because you were working like real-world threats and stuff like that, and it made you feel like you're actually contributing something to your like, security wise and stuff, but and they did have like you could do several exercises a year. Preparing for the possibility of escalation, but so that makes it that your time go by really fast there. And I love the just going out into the town and going around South Korea and I really love transportation was easy even though there was a language barrier. Most people kind of spoke a few words. It didn't make it difficult to try to talk to people and I love the food there.

00:05:46Dahlstrand: Right.

00:05:46Munoz: Yeah.

00:05:50Dahlstrand: So when you would go out and hang out with like in South Korea itself off of base, were you by yourself? Were you hanging out with friends?

00:06:00Munoz: Um, no. most cases it was with people from work. I was stationed at Osan, so right outside the base there's a small town that has several shops, bars, so that's kind of like where we would spend our weekends and stuff, but I also did a bit of traveling to Seoul and other places with people for my work, but also I did do trips on my own in terms of, um, I went to the MWR (Morale Welfare and Readiness).

00:06:32Dahlstrand: Okay.

00:06:33Munoz: And, um, signed up for trips that they offer that you can take with like a tour guide and stuff. And I did that on my own, but you're with people from like the base and stuff like that. Yeah.

00:06:42Dahlstrand: Okay. Um, when you decided on your job for the Air Force, when you picked, when you got your ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) results and they decided what you were eligible for, um, how well did that new occupation meet your expectations? Was it the job that you thought you were signing up for?

00:07:07Munoz: Hmm. I mean, in a way. That's always like that hard thing. I scored pretty high on my ASVAB, so I was qualified for most occupations. So they told me, my recruiter told me, like what occupations that he thought I would fit into well. I originally had wanted to go into linguistics because I had passed my D-Lab, which is the language test that you have to take sort of like ASVAB. But he told me, he kind of steered me away from that because he told me that it was a high attrition rate as well as that it could be months before I would be able to get into like a slot into a program to go to the school but so then he kind of like he kind of guided me into my field but and he told me I mean he didn't mislead me in terms of like the information he gave me. Um, it's just like I guess the degree of like he made it seem like it was more of a which it is it's like research and you do like reports and stuff like that but I guess he didn't emphasize the heavy briefing side of it.

00:08:16Dahlstrand: Right.

00:08:16Munoz: Because I'm not very comfortable with like public speaking and that's like that's like half the job right there is like you're always giving briefs and like standing in front of like senior leadership and like lots of people and I'm just like yeah so it didn't prepare me for like that aspect. But, I liked it because you know going into like the research aspect and writing reports and stuff like that was something I saw myself doing so I mean I was very happy I chose it because it gave me the opportunities that it gave me but.

00:08:45Dahlstrand: Did you see the immediate impact like transferable skills? Were you thinking about what you would do afterwards with the skills that you got in the Air Force?

00:08:56Munoz: That's also hard to answer because I knew I wanted to go back to school and I knew that I wanted to not necessarily study something that might have been exactly related.

00:09:10Dahlstrand: Right.

00:09:11Munoz: As currently I'm studying anthropology I didn't go straight into like a political science or like-- international affairs kind of field but um-- I lost my train of thought.

00:09:23Dahlstrand: No, it's fine.

00:09:28Munoz: But, I mean a lot of people who leave the military with like my job career field we usually have more time in service so they're able to get into positions as like analysts in the federal sector like the government and the agencies and stuff.

00:09:43Dahlstrand: But you never intended on being a career soldier, or career airman?

00:09:47Munoz: No, I knew eventually I wanted to go back to school because since I was younger and since I was in high school, I knew eventually I wanted to go to a university and I wanted to go to grad school and all that stuff. That's where I saw myself going, like. And I guess I've always felt that if I never did that, I would always regret it. So, I could have tried to apply for some federal agency jobs, but I didn't know what to do. It's a lot harder when you've only had like four years and you're only at that senior airman level.

00:10:16Dahlstrand: Right.

00:10:17Munoz: Because a lot of the jobs at that analyst level, at the agency level, is they're looking for people who have done usually about GS-7s (General pay scale), usually like a NCO or something. But, so I knew I wanted to go back to school and not necessarily study something that's related to what I was kind of doing. But, It's funny because I'm kind of now going into that direction anyways. So, because I've applied for grad school and so I'll be applying for, I have applied for the international policy program. So, and then going back into like the federal sector in the agency doing like analysis work is actually what I see myself doing now. So, it's kind of like weird because I thought I was taking a step back and going to be doing something different. But now I just see myself going into that direction again.

00:11:11Dahlstrand: Right, right. So, I mean, yeah, I get that. Where you think you're done with the military and then you find out, oh wait. Maybe, maybe not. Changing direction just a little bit, have you ever served in a theater of combat operations? And if so, which and when?

00:11:34Munoz: I was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, for six months. Um, and that was in 2012.

00:11:42Dahlstrand: Okay. Uh, can you give me, like, a day in the life of Maria while she's living in Kandahar? -- Uh, um-- Or maybe two days. A slow, typical day, and then if you want to, a-- what your job looked like in full effect.

00:12:08Munoz: It wasn't, I guess. Well, most days were kind of slow because I worked in the office. I worked in the TOC, which is Theater Operations Center. And so, I mean, I really loved it because I worked in a joint environment with Bulgarians and people from France, Australia. It was really interesting, but-- day in the life. It was usually just me, going into work. I didn't really have--

00:12:41Dahlstrand: So, what kind of shifts did you work? Was it twenty four hours on, or eight hours on, twelve hours on?

00:12:51Munoz: It was about twelve hours. Because I was the only one in that office that was doing what I was doing. It's really weird, because when I deployed, I guess my immediate supervisor, worked in a different section of the area, the -- I don't know what to call it. It's not a compound, but different part of the building, like somewhere else. So I answered to him, but I also, but my position was actually in the TOC where he didn't work. And so I actually had to answer to the battle captain that managed the talk. But, so it was kind of like, I was managing myself at work, but I had to remain there for like about twelve hours because I was the only one that was doing that job. And so it was usually a day shift until just like early evening and then it was basically just me working on whether it was research or if anything popped up that like a threat or anything that the battle captain needed me to kind of like research or confer with with my intel department that worked in a different sector I did that but. And then I also did I also talked to the pilots mainly the MC-12s while they were doing surveillance operations around the province they would have extra fuel time and my job was it was termed like residual ISR so whatever time they have left on fuel enough to give me like if they had like an hour or so I would direct it into different sections of the province where I thought I had like seen some indicators or any kind of activity that I just wanted more we needed more surveillance on.

00:14:42Dahlstrand: Okay.

00:14:43Munoz: So that was my main task and then my other task was in the sort of the high-ops range in terms of like when the base was attacked by like mortars and stuff it was my job to do like the report on like where it hit where it was coming from like the damage and all that stuff and so.

00:15:03Dahlstrand: How often did that happen? Enough that you can't remember, or?

00:15:09Munoz: No, it was, it slowed down for a while, while I was there. Because it wasn't always things that hit. I'd say once or twice a week.

00:15:23Dahlstrand: Once or twice a week?

00:15:23Munoz: Yeah.

00:15:24Dahlstrand: Okay.

00:15:25Munoz: And so, and then half the time I wasn't at work when that would happen, so then my job would be to, as soon as the alarm subsided, get back to work. So I can do work on that report because it's basically just me working on that report.

00:15:43Dahlstrand: Okay. So what did you do in your downtime? Like there's a lot of downtime. So, um, but it's not like South Korea where you can go out into the town. So.

00:15:59Munoz: It's, um, I just would, you just get off to like a twelve-hour shift and, you know, It was either like working, working out, or it was, I would just hang out and watch like TV on my laptop in my room and then go to bed early.

00:16:15Dahlstrand: Right.

00:16:16Munoz: Because I never knew if I would have to wake up in the middle of the night to respond to after like an alarm and get back into work. So.

00:16:23Dahlstrand: Right.

00:16:24Munoz: Because once I was back in work, it was just like, stay there like twelve hours again. So, I mean, that didn't happen often, but I was always prepared. So I was like, probably need to get some sleep.

00:16:37Dahlstrand: Let's see-- as you reflect upon your military service, what experiences best captures your time in the military? Like what kind of when, you think about your time in the service? What are you generally thinking of? Are you thinking about the work? Are you thinking about the relationships? That you built with other people? Are you thinking about the locations you went to?

00:17:10Munoz: Well, it's a combination of all of them, but I think it's mainly the time I had in the locations, but also I think the office environment with the people you have relationships with. I mean, those are the things I usually think about when I think about my time in. Not necessarily about the job itself. Because, I mean, when you think about that, it was really just research and briefing and it wasn't all that, not as interesting as people usually think when you tell them you're an intel analyst.

00:17:40Dahlstrand: Right.

00:17:41Munoz: They usually have that idea that you're doing like that James Bond stuff and it's like, it's not like that at all. So, yeah, so it was mainly like just the travels I did in country and because I was stationed in Korea and Germany and then the people, you know, you work with in the office.

00:17:58Dahlstrand: Do you keep in contact with any of the people, those people?

00:18:02Munoz: Some of them are on my Facebook, but I think I'm not really that much into, like, the Facebook. And I don't keep track of, like, what people are doing on Facebook and stuff.

00:18:14Dahlstrand: If someone needed to get a hold of you, could they?

00:18:18Munoz: Unless they-- If they post it on my Facebook and then my mom told me to check my Facebook. Because she sees those messages before I do, like on the, what do you call it? The wall? But, I've just never been into like social media.

00:18:33Dahlstrand: Right, right.

00:18:37Munoz: In terms of, that's the only contact I really have, but-- I haven't really stayed in contact with a lot of people I worked with.

00:18:42Dahlstrand: Okay. So you mentioned something where people have some preconceived notions about what your job must have been like.

00:18:51Munoz: Yes.

00:18:52Dahlstrand: Let's bring that into a college situation. What has the transition been like for you as far as being a non-traditional student on campus? Is it something that comes up a lot in your interactions on campus?

00:19:10Munoz: That I was in the military?

00:19:13Dahlstrand: Right.

00:19:14Munoz: It's not usually something I talk about. It's not something I bring up on my own.

[00:19:20} Dahlstrand: Why?

00:19:21Munoz: I guess it's mainly because I don't, because-- Okay, so the barrier I have being here as a non-traditional student isn't really my military service, it's my age.

00:19:34Dahlstrand: Right.

00:19:35Munoz: So I guess it's me just trying to, try not to stick out that much. being my actual age as an undergraduate level. And so, because I'm in my thirties already. So it's hard to sometimes connect.

00:19:46Dhalstrand: No shame.

00:19:47Munoz: But it's hard to connect with the people in their early twenties. But, so I don't really put it out there that I'm in my thirties, not unless like somebody asked me about, if they find out somehow, like, you know, my military service or something like that, then I know I'd like tell them about that. But.

00:20:05Dahlstrand: Is there an instance in the, in your time here where you did talk about your service? Was there something, have you ever been inspired to set the record straight or anything like that in a classroom environment?

00:20:21Munoz: No, because we, I haven't really been in a classroom environment where, like the military has come up, where they've said something that-- you know, might've been inaccurate or anything like that. So,yeah. It's not really something that comes up in conversation in the classroom, but in my experience, I know a few of the others, I think, have talked about how they have had instances where something like that has been brought up about the military service, but-- and I just forgot what the other part of the question was.

00:20:55Dahlstrand: Oh, no. Well, so --

00:21:00Munoz: So, I haven't brought it up on my own, and I haven't been inspired to. But I think it's just because a part of me is just trying to fit in with the younger, yeah.

00:21:12Dahlstrand: Okay

00:21:13Munoz: And not stand out as being someone that's older.

00:21:13Dahlstrand: Right.

00:21:14Munoz: Mainly. Not that I'm--

00:21:17Dahlstrand: You could pass.

00:21:18Munoz: Yeah, not that I wouldn't mind standing out as somebody that was in the military, it's just giving them how old I am. Because it makes me feel a little uncomfortable sometimes, when not little uncomfortable, but I guess it's a little, I don't know. -- I can't explain it, it's like. I feel like I should be at a different place in my life at this point.

00:21:39Dahlstrand: Right.

00:21:40Munoz: And so I guess it's hard to be reminded of the fact that I'm in my 30s and still trying to get my bachelor's.

00:21:45Dahlstrand: Gotcha.

00:21:46Munoz: Yeah, so.

00:21:49Dahlstrand: Do you think that-- have you noticed, even outside of campus, but since your return home, as you transition into, your transition back into a civilian? Have you noticed that because of maybe your gender that people assume things about your military service or your combat experience?-- Have you noticed like is being a female veteran on campus, do you think, a more difficult thing than being a male veteran on campus?

00:22:30Munoz: Um, that's hard to answer because I haven't really felt like I don't know if the other female veterans have felt any, um, been treated differently or in a different, uh, because of the gender, but I haven't had that personal experience.

00:22:48Dhalstrand: Okay.

00:22:49Munoz: So I don't know, the only experience I have is like, if I do tell people, like if it comes up somehow, like my age usually pops up first. And then they kind of like, Oh, like, I was like, well, you know, because I did this for like, I worked for a couple of years, was in the military for a couple of years. And they're like, "Oh." And the only reaction I usually get is like, "Oh, you were in the military?" So, I mean, that's the only reaction, but I don't think that has to do with me being female.

00:23:12Dahlstrand: Okay.

00:23:13Munoz: I don't know. Maybe because I don't seem like somebody that would be-- I don't know, hard enough in the military.

00:23:20Dahlstrand: Right-- Okay, so there are many public misperceptions about the military. Is there a misperception that you wish to help future generations understand?

00:23:35Munoz: I think the most common misperception is that everybody that leaves the military service and has been like deployed and stuff like that is broken in some way.

00:23:46Dahlstrand: Right.

00:23:47Munoz: And like everybody suffers from PTSD. And that is not true at all. It's just, it's a smaller percentage than I think what people think. So, I mean, I was deployed, but I never had anything happen to me. Like, I haven't, like. There was no trauma, there was no, even though, like, the base would be attacked by mortars, there was nothing, like, residual that was left over from that. Like, I haven't suffered from anything like PTSD or anything like that. But I think that's the common perception is that everybody has PTSD in the military.

00:24:19Dahlstrand: Right.

00:24:20Munoz: And then, I think it's also about, in the future. Like, trying to educate people on PTSD and that it doesn't mean that they're not capable of. Like doing things like going back to school and learning, like that isn't,-- it doesn't keep you from being able to sit in a classroom and get an education. Might make it a little more difficult. But I think that's the common misperception is that everybody's broken when they come off the military.

00:24:50Dahlstrand: Okay, so I think you've pretty much already answered this before, but why did you leave the military?

00:25:01Munoz: Well, I was honorably discharged, but I think a lot of that had to stem from, I mean, the reason from that had to stem from like, it was a failure to maintain physical standards. But I think part of that, because obviously I was able to maintain physical standards for like four years leading up to that point. But I think by four years, I just knew that, I mean, my goal was always to go back to school. And I wasn't intending to make a career out of it. And I think by that like fourth year mark, I was just-- I was kind of like, kind of like how you get senioritis. You just like, you're like, okay, I'll go through the motions of this last year, but I know I'm not gonna stay in. So I think I just like, didn't have like the, I guess the drive to like do my best. And I think I just kind of let that go for that last year. And.

00:25:57Dahlstrand: Where were you when you got out?

00:25:59Munoz: Uh. Germany.

00:26:01Dahlstrand: Okay. So describe how you got back home from Germany. Describe that immediate transition.

00:26:12Munoz: In terms of.

00:26:13Dahlstrand: Like, where'd you go when you got off the plane?

00:26:17Munoz: Oh, well I'm from Kingsland, so the closest airport is Jacksonville. It's only like 40 minutes away. Yeah, I basically just, I didn't go anywhere besides, I just flew into Jacksonville and. My parents are there waiting.

00:26:29Dahlstrand: Okay. Okay. So then, you know, you've probably got some paid leave that you're cashing out maybe, or like describe those first couple of weeks out of the military. What did you do?

00:26:44Munoz: Um, the first couple of weeks. Um, I don't think that I, I can't remember if I, I think there was like a couple-- days paid leave, I think I still had. I'm trying to remember if I, oh, sorry. I'm trying to think if I, I don't think I qualify for that, but I can't remember. Um, but my first couple of weeks were just-- it was just spent relaxed at the house. And then like, trying to get into a different mindset in terms of, you have done like this thing for four years that was a very structured thing in your life. And so, you got up every day at a certain time, and it was just very scheduled. And other people were telling you what to do. So it was really, I guess that's the hardest transition is like, you're doing stuff for yourself now. And my parents were really telling me what to do. Not really, a little bit, but not really. And so then after that, it just came to, after it was like two, three weeks, it just, job hunting. Which was my main concern, which was really difficult.

00:27:55Dahlstrand: -- You wanna talk about that? Like what, looking for a job?

00:27:58Munoz: -- God, that was difficult. It was, I just put in like, well, I live in a small town and, because I came back without a vehicle, casue I didn't have a vehicle overseas, cuz I didn't need one being in Germany and Korea. So I didn't have a vehicle, and so It was just really difficult to, I was put in job applications everywhere online. And I wasn't hearing back from anybody. After a few weeks, my mom told me to, she just like, you need to do something. She's like, just go to the Department of Labor. And I already had known that I would qualify for, because you're told that during TAP, which is the transition training you get before you leave the military, that as a military veteran, when you get out, you get up to like. I think it was six months of like unemployment that you qualify for. So I told my mom, she's like, just go. She's like, just suck in that like pride that you would have for going to like trying to get an employment. So that's what I did. And I was on unemployment for a few months because I was still putting applications in. I was trying to hear back from people. But I think I'm not sure what was going on, but I don't know if it was just a small town and not enough opportunities. But sometimes I think it had to do with my. Credentials in terms of I think they sometimes I think jobs because I was applying for jobs in town to until I would be able to transition to something else. So, I think like a lot of those jobs, you know of course like the minimum wage type and I think when they see that what you've done in the military they think maybe you're either over qualified or that you know, they see something like you've done I don't know intelligence and they're like What does she want to do working at this place, you know, right? She's not going to stay here that long You And stuff like that. So I think they just automatically just write that off. And I think that was what led to like me not really hearing back for a long time. So I was on unemployment for a few months. They were actually pretty helpful at the unemployment office. They were trying to get me. They asked me if I want to do like because I guess they do a program for veterans there with um trying to get them into like a trade job. So they told me about an opportunity that popped up with they said like I don't even know what it's called but it's the people that work on the top of the phone wires. Yeah and they're like oh yeah we can get you to the program like that you could be trained to do that and I was but at that point I knew I wanted to go back to school and I was like I told them I was like you know my goal is like I'm trying to find a job but I'm also like trying to get back to the university. Um I don't really see myself going into a trade job at the moment um but maybe in the future if things don't pan out but um but I finally heard back from somebody that was willing to call me in for interview and stuff and they hired me so I worked in town for a few months while I was applying for colleges because I needed like some money coming in you know because I needed a car. So I think that's the hardest thing like, it's like that's what people didn't understand it's like I need like cars and they need to be able to like still pay off some things and but um.

00:31:05Dahlstrand: How many schools did you apply to?

00:31:08Munoz: Uh I've only applied for two. I knew I wanted to stay in state. So the first school I applied to was GSU Georgia State and, and then I applied to UGA. I actually thought I was going to GSU because I hadn't heard back from UGA and so I was trying to make my plans like move up here. So I really thought I was going to GSU and then I heard back like, like two weeks before. I had like already set my mind on like accepting and then so I accepted UGA because I felt it would be more a better fit for uh I didn't really see myself living in Atlanta.

00:31:44Dahlstrand: Right. Okay, so um did you when did you start like how long was it from when you got home to when you started at UGA?

00:31:58Munoz: It was almost a year. Because I was I got out in July 2013 and I sort of had already missed the deadline for like a fall mission for that fall and I also wasn't in the position to go to school right like in a month it was like even if I hadn't missed the deadline it was I needed to accrue some funds and like get a car and stuff like that so I can like make the move to kind of school. right. But so I knew it'd be a while but I actually thought it'd be longer but luckily like I was able to get a job in a couple months and I was able to my mom helped me get a car and stuff like that but so then I was applying while I was working and then I got in for the fall after so I got in in 2014.

00:32:45Dahlstrand: Okay what uh-- your first few days on UGA did you move into student housing um What was it like coming here for the first few days? So how old were you when you got to UGA?

00:33:07Munoz: I think. I have to think about this because how old was I guess I was 31 okay I think yeah I think I was 31.

00:33:15Dahlstrand: So you're 31, you've been home for about a year you finally got a car you're starting school at UGA. What is it like to be surrounded by a bunch of freshmen?

00:33:28Munoz: Weird. Yeah, it really just makes you feel awkward for being back at school, but.

00:33:39Dahlstrand: Did you get that from the professors though, or the students?

00:33:43Munoz: No, because most professors think I'm like around their age and stuff like that, but no. It's not from the students themselves, because I think most students, because I've talked to a few students where they found out my age and they're like, "Oh, we thought you were like maybe a few years older than us, but like still in your 20s." And I'm like, "Yeah, thanks." But no, so it's not really from them. It's, I guess it's just the way I feel about it. Like, yeah.

00:34:10Dahlstrand: And how do you feel about it?

00:34:12Munoz: It's just really awkward. Like you're around all these young people and it makes you feel really old. But I guess the main thing it makes you feel is that-- This is where I should have been when I was like 20 and so I just feel like I'm kind of like way off track in terms of like I know it's a weird thing to think about the way like a life like it shouldn't be linear. But I guess the way you think about like I should be like further along and my path, you know, but. It was just awkward and it was so confused like I think I just felt left out because I felt like a Lot of the people have no they've known each other for so long that I mean some of them have gone to high school together and they come to college together and then--

00:34:55Dahlstrand: Have you made any close friends on campus in your time here? Because you're a senior.

00:35:01Munoz: here because you're a senior I've talked I mean I talked to some of the veterans but we don't do a lot of there's no there's not a lot of time for a lot of socializing like after classes and stuff.

00:35:12Dahlstrand: Okay, so where do you feel most comfortable on campus?

00:35:15Munoz: In this office.

00:35:16Dahlstrand: In this office.

00:35:17Munoz: In the veterans office.

00:35:17Dahlstrand: Why is that?

00:35:18Munoz: Uh, I think it's mainly because I'm around people who've had similar experiences and they're also more my age so it makes talking about things easier. Especially like, because like a lot of the veterans that I've talked to are sort of like me in terms of like you they're not up to date on everything that's going on so it's hard to talk to like uh younger people who are talking about like all these new apps and stuff I'm like what i don't know what you're talking about um yeah and so you know they have similar experiences and have been other places and some of us have been on the same bases just not the same time so we have fun like reminiscent about stuff like that um but i guess it's just more of a comfort thing just being around people that are more like you.

00:36:07Dahlstrand: Okay. So, and you work at the Student Veteran Resource Center?

00:36:12Munoz: Yes

00:36:12Dahlstrand: How long have you worked here?

00:36:14Munoz: Since 2015, So, it's been about a year and a half.

00:36:18Dahlstrand: Okay, did you think that you would be leaving the military and going and almost immediately within a year working with--

00:36:28Munoz: No, it's it's it's weird. I really tried not I really tried not to do that. So, when I first--

00:36:33Dahlstrand: Okay, hold on, let me stop. Why did you try not to do that? Why would you not want like--

00:36:39Munoz: Because when I came here I was like, all right This is gonna be my time to have like my college experience, but I should have had like when I was in my 20s. So, I was really tried to like-- I'm not really like a social person. Anyways, I'm kind of introverted You But I would try to like get involved with some of the my first semester here. The Veterans Research Center was downstairs. I didn't actually visit it at first like that first semester ish. I did think I think I did during towards the end. But in the beginning, I was like, okay, I'm just going to be a student and not a veteran. And I'm going to try to immerse myself in like maybe some student organizations or whatever. You know, talk to people, like maybe, I don't know, like just do things that they're doing, but then I just always felt awkward and I guess I just, I'm sure I could have, like, if I was more extroverted, like immerse myself in, they probably wouldn't have known that I was older, but I just felt really awkward. And, and at the end of the semester, I just really felt like I wasn't connecting with anybody. So, eventually I just was like, okay. So, I came back like towards the resource center. And I was like maybe I can like meet some people that are my age and I can feel more I guess involved on campus or like I don't know maybe get some friends or something because it was really lonely that first semester but because you try. Like I've talked to other people who this like other veterans that you know they're like yeah they just want to be like students and they don't want to be reminded, you know. And so I think they are trying to do the same things but you always find yourself like because there's a lot of veterans that don't come into this office. Because there's like 250 of us and there's only like a small percentage that actually come in and out of this office so I think most of them are doing that where they just want to be that student and be with-- like trying to immerse themselves with like just that cohort of like the younger people coming in and just having that experience because.

00:38:45Dahlstrand: So, do you see working in this office do you see older returning veterans spending time in here and maybe younger veterans not being as participatory?

00:39:00Munoz: Well, it's actually like a mix because we have because we have. Um people that are still in their early 20s that come in here because some people are still in involved with like the guard and stuff like that reserves. Um and some people who join when they're young and they got out after like a term or so. So, they're still young right so but um no I guess I'd say it's, it's a mix it's not really like more young that come in here or more older um.

00:39:32Dahlstrand: Let me ask you because I'm gonna skip past some of these benefits questions because it's clear that you came, you joined the military for the benefit, I did too like. Um so, let's see. What lessons learned would you offer to other service members currently on active duty when considering going to college?

00:40:00Munoz: Lessons learned um--

00:40:06Dahlstrand: Let me break that down. Like, do you think that taking a year was a good thing for you? Would you have wanted to try to jump straight into college? Like, you got home in July. Would you have wanted to turn around in September?

00:40:20Munoz: I think that would work for some people, but I think for me, that wouldn't have worked to do it that quick, because I think I would've needed time to just decompress and like take it all in. But, yeah. I guess for some people it works, because we get calls all the time about people that are still in and they're about to get out, and they're like, "Yeah, I'm applying for--".You know, so we get those calls, and it's like, "Wow, how do you-- how can you go from like that to that so quick?" You know? So, I think I just need the time to kind of sit back and-- yeah. Because I needed time to like apply to-- the colleges I needed to apply to and get all my documents and then I was also like trying to look for work and trying to be of use again. Like I guess I felt pretty-- Like it's hard when you're not working and you're used to like working every day. You just feel kind of like, like I'm useless and not doing anything. So, I was just trying to-- my first responsibility and like what I felt I had to do was like get a job. Because I went home back-- I went back home to my parents because I didn't have like-- anything, because when you're, I don't know, I guess some people when they leave the military, they like, even when they're younger, like, I mean, they have things like houses and families and stuff, but I was just on my own. I didn't have that kind of thing. But, so it's just, yeah, so I was still dependent on my parents, even in my 30s. But, so my first like, inclination was just to get a job to help out and not feel like I had to do anything But, yeah, but I needed that time to just kind of like, relax and like, yeah. I knew it wouldn't have been very ideal for me to go straight into college because I knew it would have been too stressful.

00:42:02Dahlstrand: Right. Yeah. Okay. What did I not ask that you would like to talk about? Is there anything that you would like to talk about specifically?

00:42:17Munoz: No, I can't really think of anything. No, because I mean, I'm sure most people have like awesome stories about their time in the military. But, or like, you know, like things that have happened to them that they need to talk about. But I had a very-- I mean, it was exciting, but nothing really ever happened to me. And, so, it was very like, you know, I worked an office job for like four years, even when I was deployed. And it was like basically the same job, just kind of like different places and little different things changed, but it was basically the same job for like four years. So I didn't really have anything that like, and I never really experienced anything in terms of like what Others have experienced in terms of um, like gender and stuff like that. So, I was very fortunate to have a very I guess a very I don't want to say boring, but like

00:43:14Dahlstrand: That's fine.

00:43:15Munoz: Like, how do you say like, yeah, well when you say like--

00:43:17Dahlstrand: Non-traumatic?

00:43:18Munoz: Yeah, just like it was a very like I guess average, average experience. And I never had anything like extraordinary like I don't know but I loved, it every minute of it. But, Um there's nothing like specific I would need to talk about, I suppose.

00:43:34Dahlstrand: Um, just for like future reference, can you tell me uh the unit you deployed with and then the unit that you were in when you got out? Do you remember?

00:43:50Munoz: No, it's so hard. Um, so I was in Germany. I was um with the 52 OSS um and I can't remember who I deployed because I've deployed with It wasn't like a group deployment with like people from my base. It was just me like they sent me off to training with um uh like security forces, okay Um, so I did my training with security forces and it was a few intel people that did training with them. But they were from different bases and then we deployed together as a unit into Kandahar. Um, so it was really, you, weird because it was like it was a solo deployment for like in terms of like my unit back home. And I can't remember what unit the I don't remember like what unit because of the security forces. They were all from like, like the same base. They came together. But so I don't know what unit they were from.

00:44:48Dahlstrand: Okay, and then last question for the historian that listens to this Transcript a hundred years from now, Uh what final thoughts do you have to help inform the lessons learned from your life experience? So if a hundred years from now, someone wants to read the transcript or listen to this interview and there's one thing that you would like them to know about what it's like to be a veteran on UGA's campus what would you like to say?

00:45:22Munoz: Um-- That's hard. That is hard. Um I suppose the most important thing would be that you know it's not like being a veteran in our experience the military doesn't define the kind of person we are. Um we're just here to be students and I think most of us would agree that you know that's the experience that we want even though we're some of us are connecting with like veterans but we're also trying to connect with the other students on campus too. I mean I've tried that myself because I am part of like another student organization on campus. But, just that you know we're just here to get our education as everyone else that's coming in from high school or other walks of life and we don't want to be treated differently from other people just because we've had a different type experience in the military that you know it's just a small percentage of like the U.S. population that kind of has that experience. That doesn't make us like different in other terms of, in other ways that you know we're all just people. Yeah.

00:46:34Dahlstrand: Right, okay well thank you very much. I'm going to end this interview now. NOTE TRANSCRIPTION END