Honoring Our Veterans: Employee Spotlight
November 11, 2019
By Antoine Marion
Most of us know that November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, but unless you served in the military, you might not know the history behind it. World War I officially ended on November 11, 1918. President Wilson declared this date to be recognized as “Armistice Day” to honor those who served and put the country before themselves. His exact words were “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations …” (Source).
That’s why every November, NSTAR honors our veterans employees by highlighting in our blog those who work for us. We make it a point to hire veterans for a variety of reasons: for their technical skills, work ethic, flexibility and teamwork skills. In 2018 alone, 37.12% of our hires came from a military background. These veterans play a huge role in NSTAR’s success, and for that reason, we want to celebrate those employees who elevate our core focus areas.
A recent veteran to join our NSTAR team is Jose Munoz, who is a site supervisor in Arizona, where he lives with his wife, two children, four dogs and a cat. He fine-tuned his dynamic skills while serving with the U.S. Air Force for nearly 20 years in a variety of leadership roles. He says he chose the Air Force because he thought it would give his life direction and focus.
As an Air Force technician, he especially loved fixing broken aircraft. “After taking apart the entire aircraft, I would find the problem and fix it,” he said. “Seeing it fly perfectly the next day was a wonderful feeling, knowing I was supporting our country.” Jose finished his Air Force career as maintenance flight chief, responsible for a team of 40+ personnel, with whom he shared a vision for accomplishing the mission at hand.
When it came time to rejoin civilian life, Jose says NSTAR was the next best fit. “NSTAR has the feeling of being something great, and it feels like family,” he explained.
At NSTAR, Jose has the opportunity to use the technical and leadership skills he learned in the Air Force. As a site supervisor, he is responsible for leading, coaching and managing employees. This includes safety training, work assignments, reporting and customer satisfaction. He conducts technical screenings, forms client relationships, participates in hiring efforts, develops and grows the team, tracks performance, and forecasts. In other words, he’s a jack of all trades!
Veterans Day holds special meaning for Jose, because of the time he spent serving his country. “For me, Veterans Day means we take a moment and pause to remember that we have individuals deployed who are away from their families,” he said. “And also to thank those who served.”
From all of us at NSTAR, to all our veterans: Thank you for your service!
Are you a veteran who’s interested in joining the NSTAR team? We would love to hear from you. Email us at jobs@nstarglobalservices.com.
