Honoring Those Who Served: John Rodriguez
May is National Military Appreciation Month in the United States. MSCI will celebrate by featuring member company employees — our MSCI Metals Veterans — who have served their country in uniform. If you are veteran or member of the military and would like to share your story, fill out this questionnaire. Readers: we hope you will honor these courageous individuals by sharing their stories on social media using #MSCIMetalVets and tagging MSCI.
Name: John Rodriguez
Company: 42-year career at Delta Steel
City and State: San Antonio, Texas
Current Position/Job Title: Sales representative
Education: High school
Military Branch: U.S. Army
Years of Service: 3 years
Job/MOS in the military: Radio telephone operator
Unit and where you were stationed: Mechanized Infantry – 2nd Armored Division. Two tours in Germany (Grafenwoehr, Nuremberg, Permission, Stuttgart).
What memorable phrase or word will never be the same now that you served? God Bless America. We were being thrown the peace sign throughout our tour. Chanted “GO America!”
What is something new you learned about yourself from serving? I was eager to understand more about people as I moved into adulthood. I was 17 at the time so I had things to learn through basic training exposure to different cultures. I’d been raise in a rural, farm environment and then was thrust into another culture on the other side of the world.
How have you applied lessons in the military to your job/career? Learning the value of respect for others and how important that is in business.
How can the metals industry do a better job connecting with veterans? Engage more in social media and internet.
Anything else that you would like to share regarding your experience? The military has afforded me the opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally, through my initial training almost 46 years ago. As a result, I have continued learn every day.
Thank you for your service, John! Click here to read other profiles in this series and join the Military Appreciation Month conversation on MSCI’s Community Forum.