9/11 a Day of Service
9/11 has forever changed the pathway of my life. I was enlisted in Recruit Training (Boot Camp) in Parris Island, South Carolina and my platoon was in the final phases of boot camp and it was the first day of the infamous “Crucible.” I will never forget when I overheard a side conversation with my Series Gunnery Sergeant with our Drill Instructors. As we received a brief downtime from training our Company Commander has informed us of the terrible news. We as upcoming Marines at the time were upset, sad, and full of emotion. We were no longer serving to get away from home or to fund our college education, we are now serving our nation to go to war.
As we completed the Crucible and earned our titles “US Marine,” our Series Gunnery Sergeant has told us this is for real. We will find ourselves doing what Marines are trained to do! Whether on ship, air, or on land, we will be called to battle.
My life has changed.. no longer am I the Marine who signed up to get away from home. As I returned home to enjoy my 10 days of leave.. I volunteered to help out at the WTC site. I met a few other Marines (active and reservist) who put on their uniform to help firefighters and police officers. I’ll never forget a firemen I met who was saddened that he was digging up his own people. He was a discharged Marine Corps veteran and he looked me in the eye and told me he is going back in. His words to me, “this is a moment when our nation needs us most, we are counting on you and the other Marines… I will be joining you and hope to see you out there.”
Fast forward two years later in Operation Iraqi Freedom.. I ran into that fireman and saw him in his desert cami’s with attached to a reserve unit in Garden City. I don’t remember his name but his face and desire has never left my mind.
This is my story of 9-11.. we will never forget where we were.. I was earning the title “Marine” and my life has forever changed..
Thank you for all the first responders who were brave to run into the burning buildings… Thank you for the service members who volunteered their lives to serve our nation..
– Ryan Enriquez
Forgotten Veterans – Emotional Intelligence
This post is dedicated to all the forgotten veterans who served their nation proudly after four years satisfying the motivation inside themselves. Welcome home and stay a hero!
I am a big fan of Bing and Owen West. They are 2nd and 3rd generation of Marine Corps infantryman. I was reading an article in their website Westwrite.com and he made a valid point on today’s veterans:
Today economic dynamics have resulted in a shrinkage of the work force. Veterans face higher rates of unemployment than the general public. A 24-year-old veteran on the job market seems over-aged and under-skilled compared with his cohorts who did not serve.
Those in positions to hire these young people must not overlook veterans just because their resumes have only a few succinct lines describing their time spent as guardians of our lives. What does a grunt put down on his job application — experienced machine-gunner? We need to give the veterans more than gratitude or a hand clap at an airport. That said, America is in much better shape today relative to its veterans than was the case after the Vietnam War. – Courtesy of Bing West
He mentioned 75% of those who serve four years and leave the service does not qualify for a pension or other compensation, therefore when transitioning into the job market they are over-aged and under-skilled.
Can this be the reason why veterans unemployment rates are at 14.7%. The hand claps in the airport are greatly appreciated on the return home from war. America has finally learned from the previous wars on how to treat their soldier when they return. Veterans groups are much more aggressive lobbying and advocating for livelihoods. The post 9-11 GI bill has been one of the greatest bills that has ever passed (despite the process flows of the VA).
I believe our veterans have much more skills than their cohorts who did not serve. They possess technical skills that may differ from what the market demands, but a skill that is hard to develop and can only be gained through life experience is emotional intelligence. Veterans develop much higher emotional intelligence (personal motivation, empathy, self-awareness, and the ability to love and be loved). Perhaps the job market does not understand that veterans possess a much greater EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
Emotional Intelligence focuses on three features: self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation. Research has shown that those who possess higher levels of emotional intelligence will be much better performers.
Four-fifths of the difference between top
and average performers is higher EQ.
Dan Bobinski – Workplace excellent wrote “Ten Secrets of Emotional Intelligence.” His suggestion is:
Setting the Foundation:
1. In the realm of personality styles, we should drop the ideas of “good” and “bad.” People are just different. — Veterans experience differences when they encounter basic training. As they progress into their careers and travel to different countries, they encounter and cross different cultures. They are properly trained on how to conduct their behavior prior to their travel.
2. People often equate “different” with “difficult.” In reality, different is difficult only because people haven’t learned to work effectively with the differences. — Veterans work effectively with differences and learn to analyze the differences. Military does a great a job exposing differences to their troops. For example, working with different terrain, weather conditions, geographic, livelihood (sleeping in barracks or the field), cultures (internal and external), etc.
3. In the same way that a stick has two ends, people have strengths and weaknesses. All strengths have an associated weakness, and all weaknesses have an associated strength. You choose which end of the stick will receive your attention. – Veterans learn in basic training that you are only as strong as your weakest link. We discover within ourselves what is our strengths and weakness and how can we balance and improve our weaknesses.
4. All personality styles add to team strength; it’s just a matter of focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses. By focusing on strengths you’ll get stronger. By focusing on weaknesses, you’ll get weaker. — Additionally, working as team and being around different types of people we grow stronger learning from each other’s strengths.
5. Seeking the strengths in differing styles does not come naturally — it takes constant effort. – We encounter many different leadership styles, all are effective in their own way. We are provided training to further enhance our leadership and to practically apply them immediately.
6. We cannot be effective if we expect everyone else to meet us on “our turf.” -- In the evolution of counterinsurgency, troops must now face a new world. Bing stated it well, it also requires skills in local governance and development and “people friendly” projects. This is wild: our troops are bringing 21st-century cultural and political values to a 9th-century country.” We are just as effective on “their turf.”
7. We cannot assume we know another person’s definition of “win.” We may have a general idea, but to truly be effective we must ask. — Veterans understand mission accomplishment/troop welfare. Mission accomplishment is the overall “win” for the organization, but a leader must understand troop welfare. It is not just looking out for their livelihood, but to understand them, learn what they want in life and gaining their trust.
8. If we place personal goals over those of others, the team, and/or the organization’s vision and mission, we create divisions. This severely weakens our ability to maximize results. – With my above statement- Mission accomplishment is FIRST before troop welfare, however there is a thin line between the two.
9. Effectiveness has to with doing the right thing, efficiency has to do with getting things done fast. When working with people, effectiveness is rarely efficient. The best results usually come when we take the necessary time in our relationships to do things right. — As Dr. Demming once said, “It takes more than doing your best, it takes doing the right thing.” In the military, we emphasize on drill to be efficient and effective on command and control. They learn to be precise doing it effectively and right with minimum if not zero mistakes. Effeciency is important inthe battelfield, it is now a matter of life and death. The military is constantly training in peace and war to be the most effective fighting force.
10. It’s one thing to understand these things, it’s another thing to do them. The longest road can be the 18 inches between your head and your heart. — It is concrete evidence that veterans have practice all the above. They are proven to be much more effective than those who did not serve.
Ryan Enriquez
Making the Most of Your Military Career
This post is dedicated to the student veterans of Fairleigh Dickinson University. We have formed a university wide networking group to identify and collaborate the student, faculty, staff, and alumni veterans to support each other and open new opportunities.
This past Wednesday, I had the opportunity to pick up my cap and gown for graduation and attend “Uniform to Workplace” seminar in Fairleigh Dickinson University. It was a wonderful opportunity to see veterans from different branches of service to cover topics such as networking, job search, interviewing, etc. I will attempt to give my best advice for recently transitioning veterans into the work force.
Before I start.. I want to say congratulations for your honorable discharge.. you are my HERO!
As you transition away from military life you two path’s to follow. Think of the classic board game “The Game of LIFE.” You have two routes, Career and College. Both routes can lead you to greater success, but in my opinion I value the importance of education. If you decide in a career after serving (Congrats.. many veterans wishes they can be in your shoes) I advise you to go to college part time, pursue certification programs, or even online degrees (from leading universities). If you pursue the college route.. I advise you to gain civilian experience, through internships and volunteering. Both routes routes are great opportunities and just like the board game, you are likely to land a better and higher paying job with having a college degree.
So now you chosen your pathway and your looking to enter the workforce. Now the bad news is that most veterans can face major roadblocks in making the transition from the uniform to workplace. It is a fact the the percentage of unemployed veterans is far greater than the national average. The good news, the roadblocks I am about to present to you can be overcome with the skills, talent, and experiences you developed while serving in the military. Here are some tips:
Roadblock #1: Having the lack of knowledge in the civilian world, the work place, typical positions, and how to find them.
What is the best way to gain the information. In the seminar, they stressed the value of networking! I’m not a subject matter expert on networking but I am learning and actively networking. The days of applying to jobs online through monster, careerbuilder, and other sites is far over. The difficulty of getting a job today is like breaking into a castle front door with a moat, no drawbridge, and archers ready to fire at you. The best and maybe the only way is to be escorted through the backdoor.
My mentors suggest start establishing connections. I met with one of the top Media Strategist at UBS who found me on Linkedin.com (join this site). He thought it was interesting to see a Marine pursue an MBA, so he volunteered to share his thoughts. He advised me that one thing he did not do while he was going for his MBA in MIT was aggressive networking. His advice is to start joining special interest groups and expose yourself as much as possible. Join special interest groups in which people from the company you want to work for might have an interest in. Seek out a senior manager or executive find their email through Linkedin or through a reference and send them a kind email seeking advice (not a job) and direction. Most people will be willing to provide their input and the worst that can happen is not having a response. Another suggestion is to keep attending seminars, workshops, and be active in something you love. If you love running, join the New York Road Runners. There are thousands of runners every weekend who share one thing in common with you; it is also a great opportunity to meet people, stay active, and network.
In summary: You have the experience, now get more experience and education. Try to utilize your leadership, communication, and development skills you learned in the military and apply it.
Roadblock #2: Not fully understanding or selling your military experience.
I was a Sergeant in the Marine Corps and a LVS Operator. How can I put that down on a resume if I want to apply to jobs such as Project Manager or Business Analyst? Think deeply about your military experience. What have you learned? How does your experience apply to the work you want to pursue? Consider all the professional development and leadership courses you look (for example Corporals Course). How can your leaderships skills apply to the workplace? How can being a platoon sergeant relate to management in the workplace?
Identity your key talents. This will give you an opportunity to draw your core competencies and how to sell those to an employer. Examples are: Innovate Leadership, Training and Development, Accomplished Spokesperson, Project Management, Internal Growth, etc.
However, some of your experience can work against you in this marketplace. Create a functional resume that highlights your achievements, leadership, awards, etc. rather than stating “you patrol dangerous territory, lead troops”.. Aside from that, your MOS in the military might not be the job you want to pursue in the civilian world. You have experience but not direct experience. Sell that you have POTENTIAL. Let them know in them know you have a strong ability to learn and prove it because you have done it before.
Document everything you have done. I write on wordpress to document my journey, experiences, and my mind. I am also documenting many values and skills I learned in the Marines. It gives good exercise to discover your potential and how GREAT you really are.
Most of all, be an active learner!! You are in the evolution process and entering a new life, be open to it and learn how to re-learn (triple loop learning).
Roadblock #3: Failure to develop personal commitment and desire.
What upsets me most are heroes that are now fallen heroes. I’m not talking about fallen troops in combat, but heroes who returned home and make nothing of themselves.
As it is hard to transition in this new world. Focus on your next chapter in your life and what you need to do towards that goal. I understand when you were in military it was a structured life with many internal rewards. You were part of something that is high impact and worked for a purpose. Guess what, those opportunities are here for you in the civilian world!
Create a mental picture: Imagine yourself in a parallel universe: if you stayed in the military your momentum is fast and see yourself moving up the ranks to Sergeant Major or if your an officer, you see yourself towards Colonel, perhaps even the General ranks. Take the momentum and apply that to the civilian world. Seek the pathway where you become an analyst –> Director —> VP—- CEO. Don’t lose that momentum and remain a true hero in your new world.
In conclusion, your military career will not only prepare you for the workplace but as you know will prepare you for life. As long as you keep those values and know your worth, you will thrive personally and professionally.
Stay motivated,
Ryan Enriquez
Further Reading:
From Uniform to Workplace: Your Next Big Victory
Why America’s Veterans are great hires, By Eli Amdur
A memory that will never be forgotten
March 2003
I was returning back to the United States from Iraq alone, sad, worried. I was injured overseas, having my left hand crushed with compound fractures, it was nothing serious, but what saddened me at the time was leaving my close friends behind.
I was a young, motivated 19 year old Marine at the time. Before I left for Iraq, I saw my famiy’s face in worry, wondering if I will be ok. I’ll never forget the close friend that helped me mentally throughout my short deployment. Mike, Shawn, Guido, and Brendon were the close friends I had overseas.
They knew me as the motivated one. I was the one waking everyone up for a run, workout, or some grappling and fighting matches. I was assigned as a fire-team leader and volunteered for every mission I can get my hands on. Many times we joked around, talked about women at home, and what we plan to do when we get home from Iraq.
It was the end of March, after suffering a minor injury I was told to go home. I didn’t leave Iraq because I felt guilty not being with my close friends. It was my second family from home, and now I am returning home. Still in my desert BDU’s with blood stained pants and boots, I flew back to the United States, I landed in baltimore with bloody BDU’s and my hand wrapped in a splint with bandages all around. As I am walking through the gate, there was an airport full of people clapping and giving me a pat on the back. It was an unforgetable day, as I boarded my next flight to Oceanside, California to stay in Camp Pendleton and wait for the rest of the troops to get home.
___
Today is July in the year of 2009. The war has loss it’s public support. Being discharged for over two years with a college education and now in grad school, I reflect six years ago the day I was hurt ready to go home. I’ll never forget the words of my platoon sergeant. He told me:
“Go home and take care of that hand, heal it properly and get back into fitness stronger than ever. Don’t worry about us over here we will be fine, your 19 years young with a lot of life to live. Heck, I am over 30 married with children and I would give my life over yours so you have the opportunity to live the way I did. You never exerperience that, and now you have the opportunity. Do you think people will care 5 years from now or ten years from now that you are a Marine or served this war, we support each other, but I’m a realist when I tell you this. Make something of yourself when you get home, go to school, obtain your education, live life, and enjoy what it has to offer because this lesson should tell you not to take life for granted.”
As I reflect in his words, I enured I stayed true. I have accomplish many things in life that many will never accomplish in a lifetime, but the journey has just begun. I take a moment, close my eyes remember his words and the day I landed on that airport, when everyone acknowledge my service. One day, I will serve again, maybe not in uniform, but to a greater cause.
Ryan Enriquez
Transition: Marine to Business Professional
There was a Linkedin post by Richard Palmer titled, “What have you brought from the Marines to Business? Also, what did you take for granted in the Marines that non-Marines in Business just don’t get?” With this posting , it brought back many ideals and values I learned serving in the United States Marine Corps. When I mentor my colleagues, I always give examples of a similar situation I encountered during my service. I want to share you what I brought from the Marines into business world.
First, the Marine Corps values, “Honor, Courage, and Commitment.“ It exemplifies every Marine. Being a Marine has helped me become a better person, son, worker, student, professional, and American. Being honorable is to have quality, trust, integrity, and respect. Having courage is to have the moral and physical strength to overcome many obstacles. Every citizen should always have commitment to excellence. Marines understand having commitment to the Corps (organization) and his/her brothers (colleagues) around you.
I live by the mantra, “Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.” It is the ability to accomplish tasks in unfamiliar situations. There will be times in your life where you lack the resources, the ability, or even basic knowledge, but if you apply, “improvise, adapt, and overcome.” You will have mental strength and fortitude to accomplish any goal. You will improvise by seeking ways to accomplish your task by thinking out of the box. You will adapt by being self-reliant and learning as you go along. Finally, when you achieve it yourself or embrace teamwork with your colleagues you accomplished your mission and you overcame what is unfamiliar to you.
The physical fitness demands of the Marine Corps not only helped improve my health and well-being but, it has kept my mind keep and sharp. I will never forget the demanding combat conditioning sessions where we will be running around in full combat gear carrying water jugs, ammo cans, or another Marine on your back. Why do Marines train in such rigorous, stressful, and demanding environment? It’s simple, you are conditioning and developing the habit to work efficiently under stress. Why do Marines (and other service members) do physical fitness before the sun rises? Not because it’s the best time to train, but it’s developing the habit of getting up when you don’t want to get up. It’s harder to get out of bed in the morning to go for combat conditioning or 10 mile run, when it’s much easier to accomplish that in the afternoon. The outcome is, Marines develop the ability to accomplish stressful and demanding tasks that is necessary even though the Marine (still a human being) doesn’t want to do so.
I apply the five paragraph order (SMEAC) in almost every project I am tasked too. For those who doesn’t know what the 5 paragraph order here it is:
Situation – Description
Mission – What needs to get accomplished
Execution – How will you accomplish it
Admin. & Logistics – What equipment, supplies, who will do what.
Command and Signals – the chain of command- who takes ownership of various tasks.
No matter how small the job your tasked too, the Marines have taught me every little job or as Marines would say sh*t detail contributes to the big picture. When I got promoted to NCO, I told my Marines, things need to get done not matter how much we may hate to do it. A dreaded tasks such as field day or digging up sand bags is vital and important to the mission at hand. My squad leader stated, “one day this sandbag could save a Marine’s life.” Every sandbag you dig will contribute to vehicle hardening (at the time in OIF 2003 we did not have MRAPs) and provide cover for a Marine.
As a Marine, Mission accomplishment is our number one priority, but TROOP WELFARE is very close to second. Take care your Marines and they will enable you to be successful as their leader. In business, your people are much greater than an asset. Human capital management and HR can learn a lot about how Marines boost morale. It’s the little things that matter most. NCO’s and officer’s rewards their Marines if the job gets done. We always had incentives and it can be as something simple such as beer in the field. Remember the warriors breakfast, extended libo, certificate of appreciations, and most importantly recognition for the Marines who deserve it most. Ribbons and medals were never given, they were earned.
Finally, we often take discipline for granted. As the Marines in Paris Island sound off, “D-I-S-C-I-P-L-I-N-E- DISCIPLINE, DISCIPLINE, DISCIPLINE! Sir, Discipline is the instant willing and obedience to all orders, respect for authority, self-reliance, TEAMWORK.” Having discipline will give you the edge above all others, it takes a physical and mentally strong individual to be successful. As a private, you are taught learn and listen to those who outrank you. Being discipline will be rewarding. Not only, you will be respected by your leaders, but it will carry on with you in all aspects of life.
In conclusion, I would finally add that a Marine will be valuable to any organization. I had the opportunity to watch the movie “Avatar,” and there is a line that stood out. Jake Sully said, “I may be out of the Marines, but the attitude never left me.” Once a Marine, Always a Marine… never forget that!
Semper Fi,
Ryan Enriquez
Ryan Enriquez OIF 2003
Ryan Enriquez served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve with 6th Motor Transport Battalion. He was activated and deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Ryan is an active veterans advocate and currently pursuing his Executive MBA at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
For more information contact Ryan at RyanEnriquez56@gmail.com Read more 
Veterans Experience – Implementing a University Organization
- What being a veteran means to me-
It was July in the year 2003, after several months in the desert, sustaining a compound fracture in my left hand, I was ordered to go home from my deployment from Operation Iraqi Freedom. I never told my parents I was coming home, I asked one of my best friends to pick me up from the airport so I can surprise my family. I still remember the night overlooking the NJ Turnpike from above, I am finally home.
After a long hug from a good friend of mine, I called my parents from my cell phone thinking I was still in Camp Pendleton, California. They asked about my day and I responded, “I had an opportunity to fly inside a jet and guess where it landed?” My mother replied, “I don’t know dear, where did you go?’ The door bell rings and as I enthusiastically tell them, “I landed outside in front of our home.”
As cheers and loving greetings from my family, reality stuck as I found myself in school again in the Fall Semester in Bergen Community College. I had a difficult time adjusting into college life as one of my professor approached me and stated, “There will be many veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, I want you to set up a Veterans Club to help these veterans transition.”
Within a few months, we became a very active organization by advocating for veterans, supporting charities like the USO, and finally we collaborated with Student Life and the Veterans Affairs to honor the men and women from Bergen Community College with the NJ Distinguished Service Medal.
I transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson University and yet another transition. I was more mature as an NCO in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. The conflict in Iraq was heating up and our unit RUC number was activated to deploy to Iraq. It was an involuntary deployment for those who never went to Iraq and voluntary for those who wishes to deploy again. It was a difficult to balance college and the military life. I was fortunate to never deploy again and had a passionate interest to keep advocating for veterans.
I connected with the Fairleigh Dickinson University Director of Grants and Sponsored Projects as she supported my cause to create a Veterans Organization on our campus. Our university was awarded a grant to implement the Yellow Ribbon Program to support the Post 9-11 G.I. Bill. With the support of University we were able to hire Ariel J. Luna the Director of Veterans Services. Social Media has helped me connect with veterans on our campus and was able to appoint Jeff Dunn as President of the Student Organization.
We officially named our organization “Fairleigh Dickinson University Veterans Association.” With the support from our faculty, staff, and students, we have discovered that Fairleigh Dickinson University has many veterans involved in our community. We had our first initial interest meeting and we came to conclusion that many of the faculty and staff are passionate in joining our cause. One woman asked me, “I am not a professor, nor do I have anything to offer, what can I do to be involved?” The best way to get involved is to simply thank a veteran.
To create a veteran friendly institution we must welcome and understand the that population. Many veterans who attend college are much more mature than the typical student. They bring plenty of experience to classroom with the unique ability to think strategically. Although, some might have difficulty adjusting due to their experience, what can we do as a university or a community to help transition veterans in college?
I firmly believe, we need to get veterans involved and integrated back into the college and civilian community. Isolating veterans will not help with their transition. It is great for veterans to meet and maybe share their stories, but the best approach is have veterans involved and co-mingle with students, faculty, staff, and other organizations to expand their horizons.
College is about academic excellence and also having fun. My mission for FDUVA is create a collaborative network of veterans to assist them in the transition process and provide them the skills and professional development to integrate into the workforce.
As I share my story, I am proud to say I am honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps. My experiences in the Marines has influenced me to move ahead. Although my service to my nation is completed, I continue to contribute to the public anyway I can. I’ll never stop serving our nation and that is what being a veteran means to me.
Ryan J. Enriquez
Proud American
RyanEnriqez56@gmail.com
One day I will serve.. Again
I was returning back to the United States from Iraq alone, sad, worried. I was injured overseas, having my left hand crushed with compound fractures, it was nothing serious, but what saddened me at the time was leaving my close friends behind.
I was a young, motivated 19-year-old Marine at the time. Before I left for Iraq, I saw my family’s face in worry, wondering if I will be ok. I’ll never forget the close friend that helped me mentally throughout my short deployment. Mike, Shawn, Guido, and Brendon were the close friends I had overseas.
They knew me as the motivated one. I was the one waking everyone up for a run, workout, or some grappling and fighting matches. I was assigned as a fire-team leader and volunteered for every mission I can get my hands on. Many times we joked around, talked about women at home, and what we plan to do when we get home from Iraq.
It was the end of March, after suffering a minor injury I was told to go home. I didn’t leave Iraq because I felt guilty not being with my close friends. It was my second family from home, and now I am returning home. Still in my desert BDU’s with blood stained pants and boots, I flew back to the United States, I landed in Baltimore with bloody BDU’s and my hand wrapped in a splint with bandages all around. As I am walking through the gate, there was an airport full of people clapping and giving me a pat on the back. It was a unforgetable day, as I boarded my next flight to Oceanside, California to stay in Camp Pendleton and wait for the rest of the troops to get home.
___
In the month of July in the year of 2009. The war has loss it’s public support. Being discharged for over two years with a college education and now in grad school, I reflect six years ago the day I was hurt ready to go home. I’ll never forget the words of my platoon sergeant. He told me:
“Go home and take care of that hand, heal it properly and get back into fitness stronger than ever. Don’t worry about us over here we will be fine, your 19 years young with a lot of life to live. Heck, I am over 30 married with children and I would give my life over yours so you have the opportunity to live the way I did. You never experience that, and now you have the opportunity. Do you think people will care 5 years from now or ten years from now that you are a Marine or served this war, we support each other, but I’m a realist when I tell you this. Make something of yourself when you get home, go to school, obtain your education, live life, and enjoy what it has to offer because this lesson should tell you not to take life for granted.”
As I reflect in his words, I ensured I stayed true. I have accomplish many things in life that many will never accomplish in a lifetime, but the journey has just begun. I take a moment, close my eyes remember his words and the day I landed on that airport, when everyone acknowledge my service. One day, I will serve again, maybe not in uniform, but to a greater cause.
Ryan Enriquez
