In honor of Veterans Day, we met with Mike Williamson, (a senior manager & Veterans Employee Resource Group Chair) to thank him for his service and hear his story.
Why did you join the military? I joined the military because at that time, I did not know where I wanted to go but I knew the military would give me structure and discipline I needed. I wanted to be a Marine because I wanted a challenge and was always very impressed by the Marines and their reputation and saw them as the best of the best.
What were the most important skills or lessons that you learned? I loved the sense of team that the military instilled in me. Everyone had a specific job to do and was there to support each other.
Did you know what you were going to do when you got out? I had no idea what I wanted to do when I got out of the military. I was actually gearing up to deploy again, when there was a career fair on base. Micron attended and pitched the great benefits and career paths they offer. I decided at that moment it was time to start my career.
Did you face any struggles? The struggles I faced was the first year at Micron as a technician. I loved the military so it was hard for me to transition from each day being so structured, to no real regiment. I also didn’t feel like I fit in and was constantly worried if I was capable of learning all the information needed to do the job and how to take control of my professional development.
If you knew one thing before the transition process that would have made your experience easier, what would that be? Knowing the resources and benefits available for veterans. Now that we have the Veteran’s Employee Resource Group (VERG) we are making sure that we provide those new team members with these benefits they need to provide the next level of support when they are onboarded.
Tell me about your work leading the VERG and the impact it has on you and Micron. The VERG to me is more than the everyday job of metrics and numbers, this group connects to who I am personally and gives me a sense of pride for where I work and my years of service. This group gives me the opportunity to give back to our team members and to the community by providing support to our Micron vets and various philanthropic activities like, UnTrim a Tree, Warrior Bike Ride, and Wreaths Across America.
Thank you, Mike, and our veterans at Micron—you make us stronger.
Service Details
1st unit: 2nd Maintenance Battalion, Camp Lejeune
2nd unit: 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Camp Lejeune
3rd unit: 2nd Recon Battalion, Camp Lejeune
Awards
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Afghanistan Campaign Medal
- Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (w/1 Bronze Service star)
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Navy Unit Commendation
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