Veteran’s Perspective 38 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 26, No. 5, 2020
Growing up in Puerto Rico in the
1980s and ‘90s with no Google
and a TV that had only two
channels diverted my attention to my
mother’s Atlas Encyclopedia. While I loved
my little island, I was excited to learn there
was so much more to explore.
I was in my third year of chemical engineering
in college when I decided to get a jump start and
joined the United States Air Force. Soon after I found
myself standing in the San Antonio airport Air Force
receiving station getting yelled at by a drill
sergeant ordering me to sit down. Standing there
not knowing how to speak English, with no family
there to support me, and nothing but a small
backpack full of dreams and ambition, I realized the
journey to success was not going to be an easy ride.
I learned English in just under two months in Basic
Training on an accelerated English regiment that
made me do plenty of pushups each time a drill
sergeant heard any Spanish coming out of my
mouth.
Two weeks after I entered the military 9/11
happened, and I was soon in the middle of The War
in Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom. I
worked as an aircraft maintenance scheduler and
was in charge of 70 A-10 Thunderbolt fire jets of
which 12 were in Saudi Arabia.
The Journey Continues
I didn’t plan my transition from military into
civilian life and became homeless in the streets of
NYC. I wasn’t going to allow my circumstances to
determine who I was. I began searching the internet
in NYC public libraries for a company that offered
health benefits to LGBT couples and found UPS. The
company was offering great health benefits and
career growth opportunities to LGBT and Veterans.
As a global logistics organization, the processes and
procedures that provide the structure supporting
UPS’s daily operations felt familiar, which made my
transition from active duty into civilian life so easy.
I started my career at UPS doing what I loved,
working with planes in Newark airport. I worked as
an aircraft loader and unloader and soon escalated
the ranks of management utilizing the military Post
9/11 Education Bill to expand on my education. I’ve
been applying my military-learned skills to every
position I have tackled.
I learned so much through my active duty
military career that I use in UPS every day:
integrity, loyalty, teamwork, discipline, courage,
accountability, problem-solving skills, and above all,
never leave anyone behind.
Creating a Path
My passion is finding and developing the next
me. I love finding new talent where no one would
think to look, and then guiding them through college
and into a career at UPS.
To fortify my efforts, I founded the LGBTQ
Business Resource Group in NY/NJ, was a
coordinator of the Women’s Business Resource
Group, and stay involved with the Latino and
Veterans BRGs to coach and mentor minorities both
inside and outside of UPS.
Talent is not solely found within the
white-collar rank. For us Latinas, sometimes you
have to dig deeper. Talent can be fueled through
passion and determination. For other women and
girls who have to build their own path to success, I
encourage you to never give up.
From Air to Air
By Giselle Muniz Vazquez, Ret. USAF
Vice President of Package Operations
UPS in the Northeast
LS
Sheppard Air Force Base-Technical School.
Giselle Muniz Vazquez is the Vice President of
Package Operations at UPS in the Northeast.
In this role, she is responsible for Maine, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts
package delivery operations. Giselle oversees a
team of roughly 900 management people and
over 6,000 employees. She is the Executive
Sponsor of the LGBT BRG, one of the Executive
sponsors of the Women in Operations BRG,
member of the Diversity and Inclusion council
and a team member of the Women’s, Latino and
Veterans BRG. Prior to UPS Giselle served as
an active duty aircraft maintenance management
during Operation Enduring Freedom in the
United States Air Force.
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