In honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management is highlighting veterans who have transitioned from the military to civilian service in the cleanup program.
Office of Environmental Management
November 12, 2024
minute read time
In honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) is highlighting veterans who have transitioned from the military to civilian service in the cleanup program.
Raul Holguin is one of 13 veterans working in the cleanup program who are newly featured on the EM Veterans webpage this year. Holguin is a contract specialist for the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management.
Read EM's Q&A with Holguin:
What is your name, and what do you do at EM?
Raul Holguin, and I am a contract specialist for the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management.
What branch did you serve in; when; where stationed? How many years of service?
I served in the United States Air Force for 20 years, from 1989-2009. During that time, I was stationed in Germany, South Korea, North Dakota, Virginia and New Mexico to name a few.
Raul Holguin is a contract specialist for the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and a military veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years.
Most memorable event/moment during your service?
It would have to be Germany. I hadn’t been there long — November 1989 — when the Berlin Wall fell. East and West Germany were reunited, and there were celebrations everywhere, not just that night but in the following months. It was especially memorable because many older generations, separated by the wall for so long, were finally able to reconnect.
Raul Holguin, right, was promoted to staff sergeant in 1996 while stationed at Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Raul Holguin, right, was promoted to senior airman in 1992 while stationed in Spangdahlem, Germany.
Raul Holguin, right, is pictured while on deployment to Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia, in 1993.
How has your military service helped prepare you for the job you do in EM?
The teamwork and reliance on each other — learning our differences, cultures, histories, work ethics, strengths and weaknesses.
When did you begin working for EM, and what got you interested in the cleanup mission?
I’ve been with EM for one year. I became interested in the cleanup mission because of the research and discovering that DOE has a great work atmosphere and culture. Its important missions date back to the Manhattan Project and continue to affect environmental cleanup efforts today.
Watch an interview with Holguin here.
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