Robert Hunter spent 5 years serving as a US Army Infantryman. After a serious illness, he was forced to leave the Army and fortunately, Operation Warfighter (OWF)was there to help. OWF is an internship program developed by the Department of Defense for convalescing service members to assist in their transition back into the workforce. AMSG is proud to support Operation Warfighter, and to do whatever we can to help our Veterans to be successful in every phase of their lives.
Here is Robert’s story, in his own words.
Hello.
I am a former US Army infantryman, SPC Hunter.
I joined the Army in early 2019, and I was sent to basic training. Later that year, I went to my first Duty Station, Ft Benning, GA, now renamed Ft Moore. While there, I went through numerous training exercises and went to the NTC (National Training Center) in California. In 2021, my unit went to Japan to train with the Japanese army. During my time in the Army, I learned that I both loved, and hated, the infantry.
Later that year, I got sick. I thought it was just a cold, but one morning, I woke up and couldn’t speak without coughing. My platoon sergeant sent me to the ER, and I learned I had Pneumonia. I thought, “Hey, it’s just like a bad cold,” but I couldn’t breathe as well as I used to, and I wasn’t able to keep up anymore. I spent a year trying to improve before getting seen by a doctor. That’s when I learned I wouldn’t recover and that my time in the army was ending. It took a while, but in Late 2023, I was referred by my doctor for a medical board, and in February 2024, I was accepted. I was preparing for my transition out of the army when I heard about a program called OWF.
I reached out to my OWF coordinator, who was not only super helpful but also cared about making sure I could succeed outside the army, which was hard because all I had ever done was shoot, move, and communicate. I barely knew about computers and such things. In October, he said, “Hey, I have an internship available with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Would you like to interview with them and learn more?” I said yes.
I got some more information about the unit, and they offered me the internship, and I accepted. When I first said yes, I didn’t know much about ICE. I learned I would be working with the Sexual Abuse and Assault Prevention and Intervention Program (SAAPI) HQ, and I thought it was going to be just all about the job.
Instead, my supervisor helped me improve myself in all aspects of civilian employment. I had coworkers who helped me rebuild my resume; I even started typing in complete sentences again. It didn’t matter what I needed. Even if it wasn’t ICE-related, they were there to help. I ended up getting my orders to leave service before the month of October was over, and I asked my supervisor about jobs and what I could do to stay with ICE. Unfortunately, there were no openings in the current unit, but he reached out to a few of his colleagues, and in a few days, I had an interview, which led to him offering me a different job with ICE.
The internship I had with ICE has not only set me up for a job after the army but also a career that I can grow in. I am so thankful for the opportunities and support I have had from both OWF and ICE. I cannot wait to begin my new journey!
Written by Robert Hunter (Intro by Jeffrey Dewhurst)