Miguel Villarreal wouldn’t change a thing.
The intelligence officer has been deployed five times, including to Germany, Honduras, Qatar, Spain and Afghanistan, to perform anything from humanitarian efforts to advising commanders on risk and looking for threats.
After serving proudly for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, the Major, who was the Chief of Cyberspace Multi-Domain Innovation Team at Lackland Air Force Base, recently retired.
“Sometimes we mope and grumble, but I would do it all over again,” Villarreal said about his military service. “There’s something about serving your country and a purpose higher than ourselves and you can’t beat that.”
Villarreal grew up in the Valley and some of his family still call Los Fresnos home
Villarreal described his military career as an enjoyable, yet challenging lifestyle that was intense at times.
But the best was to be able to wear the insignia of the United States on your uniform, he said.
Among the toughest duties was to provide stability to operations in foreign countries. As an intelligence officer, you become involved in every aspect, Villarreal said.
Most people think about the Air Force as made up mostly of pilots.
Villarreal admitted when going through the commission process, most people think the same way. But he ended up in intelligence instead.
“It’s been very satisfying and very exciting,” he said.
Villarreal received his commission in 1997 from the United States Air Force Academy and then attended the Air Intelligence Officer Course at Goodfellow AFB in Texas.
He began his career as an electronic intelligence officer at Holloman AFB in New Mexico.
Since that time, he earned his master’s degree through the Air Force Institute of Technology and held a variety of intelligence jobs.
Now, after his retirement, he is seeking his next career. Still residing in the San Antonio area, Villarreal said he has been looking in corporate America for his new work life. At the age of 42, he said he must find a new career, maybe in program management. He is looking daily for a position and has since his retirement.
He admitted he will miss his fellow airmen and his retirement ceremony, although intimate with his family and friends, was a little emotional.
“Reality set in,” he said. “It was good. I was able to recognize the people who helped.”
During the past several weeks, he has had time to reflect on his career.
There’s no question in his mind that he has made a difference during the past 20 years, both as an individual and as a member of the military team.
“You try to be a leader and make a difference to help everyone be better people and better Americans,” he said. “We hope to have a global affect, too, and I know we did. When history looks back, we will know we made an impact.”
