Purpose, Duty, and Patriotism
If you were to stop by Will Rodriguez’s desk, you’d see the Marine Corps and American flags proudly displayed, a hint of his history before coming to Oncor. What the flags don’t show is what motivated him to enlist and the impact of that decision on his personality, work ethic, and humanity. They also don’t fully capture how his time in the service helped him transition to the work he does today.
“My military service helped me get to my career with Oncor,” said Rodriguez. “A lot of veterans in this community will see this and know that there are still companies like Oncor that let us tell our stories, recognize the difference we have made and appreciate how those experiences shape our shared success.”
Rodriguez was born in the U.S., but his father decided to take the family back to Mexico for his early years. The family struggled financially and returned to the U.S. when he was 14, in time for him to graduate from high school here. He decided to follow a friend into the military, enlisting at 16 and going in at 17, just after he’d graduated.
Will Rodriguez, seen here smiling at camera while in service uniform (Courtesy photo | Oncor)
“I’m a patriot,” said Rodriguez. “Even before I knew anything about the culture and the country, I was aware that we have done so much good around the world. My father became an American citizen and has had many opportunities here. I wanted to give something back.”
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Rodriguez embraced military life and discipline from the start and his time with the infantry taught him to embrace and rise above any challenges that came his way. “Every school I went to, I had to be number one,” he said.
He started as a radio operator, became a radio repairman, and later became a technical controller. In this role, his team oversaw the entire communications infrastructure in Iraq. They supported the CIA, Recon Marines, and Navy SEALs. When the mission needed large-scale communications with the Pentagon or White House, he and his team worked with Intelligence to establish those connections.
Then came combat, and it changed him profoundly. He deployed to Iraq multiple times, taking part in the initial invasion and later in major offensives in Fallujah and Ramadi. As a Platoon Sergeant, he learned discipline, adaptability, and teamwork—values he brings to his life and work at Oncor.
Soldiers boarding military aircraft. (Courtesy photo | Oncor)
“My experiences in Iraq profoundly affected me,” Rodriguez said. “It is possible to go into the Marine Corps as a 17 or 18-year-old and leave 30 years later with the same mentality, but I wanted to grow. Some people say Marines are brainwashed to disconnect from their feelings.
They used to tell us, ‘You are killing machines.’ Once I was in Iraq, I couldn’t do that. I recognized the human suffering of the people.”
Rodriguez lost a couple of buddies in Iraq, and it was difficult for him, but he took comfort from knowing that all of the men who went believed in the mission and had no regrets. They sacrificed their lives for what they believed and made America what it is.
Rodriguez served in the Marine Corps from 1999 to 2007, expecting to stay for 20 or 30 years. After 9/11, a deployment to Iraq, and the birth of his son, he rethought his plan. “My area of operation was always going to be Afghanistan or Iraq, and I didn’t want my son to grow up without a father,” he said. “It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It was quite difficult to transition back into society.”
Finding Oncor
When Rodriguez was growing up, his home life was unstable, so he knew how important it was to be there for his son.
“I knew I needed to go back to school, and I did,” said Rodriguez. “I got an associate’s degree and went to work in the oil field, eventually becoming a consultant in charge of projects in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.”
Rodriguez decided that an engineering degree was the next step in his career. He returned to college at East Texas A&M and graduated in 2024 at age 43 with an Electrical Engineering degree. While at Texas A&M, he attended a job fair, and Oncor said, “You look like a good fit. Come and talk to us.”
Rodriguez was at the right place at the right time. “Paths opened up for me, but I was at the right place at the right time all the time because I put myself there to be able to get those opportunities. I always volunteered for everything,” he said.
Oncor offered Rodriguez an internship through the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, which provides opportunities to transitioning service members. Before the internship was over, Oncor offered him a job. “Oncor is a very good place for military people to be,” he said. “They understand that some of us have not been doing this forever. My military service helped me get to this point because without the discipline I learned, I never would have gone back to school.”
As a civilian, Rodriguez continues to look for ways to serve. With his father-in-law, he is involved in an outreach program that helps U.S. citizens with family in Mexico bring their loved ones threatened by violence here to visit. The program is focused on the elderly, its sole mission is reuniting the most vulnerable with their loved ones. The group assists them every step of the way, from completing their applications through the state department, flying to the city where their interviews are held in Mexico, flying with them to the United States for their visit, and flying back with them after the visit is complete.
Rodriguez’s commitment to his family is another way he gives back. “My son is at Texas A&M College Station right now,” he said. “He will graduate with a petroleum engineering degree next year. My wife’s a teacher. My daughter is 12 years old and plans to attend A&M for veterinary medicine. I want them to be better than me, and they have embraced that. I’m just so, so proud of my family, of everything I’ve been given.”
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