Dragons Who Serve: Joaquin Watson

A family heritage of service spurred Joaquin Watson to join the U.S. Army. Now he's the president of the Dragon Student Veterans Club. Joaquin shares about his time in the Army from 2010-2014, including his favorite (and least favorite) Ready to Eat Meals (MREs). He is set to graduate in December 2025 with a bachelor's in criminal justice.

Q: Did you always want to be in the Army?
A: At first, I was looking into the Marines because my grandfather was actually a Navajo Code Talker. I'm Native American from the Navajo Nation that lived in Arizona.

Q: Being that your grandfather was a Navajo Code Talker, did your heritage sway your decision to join?
A: Yes, it did. That was the grandfather on my dad's side. My grandfather on my mom's side was also an Army Vietnam War Veteran.

Q: What was your experience like in the military? Did you experience many challenges?
A: I was scared. I'll be honest. Your life is not that of a civilian anymore. I was scared during basic training and AIT (Advanced Individual Training). But overall, it taught me to be disciplined and about leadership. I did deploy to Iraq for about four months. My MOS, or job, was artillery mechanic. So, I worked on M109A6 Paladins and ammunition tank carriers. They are similar, so there were lots of oil changes and replacing parts. There were mortar rounds that hit the base and IED hits. So, there were some challenges, that's for sure.

Q: What is one of the best and worst MREs you've eaten?
A: One of the best, I'd say, is Buffalo Chicken. The worst was the omelet. It's just powdered eggs, everyone hated it. The Army discarded it because so many people disliked it.

Q: What was the transition like going from active duty to civilian to student?
A: The transition was somewhat smooth. You need to set a life goal and figure out what you want to do. I'm glad I had the military benefits, like the GI Bill. It helped guide me to get my associates at M State and then to MSUM. The challenges were maintaining a living style and just kind of everyday life, also missing my friends. That was big.

Q: How has MSUM supported you as a Veteran student?
A: I've been very well supported. All my grades transferred here. Aaron Johnson, with the MDVA (Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs) is great. He helped me with all of my benefits as well as getting my foot into doors and explained how everything worked. Overall, it's been a great experience, so I appreciate it.

Q: Do you have any advice for someone leaving the military and looking to go to school?
A: Just remember to ask for help. There's always guidance. There's always help for somebody going through financial issues or mental health issues. The VA hospital here is willing to help you. At MSUM there's the Veteran Success Center that can help, counseling, you name it. There's a whole community. The biggest step is just asking.

Q: Last question. What would you name your pet dragon?
A: Mushu, after Mulan.

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