As a teenager, I stumbled hard. Gangs and bad decisions led to me being expelled from six different high schools in a single year. By 1992, I had dropped out completely. When I finally earned my GED, I was already married with two small children, and I knew something had to change. At 25, I made the decision that transformed my life. In 1999, I raised my right hand, joined the United States Army, and fulfilled the childhood dream I had carried with me all those years. Service to My Country Over the next 15 years, the Army became my proving ground. My first combat deployment took me to Iraq from 2004 to 2006 with the 467th Engineer Battalion. Stationed at Forward Operating Base O’Ryan, I led route clearance missions, rolling ahead of convoys to find and clear roadside bombs, while under constant threat of ambush.
In 2008, I returned to Iraq with the 419th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Camp Taji. Managing fuel operations across multiple forward bases, I learned the weight of responsibility for keeping entire units moving. That work under fire led to my selection as the noncommissioned officer in charge of the battalion commander’s personal security detail. I was charged with protecting senior leaders as they crossed a battlefield that never stayed quiet.
Aftermath of an IED striking our Platoon leaders vehicle on Route Golden while conducting Route Clearance mission. (Photo courtesy©Miguel Alatorre)
In 2011, I deployed, again, this time with the 941st Transportation Company at Contingency Operating Base Adder. There, for the first time, I stood in front of formation as the platoon sergeant in a combat zone. Midway through that deployment, we shifted from convoy security to becoming a Medium Truck Company during the historic drawdown of United States forces. I guided my soldiers through that change, retraining them to haul equipment and close bases while navigating dangerous and unpredictable roads.
Hooked up to an IV, while on mission. Refused to leave my soldiers after IED strikes. (Photo courtesy©Miguel Alatorre)
FOB O’RYAN getting ready for demolition of unexploded ordnance found on a farm field during a raid. (Photo courtesy©Miguel Alatorre)
276
San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 9 – Proudly We Serve
277
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator