A Different Kind of CDMO

Born in New York City in 1966, I was raised in the Bronx, then relocated to Puerto Rico in 1977, at the age of twelve. As a kid, I always loved anything military and airplanes, especially war planes, and I figured I’d try some of that military life. Therefore, after graduating from high school in 1984, and spending one year in the mechanical engineering program at the University of Puerto Rico, I decided to join the U.S. Air Force and served with Security Police/Forces from January 1986 through July 1991.

I was trained in nuclear weapons systems security (alert bombers and weapons storage areas), and in air base ground defense, and cross-trained in base law enforcement and front gate guard duty. As a Certified Dept. of Defense Spanish bilingual translator, I served 3 months in Honduras translating between the Honduran military and VIP U.S. government personnel, as well as serving as a security escort throughout the country. In addition, I provided flightline traffic safety training and certification, and I had 3 airmen under my supervision. I was stationed at Loring Air Force Base, Maine for 3 years and then at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, NY for 2 ½ years.

After leaving the service in July 1991, I served 2 years of inactive duty.
I enjoyed my time in the service. I enjoyed the camaraderie, the structure, the respect, and the teamwork. I am still good friends with some of my old Air Force buddies. The thing I enjoyed the most was being able to be around some of the most amazing and powerful aircraft in the world.

I was born and raised in the Northeast (Orange/Rockland County, NY), the oldest of four. Growing up, I was always assigned chores, and starting around 9 years old I would cut lawns, rake leaves, shovel snow, and occasionally assist a family member with farming responsibilities, so I would have money to buy gifts on birthdays and holidays.

I believe the primary reason I joined the Navy is because of my father, who served in the Navy, and the fact that the Navy presented an opportunity where I could obtain specialized training as a Hospital Corpsman, a cross between a nurse and an EMT.  I would also say the specialized skills and training offered during my tenure aligned with my interests and strengths.

During my enlistment, I was assigned to a regional medical center in Charleston, South Carolina (for a short period of time) before I was transferred to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where I was assigned to a Marine force unit, after some additional combat training. These experiences not only tested my skills and resilience but also forged a lifelong bond with all fellow Veterans and the importance of national security.

Overall, serving in the military has been an incredibly rewarding journey. It has taught me invaluable lessons about leadership, discipline, and sacrifice, and has shaped me into the person I am today. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have served my country and to have been part of something greater than myself.

I was born in Detroit, Michigan, in a small suburb just outside of the city, called East Detroit.  Having lost my parents at a young age, during my high school years, and recognizing that I needed direction and structure in my life, the military was my best option.
Although I did not want to be on a ship, the Navy intrigued me. I found a good fit with a branch of the Navy called Seabees, a Navy Mobil Construction Unit. The Seabees’ motto is “Construimus, Batuimus,” meaning, “We Build, We Fight.” I had always been into building and construction, working with family during the summers, so I entered the service as a builder, in the Seabees. During peacetime, we always traveled by air and trained when called upon to serve where and when needed. I served in the Seabees Construction Battalion starting in 1983 through 1989 when I was honorably discharged.

It was most exciting for me to learn a career/trade path and have the ability to travel and see beautiful places like Port Hueneme, California (my home port), and places I was deployed to like GITMO (Guantanamo Bay, Cuba); Iwakuni, Japan; Rota, Spain and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, servicing Midway Island.

I was born and raised in Hialeah, FL, and joined the U.S. Navy at 18. I spent the first two years studying Nuclear Power and the following four years operating the nuclear reactors onboard the USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier. The reason I joined the military is because I believe that it is everyone’s duty to serve, as gratitude for all the opportunities and benefits living in this great country affords us. I enjoyed serving in the Navy because it provided me with the opportunity to travel and exposed me to people from all other parts of the country and cultures. The most exciting thing I did while on active duty was that at only nineteen, I was operating a 10-billion-dollar nuclear reactor. I also enjoyed traveling the world, mainly in most of Europe and all the United States. While my experiences will always be part of me, I chose not to stay in because of the amount of time I was forced to stay away from my family and friends.

Born and raised in the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico, what inspired me to serve was the pride and passion that I felt every time I visited a military museum, every time that I talked to a veteran or active member of the military, and every time that I saw a movie in which military personnel were the heroes.  From the beginning, I was more interested in joining the ARMY than the other branches, as other members of my family joined the ARMY as well. All of the work I did in the military was exciting, even if it was training, but even more so when Hurricane María hit the island since the unit that I was assigned to was called to help with the recovery of the island. I was very grateful, and it was exciting to know that I was doing my part to help other residents of the island, the hospitals, and other entities that were in need of basic human necessities.