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PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan (10/12/2012) – It's
Hispanic-American heritage month, a time for people to celebrate and
recognize the contributions of Hispanic-Americans all over the
world.
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October 10, 2012 - U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Victor Vazquez,
Combined Joint Task Force 1, Intelligence Operations Specialist, is
a Pan-American servicemember, originally born in Brooklyn, N.Y., but
raised in Puerto Rico. Vazquez is one servicemember who is an
example of the Hispanic-American contribution to American history
with his religious faith (right) playing a large part of his
personality. Photos by Army Staff Sgt. Anna Rutherford
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One notable Puerto Rican-American, Roberto Clemente, the
first Latin-American baseball player to be inducted into the
National Baseball Hall of Fame, once said, “Any time you
have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and
you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth.”
This couldn't be more true for the present-day life of
one Puerto Rican servicemember U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd
Class Victor Vazquez.
“At one point in my life, I
wanted to do something to better my life,” said Vazquez. “It
was after Sept. 11, and it was like a calling because if I
don't do it now, I'm not going to be able to do it anyway. I
joined the Navy when I was 34 years old. I turned 35 when I
graduated boot camp. I wanted the opportunity to give back
what I have learned as a civilian.”
But this story
doesn't start in Puerto Rico. It begins in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
where Vazquez was born. His biography begins first as an
American and then as a Puerto Rican.
“I was born in
Brooklyn, N.Y., but I was raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico,”
said Vazquez. “I consider myself 100-percent Puerto Rican
because I did everything in P.R. I went to school, I did my
prep classes, I did everything (in Puerto Rico).”
Vazquez is an operations specialist for the U.S. Naval
Reserves. He currently works for Combined Joint Task Force-1
conducting intelligence operations. Aside from his military
obligations, Vazquez still finds time to recognize and serve
other facets of what he feels are cultural obligations.
“Being Puerto Rican is more than being 100-percent
proud,” he said. “Us Puerto Ricans, we always want to excel.
We always want to do better. We all have a big heart and we
love our parents. When the hurricanes struck Haiti and they
were looking for volunteers, I was one of them. It's in our
nature to get the calling and be there.”
More than
just natural disasters, Vazquez continues to serve due to
his sense of duty toward the mission and the people.
“The mission,” said Vazquez, on why he serves. “We try
to give the Afghans here a better life, we try to avoid the
‘green-on-blue' incidents going on – that's my main goal.
That's what the extra sweat is for. I don't want any of my
fellow (servicemembers) to run into any incidents. We are
all here doing the same thing.”
Workdays are long for
Vazquez and can often last 14 or 16 hours. In the midst of
the busy days, Vazquez must still find time to keep his
sanity and stay positive, and does so by working out with
his supervisor, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Nick Wagner,
non-commissioned officer in charge of Tactical Document and
Media Exploitation.
“One trait is that he doesn't
complain,” said Wagner of Vazquez. “He is a very hard worker
and overall a positive and energetic person to be around.”
Vazquez's positive contributions are just a smaller
scale of a larger picture. He believes Hispanic-Americans
contribute to the U.S. in a multitude of ways, aside from
being a large melting pot.
“We have a strong country
because we (Hispanic-Americans) have strong beliefs,”
emphasized Vazquez.
Beliefs and faith are another
side of Vazquez's personality, which contribute to his
dedication to service. Vazquez spends what little down-time
he has practicing his faith.
“I try to read (to
decompress), listen to some music and pray,” he said. “I
like to pray a lot.”
A testament to his religious
faith, Vazquez carries his rosary beads in his pocket with
him everywhere he goes.
Although faith is a large
part of Vazquez's positive attitude and endurance, faith
alone is not what keeps this servicemember going. The
support of his family and heritage have contributed a great
deal to his strength and endurance – especially in a
maternal way.
“I consider my Hispanic role model to
be my mom,” said Vazquez. The mother of six children,
Vazquez's mother has become a key figure in his life. “She
told me how to be a man. Every single one of our brothers
she raised differently. She had a different view of how we
would become as a grown-up.”
Vazquez recently
received news that his mother is ill. The news, although
negative, wasn't a mission-ender for him. In fact, it
charges him to continue on.
“Every day I live for my
mom. The battle we're fighting in this country, it doesn't
even matter when you see the battle she's going through with
her health condition. She's my drive everyday to get up,
work here 14 hours, seven days a week and do my best," he
said.
By Army Staff Sgt. Anna Rutherford
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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