00:00:00 Speaker 1
Expelled from elementary school, middle school, and high school. Um didn't graduate high school till I was 20. So my mom staying on me like, hey you need to do something with your life. You need to do something with your life. And um she's the one that kind of pushed me in that direction. I could have easily been in prison or sitting here with you right now doing this. That's kind of where I was at in my life before I joined that I was one bad decision away from either being here or prison or worse. When people from back home see me now, They still can't wrap their head around it because I've been gone so long that I left them with twenty year old Yendry in their minds. Yeah. So they don't know me today. I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm hype because this is what I joined the military for. While I could understand that people who have probably been there now three or four years already, and they were on deployment in o three, they were on deployment in o four, they're like them, you know? Mm-hmm.
00:00:59 Speaker 1
I understand that now. At the time, I am like," All right, like what's the big deal?" Hello.
00:01:15 Speaker 2
And welcome to Prepare to Compete Presents Veteran Voices. Today we're honored to introduce Chief Warrant Officer Three Martinez, A sailor retiring after twenty- two years of service and seven deployments in support of our nation. He worked his way through the ranks, beginning his career aboard the USS Boxer, later serving on the USS Eisenhower, where he became truly irreplaceable, and finishing his service on the USS Essex. Alongside his military career, Chief Warrant Officer Three Martinez has also built his own business, Nineteen Forty Four Collectibles, showing the same discipline and drive that defined his time in uniform.
00:01:53 Speaker 2
His career is a testament to the leadership, resilience, and preparation for life beyond the service. It's an honor to recognize his legacy and the next chapter ahead. Welcome, Mr. Martinez. Thank you. So, we always kind of start off the show right, beginning with one special question, okay? Right One of the special questions that we always have is, uh, you know, introing. This thing is one. What made you join the military here or the US Navy rather? Because I want to be able to kind of make sure that we unpack that for our viewership here.
00:02:29 Speaker 1
Okay, well, to be honest with you, the reason I joined was because of my mom. Um, I actually was supposed to join the Air Force andum, the Air Force recruiter was kind of giving me the runaround. Um so.
00:02:51 Speaker 1
One of my friends was like, "Hey, why don't you come over here and talk to this uh this Navy recruiter? Um, He's also actually a warrant officer now C W O five um Alex Roque and prior A B E. And he kind of showed interest in me and kind of took me under his wing, even though I was a civilian and kind of heard my story. And then you know really stayed the course with me. But um my reasoning for joining I was just, In and out of trouble all through high school, actually started before that. Expelled from elementary school, middle school, and high school. Didn't graduate high school until I was twenty. So my mom staying on me like, "Hey, you need to do something with your life." You need to do something with your life. And she's the one that kind of pushed me in that direction. I could have easily been.
00:03:47 Speaker 1
In prison or sitting here with you right now doing this. That's kind of where I was at in my life before I joined that one. I was one bad decision away from either being here or prison or worse. Man,
00:04:03 Speaker 2
That's phenomenal. Um, I think, uh, that's a very common thread between a lot of ourum our our guests here. You know we have a lot of veterans on uh on that actually tells their story. And uh, a lot of times it's just going to the military is. Uh, two things, right? Uh uh again, A family choice or a choice of making a decision to make a better choice for that person's life. And I think uh that's kind of where you fall man. Uh first and foremost, uh, you know, thank you for serving us. And uh, it's an honor to have you here, but all beyond that. Uh, thank you for your service because again, you know twenty years is a long time man. Twenty years is a long time. Um You know with that, obviously, did you imagine yourself actually retiring from the military?
00:04:45 Speaker 2
Uh, when you actually went in, was that a goal or what was the goal coming in?
00:04:48 Speaker 1
Um, honestly not really. It was just one day at a time. Uh again my so this time my father played a role in me staying. So I did my first four years on board, the USS Boxer, oh, four, two thousand and eight. Andum oh eight, I was all right I'm done I'm gonna get out. And my dad was like, okay, you're gonna get out and do what. Like, you ain't coming back here. You ain't coming back to my house. And I think he saw, he told me that, But I also think he saw that even though I had spent four years in the navy, that I wasn't ready. Like, my mindset still wasn't ready to transition, and I'd probably end up right back in the same situations that I was prior to enlisting. So he's like no stay put.
00:05:42 Speaker 1
Andum, and I reenlisted, and thenum, that's a whole nother story because then that's how I ended up. Instructed duty in Texas. Oh wow. Andum, I was actually trying to go to Spain, but I had this master chief who was like, you're going to Texas to instruct.
00:06:01 Speaker 2
Phenomenal phenomenal man. Well uh I kind of want to uh just kind of backtrack a bit because you know, I want to always make sure that our viewers understand, you know, uh, the transition because there's a lot of uh. Uh uh, you know, Civilians that are transitioning to make sure that they even want to go to the military. So we want to make sure that we understand what that looks like. Uh going down to the recruit office and you had that choice to make and obviously, going into the navy. Um you know what did that look like? What was your experience actually signing up and actually getting ready for boot camp andum and also your recruiter experience? How did that go?
00:06:35 Speaker 1
So for me I think everybody'sum I think everybody's situation is gonna be, Obviously, a little different, but um. My recruiter experience was amazing. Like I still talk to my recruiters to this day, and um I know that not everybody can say the same. I've heard the horror stories. I've heard the stories of people running into their recruiters in the fleet and telling, you know, saying, hey, you lied to me, But for me, personally, that wasn't the case because he, he stuck with me when he didn't have to stick with me because um.
00:07:10 Speaker 1
I'm pretty sure you're familiar with the asvab process. So if you fail it, you got to wait thirty days. And then if you fail again, you got to wait another thirty days. And then on the third time, if you fail, you got to wait six months to retake it. So I had to wait thirty thirty. And then six months, oh, wow. And then on the six month, mark, then after the six month mark, it just starts becoming a six month. Wait. So I passed it on the sixth month. Mark and I only got a thirty seven on it, which was you needed a thirty five. Um, and then he kind of was like, "All right, hey look, this is what you qualify for," and it was like all the undesignated programs. Um A B E A B F A B H C S all the grunt. What we call in the navy, all the grunt rates. And he was he tried uh and I was.
00:08:02 Speaker 1
Hard-headed too, he was like pick a rate, pick a rate. Like he told me not to come in undesignated because back when I came in and I have a deep appreciation for how they do it now. So the undesignated program. The way it's supposed to work is the way the recruiter sells it to you is that you come in. And then let's say, I was an undesignated airman aviation. So once I get to my command, I should have two years to explore all the aviation rates right?
00:08:32 Speaker 1
And pick one, okay. When I came in, that wasn't the case. You were gonna be depending on what platform you ended up, you were gonna be an ABH, an ABE or an ABF. They literally line you up, and they're like V 1 V 2 V 3 V 4, and they go down the line. Nowadays they do do it the proper way. Oh wow They do So they did upgrade the processes there.
00:08:58 Speaker 2
They started following the rules. I think the process was always there.
00:09:01 Speaker 1
But when I came in, they were like, I remember it like it was yesterday. Um, I was like sweeping in the hangar bay and they were like, go take the ABH exam. And I'm like okay. And I just went down and then you only needed a fifty on the test. And then boom now was a striker now my ABH A N. But so my recruiter I think he feared me ending up as an A B E, which is like you already know. So. He was like with me at maps, and he's like, "Pick a rate, pick a rate, pick a rate." Don't he was like don't go in on designated. But. The thing for me was is that if I would have picked the rate, I would have had to wait like nine ten months to leave. While going on designated, I got to pick the day I left. And like I was telling you dropped out of high school. I was out of high school for like two years, and then in Florida, the way it works is like every class is one credit.
00:09:56 Speaker 1
So I had eighteen credits when I dropped out. I only needed to get to twenty four, So I went into like this consolidated program, where, like basically you can get like a year's worth of school within ninety days, And I finished out my last six credits and everything happened like in two thousand four. Like it was like boom, finished my classes, joined the navy, and then left. I picked July fourteen two thousand four, and I didn't want to wait any longer. Like, I wanted to continue my momentum. It all happened so quick that when I left and I went to boot camp, and I came home on leave, my group of friends were like, "Where you been at?" And I was like, "I joined the Navy." And they were like, "What?" Like 'cause I was like the least likely. When people from back home see me now they still can't wrap their head around it, because I've been gone so long that. I left them with 20-year-old Yendry.
00:10:51 Speaker 1
In their minds, so they don't know me today. And it's hard for them to like I am not the same person, So it's kind of crazy for them to see like, and they're like proud of me or whatever, but it's still like.
00:11:07 Speaker 2
It's still a disconnect, right? Because I think that transition there, right? So much happens in such a small amount of time. I am talking about, you can go from boot camp and and go off to the fleet.;, you are a completely different person. I mean, entirely, you know. And I think the military shapes you that way, right? But now when we talk about going in undesignated and going in, you know, I'm not going to let you put down A B E S now because that's why I had to go undesignated. They assumed me right in P, two and I'm over there, cleaning the pad out myself. So okay. And also getting dirty and nasty is all can be so greasy. Oh man. So, they say twelve on twelve off and no, it's probably like sixteen on sixteen off.
00:11:48 Speaker 2
You know, but yeah, man. So that was I mean that's a great introduction right? And, it sounds like again, you had like some really good people behind you that actually put you in a put you in great positions. And I think always having an opportunity to meet good people to be able to put you in great positions will ultimately open so many doors. And I think we want to make sure that we always convey that because our jobs here is now to successfully support our viewers, right? Absolutely the veteran community. Uh, The people that is looking to get into the military and provide a lens of what that looks like. So, uh, when you went into obviously the uh boot camp, Uh was that was that a challenge for you? Because it sounds like you had some challenges going into obviously, our high school getting into uh, you know, obviously the military. But what does that look like in boot camp for you?
00:12:35 Speaker 1
Um so I'm off. I go to boot camp now and I struggled a little bit at the beginning. Um my mind shift still wasn't uh shifting, And um, I got into a couple little tussles in boot camp, and I was kind of still acting out, thinking like I was back on the streets. And the recruiters weren't going for it. And um, I can distinctly remember when like everything shifted for me, because they told me that if I didn't knock it off, They actually sent me to uh the reevaluation unit to go talk to an officer there. And basically they were gonna ask them on me back. And um that.
00:13:13 Speaker 1
It settled me down because we were already so far along in boot camp that I would have had to call my parents and tell them to change their flights that they already had bought. And the fear of having to tell my parents, not because I'm scared of my parents, but just disappoint them because I'm supposed to be here bettering myself. And to call them on the phone and tell them that I'm still acting up and all that, And that's why they have to go through the trouble of now changing their flights and all that. That kind of put me on the straight and narrow, andum, and I knocked it off. And I just like kind of recentered on why I was there.
00:13:51 Speaker 2
So, was it the challenge of conforming or was it the challenge of okay?
00:13:55 Speaker 1
The way they were talking to me, you know, the yelling. And I mean, and I know that it's different now. I came in like I said just not different time. Two thousand fourDifferent times like they weren't they weren't going for that. And, they were just like all right. You want to act tough cool. You can go act tough in the following division. Yeah, yeah, and the one before that, and then so you are gone. So that's nice.
00:14:15 Speaker 2
So ultimately, obviously, we were able to get through that. Got the navy ball cap right? Mhm. I was able to kind of make sure uh you were able to graduate and also show your parents who you really are right? Um. And uh now when you went to obviously transitioning going there, right, uh there is a A school, right? You have to be able to make sure you go to. How was that? What was what was it like?
00:14:36 Speaker 1
So so I was in a. They're called our accelerated graduation. That's what they call this. So, like, I graduated September, think it was like September twelfth two thousand and four was a Friday. Graduated and I was flying out Sunday to Pensacola. So do that parents come in fly to Pensacola. Get there that first night get settled into the barracks. All that Monday.
00:15:08 Speaker 1
They're like, pack your sea bag. Hurricane Ivan is heading for Pensacola, so they ship us all out to the civic center. Hurricane Ivan hits that Wednesday night, tears up Pensacola. I spent two weeks sleeping on the floor at the civic center. No shower, no nothing. And after like two weeks, they're like, all right. They took us back to the base and now. Great Lakes is getting backed up. So they're like, hey, we don't have time to train you or do any of that. You know, when you're undesignated, They put you through the course of all, like basically, you get the basics of every rate. Andum they were like we don't have time for that. So, they gave us like the perfect the uh professional finance management course. Those two little in dock courses just take the first two days, send me to the fleet.
00:16:03 Speaker 2
Well. Welcome to the fleet, huh? Uh, just an introductory. Wow, that's uh, that's incredible. And I think uh, For my own, you know, personal reason, they they again having a school in Pensacola just needs to stop because you said Hurricane Ivan, we had to deal with Hurricane Katrina. Okay. So it was just everything was tore up. It was a it was a it was a tough time. It's always been a tough time. I think in that location that geographical location for uh any sailors to get pushed through there. Um but no, That's incredible. So you automatically went to the fleet immediately um and where you say you were stationed on the USS Boxer.
00:16:34 Speaker 2
Uh, did you have a wish list where you able to go ahead and pick, or how did that work?
00:16:38 Speaker 1
So that we can rewind that a little bit to boot camp. So I'm at boot camp and you get to pick. Like, you get a little wish list where you put like top three places that you want to put. So obviously I put like everybody was like leave Virginia off. So I forgot. I know that I had put Jacksonville on there from Florida, closest place I'm going to get to Miami. And then I had San Diego there as third and I can't remember what I had second, But I know that my RDC the same one who sent me the related by elevation unit. He was from Gainesville, Florida. And he's like, he has my orders and he's like, "Hey Martinez, you want to go to Jacksonville?" And I thought I was. and I'm like, "Yeah." I thought I was going to Jacksonville. He's like, "You're going to San Diego." And he just threw my orders at me. He's like, "You're going to San Diego." He just threw my orders. And I'm like, "All right." So that was interesting in itself because before I left Pensacola.
00:17:31 Speaker 1
There was a flea returnee there, this third class, which obviously when you're an airman, you're like a third class. So you're like you think they're, you know. Yeah. God. Yeah. You know so um he's like call the ship and ask the status of the ship and I'm. Like okay. So I call and I'm like Airman Martinez reporting I want to know because I couldn't get a hold of my sponsor, which I have a whole. Thing about the sponsorship program, but he's like, "The status of the ship it's hell and you're coming to it," and hung up on me. So I'm like, "Okay." So I end up going home on leave cause I'm like, "I don't know what. I don't have a sponsor. I don't know what my situation is going to be." So I'm like, "You know what? I'm just going to take some leave." And that's when that whole thing happened where I said, "I came home and everyone was like, 'Where you been at?'" And then i went i took some leave and then i went.
00:18:27 Speaker 1
To San Diego, And I had to end up calling one of the guys that I was with in a school to drive me to Pier 13, where the ship was at.
00:18:39 Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah. Man, that camaraderie as soon as you hit right hit the hit boot camp, hit A school, hit it immediately becomes again a brotherhood, right? Because we have to rely on one another. And I think ultimately we want to always make sure, That we translate that just into just in the world and community, just in general. Because I'm sure you know, uh checking in on the ship it was kind of a shocking experience. What was that like?
00:19:05 Speaker 1
So again, I told you I didn't have a sponsor or anything. And, the guy who dropped me off there. He was on the Stennis, which was getting ready to home port in Washington. At the time they were literally leaving like a week. So, I didn't have a clue about anything. I show up in my bluesum, I don't know how much stuff I'm supposed to bring, anything. So I got all this stuff for me and I'm, like humping up the pier with like these two sea, a sea bag, and like um this giant duffel. And I'm just sweating my life away cause yes, it's uh I checked in on October thirtieth, two thousand and four. That's when I got to the boxer. And I'm here thinking like it's supposed to be like at least fall weather, cause I've never been outside Miami. Yeah, I was born in Cuba, went to Miami and um.
00:19:52 Speaker 1
Been there, but so I'm like humping up the pier. I'm like sweating my life away and uh this B M S N E three uh Easteling. I've never been able. I've kind of lost contact with him. I i i don't know his whereabouts, But he was just walking down the pier in his coveralls, and he helped me. He's like, just hey, I got you, and he just like grabbed my bags and he took me to the barge, and um, And, he just helped me with my bags to the barge because he saw me struggling. Because people were just walking by me, I mean, I don't know if you've been to Pier Thirteen; it's pretty chaotic. And there was just yeah, They were just walking and I am just like sweating my life away with my bags. And um, he takes me, we find an empty rack on the barge. I kind of put my stuff on it. And um, what's crazy is that as I am going to my rack, what I later come to find out.
00:20:46 Speaker 1
Is that my LPO retire A B H C Chavez, But he was A B H one at the time, walks right by me, like walks, right, past me, different timesum and doesn't say a word to me. Yeah, big ball headed all full of tattoos, just kind of gives me this look. And then just like doesn't nothing.
00:21:08 Speaker 2
Oh man,
00:21:09 Speaker 1
Yeah. So yeah.
00:21:11 Speaker 2
I mean. Uh definitely that introduction I got. Again, I just it's just shocking, just in general, right? I'm not sure if you were introduced to any naval ships at that time, or uh just being able to uh visibly see something so massive. Mhm. I'm I'm sure at the at the time there was a lot of fear. There was a lot of unknown. Uh definitely a lot of uh just uh you know, Just carrying on of what you're going to do and I think um you know, having that person to be able to come support you.
00:21:41 Speaker 2
Um, at that time really made a difference, right? Uh, even so, twenty years later still know still knowing the gentleman's name. You know uh because I think uh, it's so impactful to be able to have that uh to be able to carry on and uh, to be able to really get some type of guidance there. Absolutely. Uh but yeah man uh that's that's great. That's great. Um but now with that being said, obviously, ownership um I just want to make sure uh that you know where we are in time. So okay, uh, you're on the ship. Uh, Just getting out of boot camp and really just being able to introduce yourself to the fleet. Okay. Um, what did what was the first experiences of your first week, the first month, the first actual workup? What'd that look like?
00:22:23 Speaker 1
So my first week. Um, do you remember that video The First Seventy Two? The one where likeum like, It's critical who you meet when you first come in, and the kid shows up, and then he meets the kid that's on restriction. And then he goes out with him when he gets off restriction. They start getting in trouble and everything. And then like that could literally like um shape the trajectory of your career, Who you meet within those first couple of so I had a similar experience because I get there. And mind you again, no sponsor, I have no clue what's going on. Um put my bags down, go to the quarter deck check in.
00:23:05 Speaker 1
Um, the chief that's on duty, I'll never forget him either. Chief Hall. He was he was something else, but uh. He comes out, and it's what I told you we got there. And it was like it had to be like fifteen of us, and they lined us up and they were like and I. Remember the one thing that the same guy who told me to call, The ship he was like go to V three. He kept telling me he's like go to V three. And I'm like, all right. So they line us up in the hangar bay and they're like V one, V three, V four. V one, V three, V four. They're just going down the line. And I don't remember what group I ended up in, but it wasn't the V three group, but I slid to the v three group and um I just ended up there. But what I was saying that my first week it was rough. I was showing up late every day. I started hanging out with the guy who dropped me off, who later down, ended up finding out that he ended up getting kicked out of the Navy on the stennis.
00:24:01 Speaker 1
Um, I started hanging out with some people that weren't really adapting either. Like, that's the crowd that I gravitated to. Um, because I didn't know anyone on the ship and um after a week there, The assistant LPO um I think he just retired Castro ABH one Castro, which is crazy. It came full circle, we can get. We'll get to that where me and him uh ran into each other. He was ABH two at the time. He was kind of like, hey, you need to um.
00:24:31 Speaker 1
Like you're not gonna make it if you don't, you know, if you continue down this path. So he put me with um three of my boys that like they were on my they were on my commission. They ended up getting out as so two of them higher tenured out as third classes and one got out as a second class. But I attribute some of my success to them because they took me under the wing, which is uh at the time A B H three Cisneros, A B H three Rodriguez and A B H two Velasco. Those are like, That's like my first group of homeboys because they were like, "All right, hey, come on. Like, we're going to work hard, and then we're going to take this uniform off. And you know we're going to have some fun. " And um they're the ones who kind of molded like how I approached the Navy. Even though like I said they got out as like I basically carried on the mantle for what they didn't.
00:25:26 Speaker 1
Um, you know, they ended like I said, either high ten or out or got out or whatever the case may be. They were on my commissioning ceremony.
00:25:31 Speaker 2
So basically they put the foundational pieces in there. They did opening up uh what it looks like, how it is, what the military is. Uh because there's so many different things that's transitioning. Uh as a as a young man, just coming into anything new, right? Um uh but they were able to kind of really put on the wing and give you those foundational toolsum while in service. Uh, but now, um obviously you know we're in service. We're doing well. We're, we're we're making sure that we're putting our uh basically claiming your flag in regards to who you want to be in the military. Um and on uh the USS Boxer there right? Uh. But now uh you know I think one of two, two of the most critical uh years of I think any military personnel's life is uh the first year that they enter.
00:26:21 Speaker 2
I mean, the first enlistment that they enter, and also their enlistment when they're getting out, right? And when they retire. So you know, obviously during that time frame. What was your mindset as you are going through the service, and you are going in your first enlistment? I know sometimes it comes up with a lot of other active duty members and veterans that. About year three, They kind of had a determination where they wanted to go, if they wanted to stay in, if they wanted to get out. Uh, did they make rank? Uh, did how was their leadership treating them? Different things of that nature. Was there anything occurring in? Uh that was pivotal at that time in the first uh enlistment there for you?
00:27:01 Speaker 1
Soum one thing about the navy and especially being attached to a ship is that andum I try to tell sailors this all the time. Wheneverum They tell me like. You know, they'll be like, Oh man, it sucks here right now. Whatever the case may be. Like just the command in general. I'm like, You're gonna go through ups and downs. And I tell them all the time like, Hey like there's nothing wrong with the command. It's the makeup of the command, The leadership, The sailors you know. So I could say that at every command I've been at, you know, you go through situations where it's like.
00:27:40 Speaker 1
You have good leadership, and then some bad leadership might arrive, and there's some good leadership, and so on and so forth. So my first couple of years there, So like when they really were my turning point for me was um two thousand six. So when I got there, they had just came back from deployment. So Boxer was on deployment I think every year from o three to like two thousand ten. Either a deployment or a surge or some something yeah. So, they had just came back. And obviously, every C O that steps in, you know.
00:28:10 Speaker 1
To to that seat, they want to put on the next rank. So when the higher ups above them are like, "Hey, we need a ship to go do this," they're always going to volunteer. And like the crew is not is at the expense. And while a CO's tour is, you know, three years, two years, whatever the case may be, you know, you got sailors. Tours are five six years on a command, so they're going to so I got there. They had just came back and. You know, it was through the holidays and all that. January we have a CO stand down. He picks up, we end up going to be a flagship for the admiral, and we're like leaving in April of 'o five. And I'm I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm hyped because this is what I joined the military for. While I could understand that people who have probably been there now, three or four years already, and they were on deployment in 'o. Three. They were on deployment in 'o four. They're like them, you know.
00:29:06 Speaker 1
I don't have any kids at the time. I'm not married, anything so I. I understand that now. At the time, I'm like, all right, like what's the big deal? But, um went that deployment was interesting, because like I said it, were a flagship. So we ended up hitting fourteen ports in about five months. So didn't save a dime. Um, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan. We basically took like this route, and then we just like busted a U- turn and just took it again.
00:29:40 Speaker 2
And this was your first.
00:29:42 Speaker 1
This was my first experience to the Navy. So right when we came back from that I'm like," This is the Navy. I love it." Like," This is what it is." Um. Like I could do this. Um. Little did I know that we were getting ready to hit. So we came back September'05. And we were in port for exactly one year. And then we left oh six, and that deployment was ten months. And we did not hit all those ports. I missed the birth of my son during that deployment. He was born in March, I didn't arrive home till August, so April, May, June, July, August. So, he was almost five months by the time I got to hold him for the first time. Wow. I was supposed to be home before he was born.
00:30:29 Speaker 1
I would have just made it because September, if we had done a regular six- month deployment, I would have made it back. And then, um.
00:30:35 Speaker 2
Did, you know that you were going to do ten months before you went out?
00:30:38 Speaker 1
No, they said six months. So I would have been back before he was born. And then like once we were in the middle ofum Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Soum CO comes on, and he's like, hey, you know, we got to stay out here a little longer. So when uh forty five, so at first time, first extension was forty five days, then. Like getting ready to like finish up that extension, he's like, I'll never forget it again, because I am laying in my rack, and he comes on the one MC. He's like, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, But it looks like we're going to be staying out here another forty five days. And then we almost stayed out there another forty five days. Like past it almost became like eleven months. So, but um in hindsight that deployment made me because I left an airman and I came back a third class with both my pins. Wow and I was.
00:31:26 Speaker 1
When we came back from that deployment, like one thing about an amphib is that, like cause I've been on both platforms, carriers and amphibs. On an amphib, like and not anymore. But when I came in a third class is like you can have a solid third class that could be more valuable to you than some of your first classes. So I became that guy. I made myself that guy that like um, The LPO told me, like, the only reason you're not, you know, the assistant leading petty officer is just because of your rank. Cause we had a guy's ABH 2 E golf. He was theum the assistant LPO and like off of my coattails. Like he would do it, but I'm the one like holding the sailors accountable and doing all the work.
00:32:16 Speaker 2
He's basically running into division.
00:32:18 Speaker 1
He's just there because of his seniority.
00:32:22 Speaker 2
Man, so uh, but I mean, But with that, obviously, you know you are, you are I mean, you are excelling at your career in the storm, making huge, huge strides. Um and that's phenomenal when you talk about, like you said uh, when you talk about being able to make the rank uh in that short amount of time with with your air warfare pin and surface warfare pin, right? Um that's a that's a phenomenal accomplishment because some some sailors they go through their whole career, never have one.
00:32:49 Speaker 1
My LPO only had. At the time, I was the only one in the division who had both of my parents. Not even most of leadership didn't have both of their parents. So,
00:32:59 Speaker 2
But now with that, what can I ask you? Was it the challenge of not being able to be home. And you know, obviously, as you are making a life. I mean, such a life changing experience that you're missing. Mhm. Uh, to be able to make up for it while you're in service, You think or was it something that you were always always wanted to strive for, so you can have something to show that you achieved when you're gone?
00:33:26 Speaker 1
Um, I think like I think it was just like I've always had like a competitive nature in me regardless even if I was like so I played basketball in high school for a little bit before I gotum kicked outum played sports growing up. So I just enjoyed. Doing what I did and like just being able to like I knew that to me and I think it should be like that for everyone. I think people make things more complicated than they need to be. I feel like the Navy is laid out for you to succeed. You have the ladder, you have, you know, when you're going up, you know, The ladder that tells you like, hey, this your rank. This what you should be working on. So like I call it the answers to the test right?
00:34:11 Speaker 1
And um, I think people make it more difficult for themselves than it needs to be because, I've always took on that mindset from early on, Is that like anything that I can get my hands on in regards to like qualifications, my pens and all that, I am gonna do it. If I can do it. If they allow me to do it. I am gonna do it. And um which stacks your evaluation which helps you promote and all that. So I think I just had that mindset that like I am already out here, like I don't wanna be, I don't like people telling me to do what I know I'm supposed to be doing. Like, I don't like that. Like, if I know I'm supposed to be doing something, I don't want to give you a reason to tell me to do something that I know I should be doing. And if that happens, I'm not ever going to argue with that person, because i know i should be doing it. i hold myself accountable like i have self accountability So yeah,
00:35:10 Speaker 2
It was just that, That's phenomenal, man. I wish again, having that adoptive mindset and it sounds like a growth mindset, right? Being able to make sure that you grow yourself and a lot of people don't take that self accountability to be able to do that. But again, But taking just kind of unpacking that, because again, you at the end of the day, you were again being able to miss the birth of your son. I'm sure that had to be a very challenging experience as well. You know and I tip my hat off to you with in other And other, you know, military personnel who are out and not able to experience those, you know, special moments in life. Because at the end of the day, you know, the family members take sacrifices as well. You know in that challenge. But you were it seemed like obviously was able to overcome that right? How how was your experiences coming home? Because you've been gone ten months now. You've been in a fleet. You're in the military.
00:36:03 Speaker 2
What was that experience actually touching foot back in San Diego and really understanding and trying to just even grasp that because it sounds like, again, you were there for a year, right? And then boom. It's just split. You know what was that like?
00:36:16 Speaker 1
Um it was I. Don't it was challenging at times? But to be honest with you, it was so short lived that like I call, oh, four to two thousand and ten, like the best years of my life. Because like, um, when we did come back home, Like you know, I was kind of with my son's mom, but you know, and um we would just have a blast. Like we would just come home and like work hard play hard. Like we'd go to work do our jobs like never ever have any issues. I never went to captain's mass I've never been any of that. Like when I showed up to work I showed up to work.
00:37:01 Speaker 1
It didn't matter if I stayed out all night. I showed up to work, uniform press, ready to go, boot shine ready to go. So and um that's something that my friends Jose Velasco Cisneros they were like hey, like no matter what we always show up and do our jobs. No matter what um like if you decide to go out like you made that decision. So, um, always had that mindset. Um, so when we would come back home, it was like. And I'm sure we'll get into it as we progress the timeline. As I got older and I had more kids and all that, then those transitions became a little more. But when I was younger, it wasn't you know It was go time You know, I have my son; that sucked. But honestly to to be honest with you like, um I was still so young myself. ; twenty two yeah So.
00:37:59 Speaker 1
Um, I think it took me now that I am forty two to realize that a twenty two year old is still a kid. Yes, they might be they might be adults in the eyes of the law, and yes, I am not saying that they're children, but they just haven't developed yet. They haven't had no world experience. And, especially eighteen, which is crazy to me because my son is eighteen now and um the one that I misses birth. He's eighteen. Wow. So I look at him and I'm just thinking like he he's not ready.
00:38:35 Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah. Wow, that's incredible.
00:38:38 Speaker 1
And I'm getting him there, but he's not.
00:38:40 Speaker 2
Yeah, and I mean it takes time, right? Majority growth. Uhhuh. I think, uh also uh, again, you know, with father like yourself, being able to understand the pillars of leadership is amazing. So being able to kind of deliver that with yours with your actual children itself. I think it comes uh full circle, then right? Mhm, Uh, but you know, With that obviously going back in uh in service. What what was that moment that you knew that you were reenlisting?
00:39:06 Speaker 1
Um, like I was telling you, that conversation with my father. Um, I was gonna get out. It was two thousand and eight. That's when my contract was up. And it was one phone call. He was like You have a son Like. You're gonna come home and do what Oh go to school. No Like. Okay, you're going to school for what? Like my dad, like um I love my dad because he keeps it. He's not gonna tap dance around like what he's trying to tell you. He's gonna and who knows me more than you know um him. So I said, okay, you know he's like give it another go. Do, another four years see where you're at? And then um just kind of assess it one enlistment at a time.
00:39:56 Speaker 1
Um, so that's what I did, and then I reenlisted. And then my boy Jose ABH two Velasco he was in Spain at the time. And I wanted to go to Spain. And at the time now they have the detailing system online with the like, you put everything in the computer. Yeah yeah But um, I don't know if you remember, but back then you just fill out a sheet of paper. And then you could just write like, The same place that you want to go like you just write the same place So I'm like SpainSpain. Andum, the career counselor was uh, Master Chiefum, Command Master Chief Brown. He was the career NCC at the time, and he was trying to get me to go to Spain. Andum, The detailer was just now working with me, and he was like, no, we don't have any billets whatever. And then he was like, okay, um I'll send you to Spain, but on a quiet zero or no school when we have that firefighting school in Texas. And I'm like.
00:40:50 Speaker 2
So could you explain that for our viewers a quiet zero aspect?
00:40:53 Speaker 1
So a quiet zero basically means that like you'll just go for R rate, means that you won't have any special schools attached to it, and then you'll just go and be at wherever they need you. They can kind of stick you wherever they need you at when you go to a command. And why um, you don't want to do that is because. That could be that's not going to help your accelerating your career down the line. Like you want to have, You know every every job the navy has these special um N E, Cs, non enlisted codes and. You know, basically advanced training. And um, You want to get those advanced trainings so that you can hold better positions because again, those will help out your evaluations. Your evaluations will look better, help our promotion in the future. So um at least I had that sense that I was like. Because if I just kept that party mindset, I would have been like okay, I'll go on a quiet zero. I don't care. I just want to go party. I don't care about my career but i was still trying to balance both.
00:41:50 Speaker 1
Like I wanted to go work at the firehouse. So, another cycle went by. And he couldn't send me to the school, but a position opened up to teach at the school. So now I'm like okay, so I take. So Master Chief Barry is like you need to take those orders. And I'm like okay and then um, He's just really adamant, like also something you can't do these days to these sailors. He's like, "You're." He told me that you're going. Like he basically was like, "You're going to that school. Yeah, like you're gonna go take those orders. Like that's gonna help your your career trajectory." So I'm like okay and um I took them. I've never been to West Texas before. So um I get accepted, they give me the orders the following cycle. I'm still on boxer at this time this is all in two thousand nine.
00:42:48 Speaker 1
A billet for San Diego opens up to teach, um. The landing signal LS the landing signal to land the helicopters LSC school here in San, Diego and um I am like man I want to stay in San Diego. So I write this long email to the detailer, like all this detailed long email about how like it would be more cost beneficial to the navy to keep me in San Diego. This that and like I am like thinking, like okay, like he's gonna. He wrote me back, and I cced master chief. I cced everyone. He wrote back, C C all he says, "Shipmate comma you're going to San Angelo Texas. " He he did not entertain my email and I'm like all right, so okay. And then um I ended up making second that deployment. So we made a B H oh that's great. So I made A B H two and I'm like okay I guess w'e going to Texas and um, I'll tell you what.
00:43:46 Speaker 1
San Angelo, Texas was the best command that that I've ever been at like throughout my career. Like and even driving there, Um I'm not sure if you're familiar with West Texas at all, but like you're not gonna go through San Angelo. Like you have to be going to San Angelo. Like you're not gonna drive through there. Like you're on the ten and then you veer off this road, and it's like a two lane road pitch black. For like about an hour and a half, And it's like one of those towns where like there's there's a hundred thousand people in the town, and there's nothing on the ground. Just flatlands on the outskirts. Oh wow. So I'm driving down from Miami, coming from San Diego, so I'm driving down this two-lane road deer on the road. I've never seen deer in none of that. I'm in my U-Haul. I have this. Uh, how did you drive this Dodge Magnum at the time rims and everything? And I'm like all i'm thinking to myself like, what did i get myself into?
00:44:41 Speaker 1
So, I make it down there, go to a hotel and get ready, get my uniform ready. And I am here thinking it's like so that school is at Goodfellow Air Force Base. So the Navy it's not a navy base ; Goodfellow Air Force Base we just have like a little office there. The Air Force owns it; they run everything again no sponsor. No clue what's going on, so I show up. You know, the navy every school starts seven thirty eight o'clock. So that's the time I show up. That school starts at five forty five in the morning. So I show up, I am already late and um uh. I was trying to get cause they compacted my whole um, so since I was going to teach, So I left boxer January twenty fifth, They took forever to give my orders left boxer January twenty fifth.
00:45:36 Speaker 1
I had to be in San Angelo by February eighth, but my class ended February fifth. So I had three days to get down to San Angelo after I graduated the instructor school, which was here on thirty second street. So I literally had my U- Haul in the parking lot, graduated an instructor school, hopped in my U- Haul and hit the road.
00:45:58 Speaker 2
They hit you with the fast track.
00:46:00 Speaker 1
And I remember it was Super Bowl weekend and I stopped that Sunday, got a hotel room, watched a Super Bowl. Um, just hung out for a little bit and then got back on the road. And I made it in San Angelo like in the middle of the night. Like, and then I called the detailer and I'm like, hey, you gave me a really small window to get from California to Texas. I'm like, is there anything I can do? Like. And, he's like, oh, um if you miss that class, you're gonna have to wait another 90 days to class up again. So I get down. To Texas. That class classes up every three days. And nothing.
00:46:33 Speaker 1
So he was looking at it from the perspective. He also didn't do his homework. He's looking at it, yes, navy schools. It wasn't a navy school. So, I could have classed up every three days. Every three days, yeah. So he could have gave me easily another week to get down there. Yeah But again, Um a lack of learning on his part about exactly what he's doing. And you know all that It was what it was, but um. I got there and just kind of.
00:47:04 Speaker 2
Yeah, tell me, but tell me about the the kind of the teachers down there. You mentioned that was kind of the best uh, the the best uh your duty station, best duty stations that you ever had. What was some of the outcomes or some of the, what was what shaped it for you?
00:47:18 Speaker 1
So I get there andum I meet, The chief down there, he just retired Master Chief Dennis Boyle andum again, pretty straightforward. Uh. Guy as well, he um. He took care of his sailors. He also had that mentality of like um. Seniority, Like you arrive, so I get down there, and it's we had an LPO. We had a first class ABH. One will sum who's a warrant officer, too. The guy who called me, And um and it was just ten second classes, all of us got there relatively around the same time, then I get there. And uh chief Boyle was like he puts my name on this, like little.
00:48:00 Speaker 1
Magnet strip, and he's like, "This you." And I'm like, I'm looking. I'm like, okay. And he's like, And he goes up on his whiteboard, and he puts me on the whiteboard, like where I like the day I got there, like where I fall out in the seniority. He's like, "This where you're at." He's like, "Don't come in here asking me for a. Like to hop anyone or anything." He's like. He's like, "I take care of the sailors as they got here," right? So like that's how he's like that's how I hand out evals. That's how I do everything. He's like everything that I'm going to make sure that you get here is going to set you up for when you leave here, um, For your record and I'm going to make sure that you excel in whatever it is, you want to do if you want to go the officer route, if you want to go the chief route. Um, and he broke it all down to me. He's like everybody is going to get their MTS master training specialist, meaning that you've, it's like another certification um.
00:48:56 Speaker 1
And then he's like, everybody's going to get their uh volunteer service medal M O V S M. Everyone's going to get so down there, um everyone was in joint color guard. So if you did Air Force, all love to my Air Force brothers and sisters, but they hand out ribbons like it's nothing. So if you did twelve joint color guards, you got an Air Force Achievement Medal which is equivalent to our NAM. So I have two Air Force Achievement Medals. Okayum.
00:49:25 Speaker 1
So, you did twelve, and like I said, he was pretty adamant you went in the rotation. So as soon as you got there, you went in the rotation, you did your twelve, you came off, somebody else went in, and everybody did their twelve. Everybody got their. Got that. And it was automatic like you did it, the twelve you submitted it within like a month, boom, your award or your ribbon. They don't mess around with that. And the other one I got it because um while my time was there, they had like the worst wildfires in the state of what in the state of Texas, like a hundred and fifty thousand acres burned. And at first they needed our trucks. They said, Oh, we're only going to be water tenders. Just basically taking the water and giving them to the other. But it's so suburban out there that there's not like real fire departments out there a lot. It's like all volunteer fire departments. So what it turns from us being water tenders, it turned into like actually us fighting fires, patrolling perimeters, all that. And I spent a week doing that, like actually helping out the state of Texas.
00:50:21 Speaker 1
Like fight all the wildland fire stuff. I got pictures like I'm up on the P nineteen doing all this wild because, wildland fires is like a part. It's it's a legitimate like fire academy. It's not like, I know some of the military training can be like a little like accelerated. That school is one hundred days long. So you go through um basic E M S structural firefighting, like they have some crazy burn trainers, like actual getting in there um Then you do, uh, hazmat, basic hazmat. Uh, and then you do airport fire rescue, which is what I ended up teaching. It doesn't it wasn't because I was in the navy. Everybody gets broken up into. So once you go to school, you graduate and then you go to the air force's version of instructor school, which is six weeks long, and then you come back and then you start teaching and then um they kind of just place you in one of their this.
00:51:19 Speaker 1
Blocks, that's how they divide the school. It's six blocks, so I used to teach block six, which was airport fire rescue. That's phenomenal. And um, I love I loved. Every I always said that if that school wasn't there, because I wouldn't really want to live in San Angelo Texas yeah, I would do that when I retired. Oh, wow, cause it's like it was that impactful for me. I i mean, we can get into. I did other things there too. Like i did a i competed is called the firefighter combat challenge. Um. Basically, it's like this obstacle course. So like the when you go join the fire academy, you got to do this um. It's like a physical test. Um, You gotta like haul a hose through a window, and you know, there is certain things people can look it up. Um and then they basically it's this guy, he actually just recently passed away um Doctor Davis. He basically used to work at, like he graduated from uh from Maryland University.
00:52:19 Speaker 1
And he basically created this course, I mean, this like uh competition. And he turned that into a whole thing. Like the court, the it used to travel. It'd be a season from like the season will start in April, and it'll culminate in October at the world championships, and people will come from all over the world. It wasn't only like it was just we were a military team, but we used to compete with like civilian firefighters. Awesome. And um I ended up getting the Navy actually funded my two thousand and twelve season. I got the you know a magazine out here, the Navy Compass. Yeah, yeah. So they did a uh article, A full page spread on me in the Navy Compass. When uh, when we came out here in twenty twelve Man,
00:53:01 Speaker 2
That's awesome man. Uh sh wow. That's a uh that's again such a short amount of time, but so impactful right? Such a short amount of time and impactful. I think uh, the utilization of time, utilization of uh not only utilization of time, but also utilization of skills, right? I think a lot of, Those transferable skills that from the fleet being able to imposition it into uh success there in San Angelo, right? Um and really uh you know really encapsulating and taking advantage of the moment. So uh, we always want to make sure that we always do so and also make sure our viewers always take advantage of their moments, right? Uh being imposing the responsibility, discipline, accountability all of is shaping now, right? Absolutely. Uh but now with that obviously.
00:53:46 Speaker 2
There were pillars and moments where you had to transition out of that to actually have a mindset," Hey, I can continue to go. I can be an officer." Where does that come from? When did that happen? Where was that piece of seed planted to be able to harvest itself?
00:54:03 Speaker 1
So it's crazy because I think I got a screenshot on my on uh on my phone. So while I was there. They also they force you to get like you have to get your um, your associates. So in the air force, everything that the air force does is accredited. Like that instructor school I went to is accredited through Devry University. Um when you get certified as an instructor, so you got to teach three classes three classes and then you get certified. Once you get certified, that's college credits and then you can put them all together.
00:54:41 Speaker 1
And you do your basically all your core classes, humanities, math, science, all that stuff. And, then you can put that all together with just all your military training, and you can get an associates in. Uh it's called uh instructor of technology and military science from community college of the air force. The navy is actually trying to start something like similar to it. But um what I was going to say when you said I want to become an officer. So I have a picture and I'm in my whites and I'm holding up when. When I got when I walked and I got my associates, and somebody's like um somebody comments on the bottom. They're like uh big chief coming soon. And I said no, it's gonna be Boson Martinez. Oh there we go. And um that was in two thousand and eleven I think. And um and I was still far removed from being able to apply for the program because you got to be a chief to apply. I still had to make first everything. So um but what's crazy is that I was gonna get out.
00:55:37 Speaker 1
After Texas too. Oh. And I was gonna go become a firefighter, because when I was doing these firefighting competitions, I was getting thrown job offers left and right. I got offers to work, I got offers to go be a firefighter in Canada because I made a lot of Canadian connections, like Canadian friends because um they used to come down to do these competitions. And that's um basically like what the civilian fire departments they treat those competitions as basically like promotion. For to like advertise like, hey, you know if you want to come and be a firefighter.
00:56:11 Speaker 2
So it's kind of like almost a qualification. No,
00:56:14 Speaker 1
It's kind of likeum like a recruitment tool for them. Okay. Okay, it's kind of like a recruitment tool for them. So like they'll go, you do these competitions. So the better the team is, you know they can highlight. Andum so I was getting job offers left and right I think I was really living in the moment. Andum but where I shifted gears back to the navy wasum. So, it took me three times to make E four, and it took me four times to make E five. So I went back and looked at the data and I was like, okay, like why was it taking me so long to make rank Right. Because even though when I made E five, it was one point nine percent. They only made twenty two. And um and I didn't do very well on the test Like I think I scored like, you know, It's out of eighty great on a curve But I think I only scored in like the sixties.
00:57:01 Speaker 1
I think what was carrying me over the top was my performance because I always had four point, oh, e bios eps all that. But um. I wanted to, I was like you know what like, I am going to control the test portion. So like I really buckled down. And um, I studied for the first class exam. I was kind of watching trends, everybody around me, all the second classes that were there, they were making rank. And everybody was making it on their second try. And okay, if i study really hard, then maybe. I'll make it on my second shot. Like I wasn't even aiming, and so I studied like when I tell you, I studied day and night. I had um Do you remember the North Star? Yeah. Okay, so I had the audio one, and. I've never studied for anything like that in my life. Like I was listening to it going to sleep waking up reading. I would go to the club, and i have flashcards and i sit in before i got out of the car, and i'm reading my flashcards before i even get out of the car, And uh we used to have to do uh.
00:57:58 Speaker 1
Also, Funeral details because we were the only Navy um like detachment within like a two hundred mile radius. So whenever so I don't know if you're aware of this so basically. When Bush came into office pretty much after nine eleven. He said that anybody it don't matter if you served, one year or twenty years everybody has the right to get military honors. So anyone so, we would get all these military honor details for like. People who did three years four years whatever the case might be. So, we would have to go and do like the flag and the bugle and all that. And um, So we drive sometimes like the longest portion of the funeral detail would be the drive to some of these places. We'd have to drive like three hours there, three hours back. So I'd be driving because as an instructor, and there'd be like me and like I'll take two students with me. Like they'll give us two students. I'll be like, I hope y'all ready to study. And we'll be driving for like three hours and I'll be drowning everybody out with The North Star for like three hours.
00:58:56 Speaker 1
And I don't know if you remember that guy. His voice was so monotone; it was just like falling asleep at the wheel. I was even, but I say that to say, I made first on my first shot. Oh man, amazing! And I went and i made it took it so um, I was first class in seven years. Oh yeah, and um, That completely like shifted me back to. I knew once that then it was like. All right, we going full throttle now. Chief officer retirement, like that was like.
00:59:31 Speaker 2
That was the moment. That was the moment.
00:59:33 Speaker 1
Yeah, Where you know they say you go throughum like it's around the ten year mark when you're like, all right, hey, do I stay or do I go? Yeah, I went through that and we'll talk about it, but you actually go through that again. Once you start reaching twenty.
00:59:47 Speaker 2
Oh wow okay nice. We'll get to that. So man, that's that's incredible, man. Now being able to kind of shape it. And uh obviously pinpoint the moment where it's like, hey, I am going to going to the top with it. Um, so you leave you leave Texas now, and you actually make rankingum now making rank with that, understanding that you, you have a mindset that you want to take this thing, all the way, right? Um now what were some of the steps that you actually took to actually progressively get there.
01:00:15 Speaker 1
In regards to.
01:00:16 Speaker 2
Uh being able to get to chief being able to get to. Uh, again, The warrant officer and being able to really uh understand the the pathway because you have to map it out. You know.
01:00:27 Speaker 1
Um, like I said, I mean everything is out everything out there is available. Everything is available for you as far as like, um you know, you go on was my navy. It's called my navy H R. Nowum go. You click your rate. All the information you just got to be a student of whatever it is that you're doing right? And just look at um, what everyone's doing um and just, kind of mirror that. I mean, I tell people all the time, like the navy was here before us. The navy will be here after us. So, like you don't have to try to reinvent the wheel. Like, if you're making a bunch of excuses, because when people started telling me like, oh, I can't make rank whatever. And.
01:01:08 Speaker 1
You know, they take that attitude. I'm like, I asked them, and it doesn't matter what rate it is. I feel like this is standard across the board. I'm like, did they make one? Like when they the advancement results, I'm like was there one? And they look at me and I'm like was there one? Yes. I'm like then that one can be you. Like unless you're telling me that they're just not making anyone, then okay, I'll be like okay that was out of your control. But like if you are if you immediately, Close your mind up and like you think you're gonna fail, then you're gonna fail. So but um, I went so I left Texas and I went to Diego Garcia. Uh, in the Indian Ocean. So I'm not sure if you're familiar with um so, Basically, if you find India on the map and just follow it straight down, it's a little thirty seven miles long. Um. And the reason I took those orders. Obviously, they were they needed somebody to go there. And.
01:02:05 Speaker 1
At the time, I was at nine years, and they were giving out bonuses, but only for zone A, which is one year to six years is zone A. Six to ten years is zone B, and then ten years to I think fourteen or fifteen years might be up. But basically anything over ten years is zone C. So I was in zone B. So if I took that one year tour it would put me Right at ten years, zone B, get I mean zone C, I reenlist get the bonus and then go to my next command. So that's how I kind of structured that that way. So I took that tour went to Diego Garcia, reenlisted right at my ten year mark. I think I got like twenty five grand, and then um and then I set myself up from there, because for A B S in general, for H's, the pinnacle of what you can do.
01:03:04 Speaker 1
And our rate is work the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. It goes that, and then everything else. And I am sure any ABs out there that are watching this, there is a whole debate about it, back and forth. It just is what it is. That's like the.
01:03:23 Speaker 2
Top of the top.
01:03:24 Speaker 1
That's it; you are the cream of the crop. So, I knew that if I wanted to give myself the best opportunity to do that. I needed to be the V one L P O on an aircraft carrier. Now, Where this was going to create us challenges is again because within our community, everything is very tribal and I've never been on a carrier. And now I am an E six, my first class going to a carrier. That's a whole different and. I was so locked in that I was going to do that that I opened up. So now two thousand and fourteen.
01:04:02 Speaker 1
We're already on the computer. We're not on the paper anymore, right? I open it up. All the ships come up. Dwight D Eisenhower is the first one on the list, and I'm like, "That one." That's where I'm going. I didn't care. Like, I ended up on the Ike because it was the first one on the list. I was going to a carrier. I didn't care if it was the Ike, if it was Nimitz or Reagan, whoever was number one on that list is where I was going. And um and I picked that ship and, We head over to Virginia. Um, and doubt. Absolutely, but um, So I get to the Ike. And uh, they were they're in the yards in Portsmouth and I, get there. And um they start to stick me in the hangar bay. And I pull into the master chief there at department master chief and I tell him, I said, master chief like.
01:05:01 Speaker 1
Like I came here to work the flight deck, And I understand like you're seeing my experience from the hangar bay on an amphib. I'm like, but I've never been on a carrier, so like, I'm no like. I don't have any experience anywhere on this platform. So, it doesn't matter if I go to the flight deck or the hangar bay, it's going to be a learning curve for me. So i'd like i would like to go work the flight deck. Um just give me an opportunity to do that. Um just give me an opportunity. And if i'm not good if like. I don't, you know, If I don't stick to my word that I'm going to give it, everything, I got, then you can do whatever you want me. Send me to security. Send me to the mess decks. You know, do whatever you need to do with me. And um there was a chief there who was Master Chief CMC. He's the CMC for Expeditionary Strike Group Three out here. Well he was Chief Torres at the time. He kind of spoke up and he's like, "Give him a shot." And um.
01:06:00 Speaker 1
And I went and went there first class, left the warrant officer.
01:06:03 Speaker 2
There we go, there we go. Well, obviously you know through that trajectory you know I mean. Again I just want to know the mindset of being such a what we talk about a culture shock, right? I want to identify uh going from something so you know incredibly challenging right? There had to be some challenges and outcomes of transitioning from some, uh, literally one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Right, uh, what was that vantage point on your first real opportunity on the flight deck? Uh, was it nerve wracking or what?
01:06:41 Speaker 1
It was. Um, You know, I got up there. Obviously, like I saidum I went into it with a with a humble approach, because I was talking, like I knew where I had my sights set. So when I was in Texas.
01:06:58 Speaker 1
People from every platform, so I'm talking to them before I'm even and and I'm just like okay. And they're like, hey, when you get there, like no one's gonna care that you're a first class. Just humble yourself and like, you know, take a humble approach. So that's what I did. Like I literally put a blue shirt on as a first class. Um and I was talking and chaining again as a first class. And, that's a requirement because when you go to a carrier, if you've never been there, and uh, you know it's like they don't care, they just wanna make sure. Obviously, My uh, my time spent in a blue shirt was shorter than a sailor who coming out of boot camp. They just want to make sure that I'm competent. And um and it happens because when I got there, it was a group of us, um few first class and second classes that never been on the platform before. And the majority of them didn't even make it. They never got their yellow shirts. They were like no y'all gonna just cause you're you have the rank doesn't mean that you have the awareness and the skill set to be up there. But um.
01:07:56 Speaker 1
It was definitely tough being on there as a first class because now I'm there, um you know, I go through my whole little blue shirt season. Um, I show them that I'm willing to do the work and all that. They gave my yellow shirt now, my UI under instruction. And I'm being pulled in two directions because you have the junior sailors, you know, You got your third classes and your airmen who are yellow shirts who are directing who that's all they live, breathe that. Erecting aircraft, right? They have no other responsibilities. And then I have the leadership that's like, "Where's the zittles? Where are the you know, where are the evals at?" Where is like they're still expecting me to be a first class. So I'm getting pulled in two directions. And I got, I'm a first class and I got third classes talking to me crazy because they're like, "Hey um you're a UI."
01:08:52 Speaker 1
Go grab the food from the mess decks. Go scrub the lines. Go do all the little tribal ritual stuff that comes with being a UI under instruction yellow shirt, meaning that I'm not qualified yet to direct aircraft, And I have to do all of it, like cause I'm still trying to keep the humble approach where I uh, you know, make sure cause I need them to train me, cause that's who's training me. These young guys are the ones that are Giving me the training for me to, Eventually get um that qualification. And like I said, I need to keep the leadership, making sure that I'm competent to do all the admin stuff, because I eventually want to be. The L P O and do all that stuff so it's uh, I almost I'm gonna be honest with you I almost quit. Mm-hmm. I almost went back so I almost did a split tour, and went back to an affidavit they almost broke me. Wow.
01:09:48 Speaker 1
Um, I pulled the career counselor aside and I am like, "Hey, what do I got to do? What do I have to do to do a split tour?" And he's actually out of the navy now. And I am pretty sure he probably doesn't even remember that he had this conversation with me. It was A B H two Sanders. And he just asked me, "He's like, are you sure that's something you really want to do?" Like, are you sure you want to. And the reason that came about was because when I got there. I'm looking at the pecking order, who's there, who's not, who's kind of moving around. So I'm kind of like mapping out my when I should get my chance to step into one of those roles. And um and I'm doing everything they ask of me at the time. Like I get there, I'm the fly two petty officer. Then they're like, hey, we need you a fly one. So I go be the fly one petty officer. So then the chief results come out and um there's some shuffling.
01:10:46 Speaker 1
That goes around and um. One of the guys is leaving the assistant leading petty officer position is opening up, And I'm like okay, that should be me like in my mind. I'm like that should be me because I'm looking at everyone who's left and me and the only other guy that would be available to fill that slot. The only thing I really had on him, was seniority being on the ship because I got there a month before him. And he was the flight three petty officer. I was the flight one petty officer, um, and I was a president of the first class mess. I was running the E A W S coordinator program. I was doing everything that I needed to do, and it should have been no brainer that I should have won. And I was up for chief. He wasn't so chief Torres, The same one who said you on my shot well when he was a B H two Torres. That was Airman Martin.
01:11:42 Speaker 1
They were together on the enterprise. So, we talk about this story still and basically Martin went into that spot. And it bothered me, I'm not going to lie. And I just let it be what it was and I just continued to do my job. But then that's when I said I had that conversation with Sanders. And um, I asked. I said, why not me? Like why? And they said that I wasn't experienced enough on the flight deck yet. And I said okay. I knew to me that was But I said okay. I'm like, that's what you're saying? Okay. So what I ended up doing is, I went and talked to the night check handling officer, who was a B A C leading is also a warrant officer now. I said hey um, i want to come to nights.
01:12:37 Speaker 1
Cause nights is where you really as an A B H on a carrier nights is where you really learn how to park everything, And how to like, really learn how to like tractor tow bar cause. That's what they said. I was deficient at. And I spent about two months up there and I was, everything everything. Because when something came up again, I was there was not going to be. Like I was going to eliminate the the reason their reasoning on why I didn't get that position. And um, It all kind of came full circle because about four months later again, there was some shuffling around, And uh, they ended up putting me. So the LPO spot opened up and Martin stayed as the assistant. And I ended up going to the LPO spot. And um and I actually had a heart to heart with Master Chief. Torres 'cause um I kind of was like kind of distant from him at the time, and he approached me. He's like, hey are we good?
01:13:32 Speaker 1
And I just was honest with him. I said, I don't feel like you've got my best interests at heart. And I kind of broke down my whole career trajectory. I'm like, You know that I'm not going to get the evaluation that I need in order to promote as a flag petty officer. I'm like, I have this down. Like, i have this broken down. Like, i know what i need to do. Um like, I know who gets what you know historically, and um he he listened to me and um he took it under consideration, and he ended up. Making it, making it right. And uh he was actually my guest speaker on my commissioning ceremony. We're we're like that now. So he actually took in, Like I look up to him as an outstanding leader too, because he didn't just like brush me off. He really took into consideration um what I told him and the way I was breaking it down. And um I only spent ten months as the LPO and I made chief. I told him, I'm like yes, I've only been here this is my first carrier. I'm like but y'all don't know what had done prior to being here.
01:14:30 Speaker 1
I was like, and I am telling you right now, my record speaks for itself. And I just need one eval, and I promise you that I am going to make it. And that's what happened. I got one eval EP as the LPO May Chief.
01:14:47 Speaker 2
Wow, man! That's congratulations! That's inspirational man. T here is so many. I think it's so many things to unpack there. Man also just phenomenal qualities right of resilience being able to. Really take the challenge up right now and not and not making and not pointing blame and making a challenge for yourself and being able to overcome. I think that's a lot of uh, I think there's a lot of aspects I think in just uh military personnel, just in general, where we want to make sure that everyone is understanding that everyone out here has the tools they need to before success. And you're highlighting that. Yes, so as I'm saying it builds so much resilience, it builds so much purpose, and also uh I think it really puts a.
01:15:28 Speaker 2
Right, the foundational fire uh when someone when you actually have that setback, I think those challenges really uh define uh what gonna, what what is the sailor going to determine to do? What would how it's going to shape your life. And I think you obviously took the path of uh the trajectory of again upward mobility. Right. So but with that said, Obviously, with those um with those attributes there. Um again, you were able to build. A business inside of service as well. Because again, a lot of our uh active duty members uh that are transitioning out and also veterans. Uh, they have again, goals of building businesses as well. And we have an entrepreneurial section as well. We talk a lot about business development. So I would love to you know understand uh where that came about. We understand the qualities on how it came, but where did the idea and really forwarding this mission in regards to building nineteen forty four collections here?
01:16:24 Speaker 1
Um so, This has actually been, um, the same kind of process. Like uh, I just saw um a need because like back then like you, it's kind of blown up now over the last couple of years. But like I started um kind of working on this in two thousand and seventeen, like right before I made chief, and um my first intentions were to produce um. Like actually manufacture um, the coins and the books and stuff like that. But after doing all the research, I just noticed that like a lot of our stuff is offshore. So I'm like okay. So I just got into like designing, and um. Just the same drive and the same motivation that like I'm gonna learn how to do this, And I know um a lot of people see my work, and they think that like, I have like this background art, but I actually.
01:17:20 Speaker 1
Started doing this in Microsoft Paint and I taught myself. So, What ended up happening is that I was communicating with my manufacturer from Microsoft Paint, and we would just kind of go back and forth, back and forth like I'm sending him images and they're sending me the corrections. And I'm spending like a week, two weeks to just finish one product. So, I'm like man this is like this process is taking too long. So, I'm like hey what program do you use to um to design? And they're like Adobe Illustrator, and I literally popped up Adobe Illustrator, and I popped up YouTube, and I just started like. And just started grinding it out and teaching myself how to do it. And I'm not a master at it, But I know enough now that I can pop out a design in a day. And same thing with just building everything as far as like setting up my website, Learning just doing the research learning, because at one point, I was sitting in my living room to.
01:18:17 Speaker 1
Two three in the morning, handwriting envelopes to from, and I was just like all right. Like once like orders started coming in, I was like man, I can't like. This can't there has to be an easier process um to doing this? And um. And that's what ended up happening um I found Shopify kind of went from there. And like again, I am not by any means. Um. Like a master at any of it, but I've always have a willingness to learn. I'm always have a willingness to anyone who wants to show me anything. I ask seek advice. Um, I feel like we always got to position ourselves. To have the willingness to continue to learn, um obviously I don't know you've heard the like, The saying like if you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room. Yes sir. Um. So yeah, that's kind of where this and uh, I just enjoy doing it and no.
01:19:11 Speaker 1
What they say, like if you enjoy what you're doing, you never work a day in your life. So, Like it's something that I can do and I feel like I'll still continue to provide back to um to like the community, to the veterans and um yeah, like I said it's just something that I really enjoy doing. I enjoy designing, um just the whole grind. I enjoy the process and I think that's what people. If you're trying to do something, You need to find something that you enjoy the process, because when you really look at it from the outside looking in, the process is where you spend the majority of your time at. You know, It's like um okay, yes, I had fun on my commissioning ceremony, but that was one day. Yeah. The whole process in getting there was the grind and the real. And it's everything is like that when you really think about it, even if you're playing sports.
01:20:06 Speaker 1
If you're doing anything, when you're doing it for like let's just take football for example, The Super Bowl, yeah, that's one day. And it's a great day and all that. But like what really culminates in that is everything you did to get there. So you need to enjoy the process. If you don't enjoy the process, it's not. You know, you're never it's not worth it.
01:20:26 Speaker 2
No true indeed the development has to be there right? It has to be the number one uh aspect. It is not the like you said, it is not the, The game winning touchdown, it's about how many routes you ran to be able to get there. And enjoying that process, that's what's going to make something happen. Um and again, uh like I said before, uh nineteen nineteen forty four collectibles. Again, you have an again, a illustrious amount of coins that is being developed. Uh not only for active duty members, but also for veterans as well to be able to order from. Um. And again, you guys can see the website on the screen to be able to take the opportunity. And make sure uh that you guys actually have the opportunity to order some of these phenomenal coins.
01:21:03 Speaker 2
Uh, again, uh, that uh chief warrant officers uh three Martinez creates himself okay. Um and not only uh get to create it also making sure it's personalized touch just for you. So I want to make sure that you guys have that opportunity. Uh. But now uh, but I want to talk about this because I think there was a pivotal moment when we talk about you actually doing this in service. Um a lot of times people are awaiting their opportunities right? Uh when you get out of service if there's no time to wait right? Uh, we talk about again being able to get your college education in service, which you had took advantage of that. Um uh being able to make rank with the service, which you took advantage of that. Not only mapping out your route, you didn't wait on anyone right? Uh, but also taking advantage of also building a phenomenal business and service that actually helps many, many active duty and thousands of veterans themselves uh to get some of the collectibles that they need. So.
01:21:54 Speaker 2
Uh, again, a nineteen forty four collectibles will be up there for you guys. So please make sure you guys take a look at that uh site. It's going to be phenomenal. Uh. But with thatum you know, obviously, uh going making the chief being. Uh LPO now uh, you have the opportunity to possibly put in a package for officer, how how did that work out?
01:22:14 Speaker 1
Um so I actually I applied for the first time when I was in Diego Garcia. I applied for LDO, And um, I knew I wasn't going to make it. I just wanted to get off with the process because everyone, you know, just again speaking to other officers in the community, they were like, hey. You need to show interest right so I applied. I applied for L D O three times and then. I was out of my window. Um, I remember, I got through the Ike first class, and I talked to the handler there who was Lieutenant Batiste at the time, and he grabbed he got my package, and he told me straight up. He's like um like you're not there.
01:22:48 Speaker 1
Like you're not gonna make it, he's like, but we're gonna get you there. And um, sure enough, like I said, you know we laid out we looked at everything. So for the officers. So for the chief side is called the precepts, which is basically everything they're looking for all the qualifications. For the officer side, it's called discrete requirements, and they're basically looking again, qualifications um everything you need what platforms all that. And basically it's like the discrete requirements is broken down into like. The first category, second so one and two. Number one, on that top category for seven three eleven for us, flight deck of an aircraft carrier. That's number one. So I met the majority of the requirements on line one, and half the requirements on line two which is all the amphib stuff. Um so yeah, like I said when I was a second class, I said. That's something I wanted to do. Um, my very first time applying for warrant officer was I was the LPO. Um.
01:23:47 Speaker 1
And I did all my interviews, everything as a first class with the hopes that I made chief that year, which I ended up making it. And, then the way that application process works is like, so you know, chief results come out in August, you're pinned by September. Applications are due October first of that year. So and I'm interviewing like earlier on in the year. So they just told me like all right, You know, you make chief we'll send this application off and I ended up making it. I didn't pick a warrant that year um but then I just went back, continued to grind. Um, I became the crash chief, got all my crash qualifications, all that. And then I made it actually. Um Commander Bautista now who was Lieutenant Bautista at the time, actually sat that board that I made it. Wow came full circle, full circle. And um it was kind of crazy that moment, because so it was January of two thousand and nineteen and I fell on the ship.
01:24:45 Speaker 1
Through a hatch and I tore my labrum, right? Tore my shoulder up. They had to get they had to get the the crash dolly up there. Um on the on the Ike, there's like a it's called the re reef tower right behind the island. Crash had like one of those spaces up there. So I fell through one of hatches. And like I tried to throw my arms up, and this shoulder went up. Bone was like popping up on the skin. And um, The flight deck officer uh lieutenant commander Uh, Josh Napoli. He had to get like in a crash basket and get up there to get me down. But um, so now I'm here again. I'm hurt and I'm thinking about my career, right? Cause I'm just like okay, my shoulder's torn up. Now I'm gonna go limb do is gonna set me back all this. And um cause I had just extended on the hike because I wanted to get three evals there as a chief, and then I would have left after my second, so was trying to show that progression. And.
01:25:43 Speaker 1
February comes around and the warrant officer results come out, and I made warrant. Oh man. So now I'm waiting. So, obviously, you know, you got to wait that year to commission because February 201 9, so I wasn't commissioning until March 2020. So I went had surgery and I rehabbed that whole year waiting to commission. Oh man, that's crazy. Yeah, so it all kind of worked out for me. I'm over here thinking like like damn, you know, I'm going to have a setback in my career And I was literally sitting in my car in the parking lot, and I started getting all these text messages, um, "Congrats, Boastson, Boastson." And I'm like, "Man, don't play with me. Like stop playing with me." Because I've always been um again. I'm not a tribal like. If, you're going to promote me. It's going to be off the merits of my work. Like I'm not gonna kiss up to you. I'm not going to none of the extra stuff, like if you can't promote me off the merits of my work, then I don't deserve it.
01:26:39 Speaker 1
So, I wasn't really and being my first carrier, I wasn't really well known, right? Because they all kind of stay on carriers. Now it's a different story. You know, I proved myself butum it was it was it was crazy.
01:26:55 Speaker 2
That's phenomenal man. My work paid off story. You know uh beyond paid off man. I think it's just uh it's so inspiringum It's so inspiring It just shows. Uh, whatever you go through, you can be resilient enough to be able to get through it. Right, there's so many different things that is thrown to you in life, that I think sometimes everyone gets locked into the problem. But like you said, right? If you can't control it, don't worry about it. Make sure that you focus on the things that you can worry about. And what we are focusing on now is uh you retiring right? You getting out. You actually completing your twenty years of service and um and what that looks like and kind of what does that look like for you in the sense of um again.
01:27:37 Speaker 2
Kind of transitioning to civilian life. Um, what are kind of the kind of the feelings, the opportunities or uh just kind of where you are with that? What's going on there?
01:27:48 Speaker 1
Um so even making the decision like I like I told you earlier, You'll go through thatum twice in your life, where, like you know twice in your career where, like at your ten year markum You're, like do I stay or do I go? Well, I'm kind of going through that. Um, coming up on twenty two years, same thing. Do I stay or do I go Because I can make W four It's ninety five percent. Um, And I'm just looking at that, like how much more time is i going to add And, you know, if i go past that now i'm talking about well, i might as well just stick around for W five. And then just probably stay end up staying thirty three years in the navy, right Like. Why stop Because? Um just the way the the um the promotion system is set up because by the time you put it on.
01:28:33 Speaker 1
In zone, all that the way it breaks down. Um, The next time that I would be available to retire is at my twenty seven year mark, because by the time that I would be putting on W four, so I would be, let's say, I was staying in, I would be in zone this year. So, let's say I picked it up, which there is a high probability that I would, I would be putting on like twenty twenty seven right close to my twenty three year mark, and then I wouldn't need to commit three years after putting it on in order to get. The pay for that, so I would put me at like twenty six and a half. And then but then now you are getting close to that. Now I am almost in zone for W five. Where does it stop exactly? So, that's why you say you come to that decision. :, do you go? Or do you just go until you can't? And then um. You know, I've had a lot of life changes. I am going through retirement recently, divorce. So it's been um.
01:29:31 Speaker 1
I honestly told myself that I wanted to try to not give myself, um, too much time. To think about it and just kind of segue into whatever's next. Um. And. You know again. I'm retiring, that's all right. What do we have? What's it like the issue I have retirement right? What's next like? Sitting here, it's just not in my nature to be like I am retiring. What am I going to do? You know, And like just start like scrambling my brain with, like all the things that are kind of come with retirement. So, I've just been trying to segue to what's next. I actually, I've gotten a small taste of like what the civilian world is like, just because i took a part time job at Walmart, as this is.
01:30:28 Speaker 1
A few months ago, as a warrant officer, I was stocking some shelves at Walmart. And um it was crazy right because I didn't want anyone to know. So like I went and I'm like stocking the dairy section right? And um the guy there is like explaining to me, and he's like you got it? And he's like telling me and I'm just thinking in my mind, like if you knew what I did outside. Outside of because no one knew, no one knew that like I was in the navy, that I was an officer, like what I did in the navy. And he's sitting here telling me like, All right, I need you to stack these shelves like this. You got it? And I'm like, I got it. And then I'm doing it and I did it. He's like, Man, that's really good. And I'm just like That's when that thought was going through my mind : Like, if you only knew what I did outside this, you would not be so surprised that i know how to stack a shelf But. Um It was.
01:31:20 Speaker 1
It was different because I got to interact with the youth. Yeah. On a level of, you know, when you're in the navy, like they're not going anywhere. So like it's that constant, you know, sending them ass or write them a counseling chit, you know whatever. Like you have to try to mold them because the navy invests so much, you know the government in general invests so much money in training this sailor. You can't just fire them. Yeah You have to try to guide them on the civilian world Oh. Okay, like bye. You're gone. Yeah. And um, It's it's definitely different because I look at everything from a military mindset and I know that's something that I'm gonna have to shift because I was just like, I'm looking and I'm like critiquing the way that the supervisors are um in my mind. I'm never saying anything out loud but in my mind, I'm critiquing the way they're running everything and the way they're dealing with.
01:32:20 Speaker 1
And I am like, man, I'd have this humming back here if y'all put me in his position. But it's going to be we'll see. Yeah, it's a transition,
01:32:31 Speaker 2
Right? Again, I think a lot of military members actually have that eye right? Because at the end of the day, you know you are going into a world where you know you are in a world where being able to you have to manage someone who can't be fighting. It enhances your leadership style, enhances your qualities, enhances everything. Versus, you are managing another person who has the freedom of choice to also can be again continues on rotation. Right? So, it's a different different components on how you are going to be able to do so, but they they definitely cross right? But I will say this as as transitions. You know, I think that's where a lot of.
01:33:17 Speaker 2
Unfamiliarity that a lot of sailors and also other veterans have transitioning there. And we always want to make sure that we identify that because, um, I you know, You've done twenty years in the military. So you have a foundational component of what you who you are is where it's going to be. Right? Um and not saying again, that obviously transitioning that you're not going to learn new skills and different things of that nature. But. Uh, again, Transitioning that to the civilian sector has been one of the most challenges, a lot of different veterans. And uh, we always make make sure that we make sure our viewers understand that you are not alone. If you feel as though that you have these isolated thoughts of what's going on right, uh, because you're bred to know uh that there is systems and also structure in place and in places that they aren't and they shouldn't be. Um but however, you aren't alone.
01:34:10 Speaker 2
So that's what we really want to identify. Uh, again, Chief Warrant Officer Martinez is actually going through it himself and actually telling guys that you aren't alone while he was still in service, right? So uh, but with that you know um that was has been an amazing amazing story. And like I said before, um first and foremost, uh, it was an honor to have you here. Our pleasure. Uh being able to really uh share your story because uh, you're sharing your story, not just for yourself. Uh, because you're sharing and helping so many others. Uh, just like you've done over the last 20 years uh of your service time. And, uh with that, obviously, you're still going to be helping others by making sure that uh that veterans and active duty members alike have the opportunity to uh still order some of the collectibles online at 1 94 4 Collectibles. Again, uh that link is in the uh in the actual caption. Please make sure you click on a link to have the opportunity to uh take advantage of.
01:35:09 Speaker 2
Being able to order some of Mr. Mark Cleanest hand designed coins as well, right? But with that said, it was an honor to have you here. We really appreciate you sharing your story, your transition in life and also the background of your military service. We thank you so much and thank you. Thank you.
