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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - More than 225 Sailors aboard the Ford claim a Hispanic background. Hispanic American Heritage Month, recognized nationally and Navy-wide from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, was a chance for Sailors aboard Pre-commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) to come together by recognizing the diversity of its crew members. Ford’s celebration included a cake-cutting ceremony on the mess decks followed by a lunch featuring Hispanic foods, Oct. 8.
From Adm. Horacio Rivero Jr., the first Hispanic four-star admiral, to MCPON Joe Campa, the first Hispanic Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Hispanic Americans have helped shape the Navy into the force to be reckoned with it is today.
More than one million Hispanics or Latinos are veterans of the armed forces, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with more than 58,000 active duty and Reserve Sailors currently serving in the Navy.
Hispanic American Heritage Month, recognized nationally and Navy-wide from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, was a chance for Sailors aboard Pre-commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) to come together by recognizing the diversity of its crew members.
Ford’s celebration included a cake-cutting ceremony on the mess decks followed by a lunch featuring Hispanic foods, Oct. 8.
“I’m really excited about this event because it was the first observance of this kind since we moved on board,” said Ens. Cassandra Thompson, the Multicultural Heritage Committee officer. “The committee went all out. They really wanted to showcase their culture, their roots and their background.”
For Operations Specialist 2nd Class Thelma Alvarado, a member of the Multicultural Heritage Committee, the event was a great opportunity to combine two very important aspects of her life – her service to the Navy and her Dominican Republican heritage.
“We’re all part of the military, we all serve the United States,” said Alvarado. “But we still have our country where we’re from, and those ideals and influences, so we’re celebrating that. It makes me proud to be able to represent my culture.”
More than 225 Sailors aboard the Ford claim a Hispanic background, though Cmdr. Luis Rivera, Ford’s Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance (AIMD) officer, made sure to remind Sailors at the event that Hispanic American Heritage Month is for everyone, not just Hispanics.
“It brings people together,” said Rivera. “It gives people without Hispanic backgrounds a look at our culture.”
The Navy has long prided itself on being an organization of equal opportunity and Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico, considers himself to be a good example of how the Navy doesn’t discriminate.
“We may come from different places but we’re all blue – Navy blue,” said Rivera. Despite our variety of backgrounds, he said, we are all working toward the common goal of commissioning CVN 78 and being ready when our country needs us.
“I’m sure everyone here would rather just be judged, as our commanding officer, Capt. John F. Meier always reminds us, by the content of their character and the quality of their work and they are, which is the good thing about Gerald R. Ford,” said Thompson. “Diversity is more than just the color of your skin. It can be diversity of ideas, education, even just your skill set. Because of all the diversity we have on this ship, I think that’s what’s going to make us a team and make us mission-ready.”
With colorful streamers, a cake decorated with flags from many Hispanic countries, and the sound of a Spanish pop song playing, the event may have highlighted the culture of one group, but it brought the entire crew together to celebrate the strength and diversity of Ford’s crew members.
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2015 15:55 |
| Story ID: | 178804 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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