Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Lewis | 190305-N-TR141-0067 NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (March 5, 2019) Religious Programs...... read more read more
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Justin Alvarado joined the Navy to have “cool Navy stories” like his grandpa; he stayed to guide the faithful through their own tales. Now Religious Programs Specialist (RP) 2nd Class Justin Alvarado is heading to Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, to help new recruits as they begin writing their Navy history.
[Chapter One]
Alvarado, from Rancho Cucamonga, California, joined the Navy approximately five years ago.
“People are totally going to say I’m crazy for this but I loved boot camp,” said Alvarado. “I thought it was awesome. I also had a close knit group of people. A very close division.”
His recruit division commanders (RDC) were the center of that close knit group. They instilled wisdom that Alvarado still remembers today.
“Always do well in your job,” he recounts. “Get your warfare devices. Work hard till the day you leave [the Navy]. Communicate with others who are outside your department. Learn about things outside your department.”
The RDCs pushed him and his fellow recruits. Alvarado used that motivation in “A” school.
“When I went to “A” school for undesignated airmen, I had a hard instructor tell me I would amount to nothing,” he said. “All these little things help drove me to be better.”
[Chapter Two]
Alvarado headed to his first duty station, USS Nimitz (CVN 68), homeported at Everett/Bremerton, Washington, as an undesignated airman.
He remained undesignated for the first two years but spent the majority of his time learning and working with the Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) (ABH). Initially, Alvarado worked as a handler in flight deck control to ensure that there was no debris on deck when the aircraft launched. He then took charge of all elevator runs for items and aircraft that needed to be brought to the hanger bays and vice versa.
One of Alvarado’s side duties was “ensuring all personnel knew how to operate the Ouija board and all of its components in addition to how to raise and lower the elevator properly.” He particularly enjoyed mentoring and training others.
“I learned how to become a leader and mentor while being a part of the ABH community,” said Alvarado. “The theory was once someone taught or qualified you on flight deck familiarization and blue shirt qualification, you would do the same for the next incoming ABH.”
The experience of teaching and mentoring others helped him with the next part of his Navy journey. Upon his senior chief’s recommendation, Alvarado interviewed with religious programs aboard the Nimitz and was temporarily assigned to the department.
While working at religious programs, Alvarado got to move around outside the department. He taught stress management, suicide prevention, applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST) and safe talk.
“I worked there for a year,” said Alvarado. “When I was supposed to return to my department, I asked if I could stay for the remaining five months [with religious programs].”
He enjoyed how religious programs was like a “family” and that he could network with others.
“I enjoyed the ABH rate but I told everyone that I think I’d be a better RP than I’d ever be an ABH,” said Alvarado. He felt his impact would be greater as a RP so he requested to cross-rate.
With the support of his senior chief, chaplains, and a timely visit by then Chief of Chaplains Rear Adm. Margaret Kibben when he was applying to cross-rate, Alvarado received word three months later that he was going to be an RP and headed to “A” school.
[Chapter Three]
After completing school, Alvarado arrived to the chapel at Naval Station Rota. Here, he learned budgeting and supply, managing the religious offerings fund, and general chapel operations. He also got to interact with lay leaders, directors of religious educations and other command chaplains. It might sound like a lot but Alvarado describes it as “actually really cool.”
He also extended his network outside the chapel and joined several committees. He attended a Navy Ball committee meeting after a friend invited him.
“I really just want to be involved,” said Alvarado. “I thought of it more as a way to meet people from other departments.”
He was a Navy Ball committee member for two years. Once as the public affairs officer and then as the treasurer.
Alvarado also joined the command fitness leaders (CFL) committee after losing over 60 pounds and competing in the base’s annual bodybuilding competition.
Joining the CFL committee was something he always wanted to do, and the support and guidance of the group has motivated him.
“We always pump each other up,” said Alvarado, in addition to helping each other and providing tips. The committee has made such an impact on him that he is going to participate in the CFL course this March to become a Navy certified CFL prior to departing for Great Lakes.
[Chapter Four]
Which leads to his next career direction of being an RDC for incoming recruits. Alvarado describes getting this job as being in the “right place at the right time.” But, there seems to be more than chance in his favor.
He will be the filling a recently opened RDC billet after all RP2 RDC billets were cut several years ago. He was one of three RP2s that were recommended for this position from around the fleet and he jumped on the opportunity to go.
“I got the email on Friday but didn’t respond immediately,” said Alvarado. “I made myself sleep on it but then went in over the weekend to respond saying I want it. I want to go and show that my rate can do this.”
His diverse and varied background will add depth to his leadership style unlike most Sailors with only five years in the Navy. He hopes that this experience will help him “have an impact on the next generation of Sailors” and teach them what he was taught by his RDCs.
“I’m hoping that for the next Sailors that come in I can teach them what I learned to be successful,” he said. “Hopefully they take that and run with it.”
For Alvarado, that would be satisfaction enough that he did his job well. “I can go there as a RP2 and leave as a RP2 and be just happy,” he said. Picking up rank is not the reason for taking this duty but because it’s something he always wanted to do. Almost a calling.
This is something I’ve always wanted to do, he said. “For me, this is the Mecca of the Navy.”
[Chapter Five]
Alvarado is unsure what the next chapters will hold past RDC duty, whether he will stay in or get out. His re-enlistments are his source of motivation.
“I only re-enlist for the next re-enlistment,” he said. “That way I push myself every day.”
If he continues with the Navy, Alvarado hopes to return to RP duty and deploy with the Marines or get accepted into the medical enlistment commissioning program.
“I have so many different goals,” he laughs. “I don’t know which one to achieve next.”
Alvarado only jokes because he didn’t think RDC duty would be possible at this point in his Navy career. He knew it was something he always wanted to do but thought it would occur later in his career.
At this point, Alvarado is focused on making the most of this next challenge and then see where his journey will take him.
“When I look back, my RDCs are what brought me to this level,” Alvarado reminisces. “If I can do that for someone else, that’d be really cool.”
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.22.2019 06:10 |
| Story ID: | 315309 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Hometown: | RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 384 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Writing His Navy Story, One Chapter at a Time, by Courtney Pollock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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