Photo By John Sheppard | 191018-N-CC785-001 GREAT LAKES, Ill. (Oct. 18, 2019) - Naval Station Great Lakes...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES, Ill. (Oct. 18, 2019) – Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a roundtable discussion at the Port O’Call on the morning of Oct. 18. Chief Hospital Corpsman (ret) Jose Nicola from Miami, Fla., Chief Hospital Corpsman Luis Ramos from Santa Clarita, Calif. and Logistics Specialist 1st Class Xavier Figueroa from Carolina, Puerto Rico answered questions posed by Boatswains Mate 2nd Class America Palleres and from audience members.
“Hispanics have had a profound and positive influence on our country for their strong commitment to family, faith, hard work and service,” said Palleres in her opening remarks.
“It’s always good to recognize diversity and the spirit of inclusion,” said NSGL Executive Officer Cmdr. Kenneth Williams.
Ramos was born in California and he grew up in a rough neighborhood. “I share that with my Sailors. I say, ‘We all come from troubled lives, but it’s what we do with the time that we have here that counts,’” said Ramos. His parents emigrated from Mexico. He joined the Navy in 1997 and went to Naval Hospital Corps School at Great Lakes. He works at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.
Nicola emigrated from Ecuador when he was two years old. He enlisted in the Navy in 1990 after a Navy recruiter came into the fast food restaurant where he was working in Miami. “I knew that I wanted to help people. I knew that I wanted to do something in medicine. I knew that the Gulf War was going on. I told him that. He said, ‘We have corpsmen.’ I said, ‘Sign me up.’ I never looked back,” said Nicola.
Nicola continues to help Sailors as the Navy Wounded Warrior program director at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.
Figueroa joined the Navy in 2010. “I had two motivations to come in. One was to travel the world. But the main one was helping people,” said Figueroa.
Before joining the Navy, Figueroa saw a news broadcast from Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. “I saw the Navy was the first one there to help. That motivated me tremendously,” he said.
Figueroa works as a Navy Military Training Instructor (NMTI) assigned to Training Support Center Great Lakes.
Patriotism plays a part in all three Sailors’ lives.
“For me, it was giving back to a country that had given me everything,” said Nicola.
“As United States Navy Sailors, we are in for the mission. And we’re in to help each other out,” said Ramos. “We know that we will eventually be called upon.”
“I think there is not one day when I don’t wake up being proud of being Hispanic and in the Navy,” said Figueroa.
They all see the Navy as a forward-looking organization that embraces diversity. They all preach about opportunities to their junior Sailors.
“As our society has been more open, more diverse, so has our military,” said Nicola. “I’m proud of having served in the Navy with people from all different walks of life, cultures, backgrounds, languages and belief systems. I’m proud to be Hispanic, and to be an American.”
“I work with a lot of students in the barracks and I’m proud to see them going forward,” said Figueroa.
“When CMC Joe Campa was selected as MCPON, that was a highlight. He came in as a corpsman and he traveled the same steps that I’m traveling now as a corpsman,” said Ramos. “That was a proud moment and that stuck with me ever since.”
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Joe R. Campa Jr. served as MCPON from July 2006 to December 2008. He was first Hispanic-American to be the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, the highest enlisted rank in the Navy.
“The programs are there. The opportunities are there to advance, to promote yourself and to promote others,” said Nicola.
“You have those opportunities that are given to you. It doesn’t matter where you come from. Your leadership trusts you because you bring something to the table,” said Ramos.
“I personally don’t think there is one thing in the Navy that I would change right now,” said Figueroa. “As of right now, I feel that the Navy is going in the right direction.”
| Date Taken: | 10.18.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 10.18.2019 15:27 |
| Story ID: | 348272 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, IL, US |
| Hometown: | CAROLINA, PR |
| Hometown: | MIAMI, FL, US |
| Hometown: | SANTA CLARITA, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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