Photo By Sgt. 1st Class James Lally | U.S. Army Spc. Tulio Lacerda, 110th Support Maintenance Company, 164th Transportation...... read more read more
A native of Teofilo Otoni, Brazil, U.S. Army Spc. Tulio Lacerda serves with the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s 110th Support Maintenance Company, 164th Transportation Battalion, out of a sense of belonging and because of the many opportunities it provides him.
“When I came to the United States from Brazil, I immediately fell in love with the culture, people and country overall,” said Lacerda. “This country made me feel as if this was a place where I truly belong. The reason I enjoy serving in the Army is because I feel honored and proud to serve a country that has always welcomed me. Serving in the Army has also provided many opportunities for me to learn and grow both personally and professionally.”
The 28-year-old first came to the district in January to support the presidential inauguration. “I got promoted from private first class to specialist in front of the White House,” said Lacerda. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget.”
Now he’s serving as a member of an immediate response force supporting federal law enforcement agencies around the U.S. Capitol. Following the inauguration, National Guardsmen have been requested to continue to provide security, communication, medical, evacuation, logistical and safety support to civil authorities through mid-May.
Lacerda joined the Guard in 2019 and was trained to be a heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanic. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Murcuri. He was sworn in as a U.S. citizen in Boston, Massachusetts, during June 2020.
Lacerda lives in Medford, Massachusetts, and works at an information technology company as a service provider installing and repairing internet equipment, phones and cable. “My civilian and military jobs are quite different from each other but they both require discipline, responsibility and commitment to be successful,” said Lacerda.
When not on duty, he loves traveling, movies, reading, listening to music, meeting new people and discovering new things and places. “I have traveled to about 13 states here in the U.S. from California to New York and I’ve been to Mexico and several cities in Brazil,” said Lacerda.
Hoping to combine some of these interests with his military career, Lacerda said, “I’m aiming to get into Warrant Officer Candidate school and become a pilot. When I was a child, I remember seeing planes in movies and television shows and always found them to be fascinating! I have always loved to travel, and I want to see the world. I can still remember my first flight when I was 9 years old. I was completely amazed! In that moment I knew that flying planes was something I would love to do and could see myself doing for the rest of my life.”
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2021 11:46 |
| Story ID: | 395010 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 858 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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