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Celebrating
Diversity in the
Armed Forces!
Whether they are
members of the
Army, Navy,
Marines, Air
Force, National
Guard or Civil
Servants, these
Latinas
undertake an
extraordinary
role in the
military service
and work every
day to broaden
and ensure equal
opportunity
within the force.
This year’s
honorees reflect
their rich
Hispanic
heritage and
they execute
several
activities that
have
distinguished
them as role
models in their
communities and
advocates for
the advancement
of Latinas in
their respective
branch. From
leading a
platoon in the
battle field to
flying an
aircraft to
developing
departmental
policies, they
are advancing
the status of
Latinas
worldwide.
“I realized I
wanted to make a
career out of
the Army when I
was in for 10
years,” says Sgt.
First Class
Dolores Rivera.
“I came to
really love what
I did and
enjoyed the Army
day to day life.”
It was August
18, 1989, at the
age of 19 when
Rivera signed on
as a military
personnel
management
specialist,
known today as a
human resources
specialist.
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Sergeant
First
Class
Dolores
Rivera
U.S.
Army |
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Today, she has
distinguished herself by
outstanding performance
as non-commissioned
officer-in-charge of
personnel services for
the 52nd Signal
Battalion in Stuttgart,
Germany. Her role is to
assist soldiers submit
their actions, process
their awards and assist
them to be promoted. Not
only she provides
guidance and direction
in the states but also
abroad when she was
assigned to Korea. “I
was able to groom them
and watch them grow from
a timid Private to a
strong competent
Sergeant,” she explains.
“That was one of the
best tours that I have
had in my 19 years in
the Army.”
Certainly challenges
will always exist and
one of the biggest
challenges Rivera has
had to face is balancing
her role as a single
mother, her job and
separation from her
family. “There have been
times when I was not
able to make an awards
assembly due to my
military duties, I have
had to make compromises
and many apologies to my
daughter, separation
from her always has been
and will be a challenge,”
she says. “I always
worry about her even
though I know she is in
good hands.”
Nonetheless, Rivera
believes to have
acquired and develop
many skills from the
military, from inner
strength, to
independence and self-confidence,
these life lessons are
invaluable and today has
prepared her for
anything in her ever-changing
career. “If I did not
join the military I
don’t think I would have
the inner strength to
live overseas to Alaska,
Korea and Germany,” she
says. “I have
accomplished many things
on my own that I was
proud of and never
dreamed that I could
do.” Rivera believes
that within the next 10
years Latinas will
become strong and
powerful in the
workforce. “Latinas
already run a very
successful household and
if they transfer their
management skills from
running a home and
raising a family into
the workforce they can
become very successful
and a good asset to any
employer or company.”
Her advice to the Latina
is: “Don’t let anyone
tell you, you can’t do
anything. As long as you
believe you can do it,
you can succeed.”
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Shirley
A. Hill
U.S.
Army |
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With over 28
years of service
with the United
States Army, Ms.
Shirley A. Hill
began serving as
an Army civilian
since February
1980. As the
Equal Employment
Officer for the
U.S. Army
Headquarters,
Communications-Electronics
Life Cycle
Management
Command at Fort
Monmouth, New
Jersey, she is
committed to
promoting
education
programs and
forums to
improve the
recruitment,
development and
retention of
Hispanics. Not
only she enjoys
assisting others
to resolve and
research legal
issues but
enjoys being at
a decisive
leadership
position that
enables her to
accomplish many
goals.
“As an Army EEO
officer, I have
strived to
provide
informational
forums which
fostered
Hispanic
excellence and
representation,”
she says.
“Throughout my
28-year career
in Equal
Employment
Opportunity, I
have
demonstrated my
capability to
successfully
manage superior
EEO programs and
have strived to
benefit
Hispanics and
others in many
localities
around our
country and the
world.”
From being the
first Hispanic
EEO officer to
work for the U.S.
Army Corps of
Engineers Cold
Regions Research
Engineering
Laboratory in
Hanover, New
Hampshire to the
Hispanic
Employment
Program manager
for Army
Materiel
Communications
Command in Rock
Island, Illinois
in which she
established the
first sexual
harassment
Hotline in the
Army, today, she
continues to
direct a
positive and
proactive EEO
program with the
purpose of
advancing it to
new horizons. |
With dedication and
passion, Hill has
demonstrated a strong
commitment to her
community through
leadership. She believes
Latinas can excel in any
field they desire.
“Learning about their
chosen field, working
hard, being persistent,
being aggressive in
their quest to progress
in the workforce ...
actively seeking
positions, and
concentrating on their
chosen career
requirements, is of
utmost importance in
reaching their ultimate
vision/goal,” she says.
“Having mentors and
people who believe in
them is also important.”
After all, Hill hopes to
be considered “a legacy
of a Latina who helped
and protected people and
made a positive
difference to others;
regardless of race,
color, national origin,
gender, religion, age or
disability.”
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“I was 17 years
old and had to
convince my
parents to sign
for me, since I
was too young to
enlist without
my parents
consent,”
explains Leticia
Soto, assistant
public work
officer at the
Naval Station in
Norfolk,
Virginia.
Coming from a
family of six
children, money
for college was
difficult for
her parents;
therefore she
enlisted in the
Navy for four
years. After
realizing how
much she enjoyed
travelling and
the work
experience she
decided to
reenlist and
took advantage
of the tuition
assistance
program, went to
college at night
and applied for
a program that
allowed her to
get a commission.
Among her many
duties, Soto has
managed the
maintenance,
repair and
construction of
2,800 facilities
valued at over
$4.8 billion,
including 15
combatant piers
for five nuclear
powered aircraft
carriers and 78
other warships.
She has
effectively led
and directed the
efforts of 1,200
government
civilian
employees and 50
military
personnel in the
planning and
execution of
broad-spectrum
facility
services to
include
utilities,
transportation,
and ship support.
“I have been
fortunate to
have worked for
leaders that
have given me
the opportunity
to do the most
challenging jobs
in my career
field,” she says.
“Knowing that
they believe I
can succeed at
these jobs has
instilled
confidence in me
and pushed me to
challenge myself
to accomplish
more.” |
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Lieutenant
Leticia
Soto
U.S.
Navy |
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Not only has she had the
opportunity to be a
leader and make an
impact on the Navy’s
operational readiness
but has acquired a deep
appreciation for Freedom
in America that
according to her
believes would not
necessarily be possible
in the civilian sector.
“I enjoy my job and it’s
easy to stay at work to
complete one last item
and not realize that I
am sacrificing precious
times and I can be
spending time with my
daughters,” she says.
“My daughters inspire me
to want to be the best
at my job. I want them
to be proud of their
mother and see for
themselves that hard
work does pay big
dividends.”
Nonetheless, she
believes that the best
rewards in life come
after hard work.
“Latinas have strong
passion and dedication
to achieving goals that
will allow us to
transcend through
barriers of race and
gender and lead us to
senior positions of
corporate America and
politics,” she says.
“Seek a mentor and
always be looking for
opportunities for
increased
responsibilities. Enjoy
your job and have fun.”
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Esther
Thatcher
U.S.
Navy |
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With more than
20 years of
experience as an
engineer, leader,
mentor and an
advocate for
diversity,
Esther Thatcher
started working
at the Naval
Undersea Warfare
Center (NUWC)
Division in
Newport after
graduating from
college, after
working at NUWC
for five years,
she realized she
wanted to stay
here for the
duration. “I
enjoyed the work,
like the people
and there are
always many
opportunities,”
she says. “I
wanted to give
back to my
country in some
way and I was
interested in
the work that
NUWC did for the
Navy.”
As the acting
branch head for
Development
Software in the
Sonar and
Sensors
Department at
Division Newport,
Thatcher leads a
team of 18
engineers and
scientists
working on
diverse projects
that include at-sea
submarine and
surface sonar
systems and
concept systems
on the drawing
boards. “The
best part of my
job is being
able to provide
the surface Navy
with in-service
engineering
support for
their sonar
systems so that
they can
complete their
missions,” she
says. “The
hardest part is
trying to do
more work for
less funding
with less people.”
Although she
enjoys math and
science, there
are some
difficulties
that she has had
to face in her
career. One of
the biggest
challenges has
been balancing
family and
professional
life. “It hasn’t
been easy
raising a family
and working in a
demanding field,”
she says.
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“Another challenge has
been leaving my family
to travel for work. I
wouldn’t be able to do
it without my husband’s
help and support.”
Involved in educational
outreach programs, job
fair recruiting,
placement for college
internships and
mentoring new
professionals, Thatcher
foresees Latinas making
great strides in the
next 10 years. “They
will be in more
leadership roles and
continue to be more
influential,” she says.
“They will continue to
develop the skills
necessary to take
advantage of life’s
opportunities.”
Her advice for the
Latina entering the
workforce is to always
do their best, to
continue their education
and take advantage of
the opportunities
whenever they present
themselves. Upon leaving
her post, Thatcher would
like to mentor and
support the next
generation of engineers,
to see them develop both
personally and
professionally. “I want
to be a good role model
to them and help realize
their true potential.”
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“The best part
of my job is
leading Marines
and looking out
for their
welfare while
accomplishing
the Mission,”
states Master
Sgt. Morayma
Rodriguez.
“Every day I
come to work
making sure that
I’m going to
make a
difference for
the young
Marines. They
are the ones
that make me
successful.
Making things
better for the
young Marines
makes my job
worth every
minute of my
time. I looked
forward to every
promotion; every
promotion means
more Marines
under my charge
which in turn
means more
Marines that I
could take care
of.”
It was October
16, 1989 out of
Eagle Pass, TX
at the age of 17
when Rodriguez
decided to join
the military. As
she recalls the
story of her
enlistment, she
remembered her
aspirations to
be part of the
military at a
very early age
and it was her
oldest brother,
Camilo A.
Camarillo, who
inspired her to
join. “He was in
a military
academy in
Mexico, (equivalent
to the ROTC here
in the states),”
she says. “I
remember, as a
5-year-old
seeing him march
with his
military uniform
neatly pressed.
I knew then I
wanted to wear a
military uniform
but had no idea
what the future
was going to
bring.”
Thirteen years
later, her dream
came true when
she joined the
Marine Corps. By
now, she was
inspired not
only by the blue
uniform the
Marine Corps is
known for but
also the
opportunities
ahead. “To me it
was a sense of
pride and a way
of giving back
to the country
we had migrated
to back in 1979.
It was my
contribution as
an American.” |
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Master
Sergeant
Morayma
M.
Rodriguez
U.S.
Marine
Corps |
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After two deployments to
Iraq, one during the war
and one deployment at
sea with Marine Service
Support Group 13 (Singapore,
Kenya, Oman, Qatar,
Pakistan, Bahrain,
Thailand, and Australia)
Rodriguez learned to
appreciate life,
acquired an extended
family, developed
leadership skills and
the opportunity to work
with Marines from
different cultures,
background and beliefs.
“I think I get my
strength from my
character. Accepting
that the Marine Corps is
a traditional male
service and growing
thick skin. I have
excelled because I
didn’t allow anyone to
tell me what I could or
couldn’t do, I just did
it. Action speaks louder
than words,” she says.
“As a Master Sergeant of
Marines I tell my
Marines that if I can
leave them with
something this is what I
want to leave them with:
Always work for the
young Marines, and if
you can make a
difference and have a
positive impact on one
Marine, even if it is
only one, then you have
done your job for the
day.”
By
Gloria Romano
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