Naval Careers
LT. Carlos Montanez
“I was kind of down and out on my luck. I had gone to
college and didn’t do very well; and then I realized that to go anywhere
in the world I really needed to have some type of education. Whether
it was technical training, a degree or something of that nature, I knew
the Navy was going to be able to give it to me.”
By JO2 Brian D. Eckard, CNRC
Public Affairs Division
Navy Lieutenant Carlos Montanez has gotten the training and education
he needed, and is working for more as he serves his country. Montanez,
a Engineering Programs Officer Recruiter for Commanding Officer, Navy
Recruiting District Seattle, Washington in Seattle, has come a long
way over the last decade, and his efforts have served not only himself,
but also his country.
Entering the U.S. Navy in 1987, Montanez had recently left college,
unsure of his future plans. “When I enlisted, I wanted to be able to
advance my education, and hopefully get back into college some day,”
he said.
With a strong mind for mathematics, Montanez was a perfect candidate
for the Navy’s nuclear power training pipeline. While earning his rate
as a machinist’s mate and completing the Navy’s rigorous nuclear power
school prototype, his hard work and intelligence paid off. Montanez
was selected for the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and
Training (BOOST) program, and traveled to San Diego to begin the path
toward becoming a commissioned officer; and his journey truly began.
“When I got to San Diego I fell in love with the city,” he said. After
a year at BOOST, Montanez attended the University of San Diego on a
Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. After graduating with
a major in physics and a minor in math, he was able to stay in his favorite
city for awhile aboard his first submarine, USS La Jolla, home ported
in San Diego.
His two years aboard the submarine gave him the chance to see many
new and interesting places, while serving his country.
“I had two Western Pacific deployments during that time frame. Then
we took the boat through the Panama Canal, and went to Kittery, Maine,
for a refuel and overhaul.”
While he has gained and experienced much, Montanez’s life in the Navy
hasn’t been solely about travel and education. When he joined the Navy,
the world still trembled under the threat of nuclear holocaust, but
he was proud to protect America’s interests. “At that time, ’87, we
were still in the Cold War, so there were definitely a lot more missions
going on; different types of missions, I should say, than today. I was
eager to be a part of that.”
Montanez earned his bachelor’s degree while in the Navy, and is currently
working toward a master’s in business administration at Seattle University.
However, he said the greatest benefit he’s gotten from the Navy is the
people he’s worked with. “They’re professional at all levels. Whether
officer or enlisted, it really hasn’t mattered,” he said. “So that’s
one of the big things that’s really keeping me in the Navy. It’s the
people,” he added.
While he has achieved much, Montanez still has great hopes for his
future in the submarine community, and, from his experiences, he has
advice for others looking to succeed.
“Words of encouragement to aspiring young men and women in the Hispanic
community? Oh, that’s easy,” he said. “When you see something out there
that you want, keep your eye on it. There might be a lot of things along
the way to distract you, but, if you understand your goal … and you
understand the avenues to pursue that goal, then follow those avenues.”
One of the greatest lessons Montanez has learned is to accept help
from others. “Seek whatever help is out there, because there are a lot
of people in the world, and even more so in the Navy, that want to help
you succeed", he said. “Even today, where I’m at with my goals, I can
ask quite a few people here on active duty, both officers and enlisted,
and they are more than willing to give me the help I need to achieve
what I want to achieve next.”
BACK
TO FEATURE STORYS
BACK
TO TOP
HOME
| ABOUT MAES | COVER
STORY | FEATURE STORY
DEPARTMENTS | CONTACT
US | SUBSCRIBE | GUEST
BOOK
Copyright
© 2001 GVR Public Relations Agency, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
web
development by mvd.cc
The
MAES National Magazine as presented on this website is not affiliated
with the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists.
