Today is Veterans Day | Hispanic Engineer Magazine honors those who served

 

POSTED ON Nov 11, 2021

 

Hispanic Engineer magazine has published profiles of many of the men and women who have defended the country, at home and abroad. While not a complete listing of flag-level officers, the following is a representative sample of those who have appeared in several editions over the years.

Angela Salinas is the first Latina selected to the rank of Brigadier General. She began her military career when she enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1974. Following recruit training at Parris Island, she served as a legal services clerk until 1977 when she was selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program. She went on to command at every rank and served in staff positions throughout the Marine Corps. In 1989, Salinas became the first woman in the Marine Corps to command a recruiting station. In 1992, she became the first woman assigned as a combat service support ground monitor responsible for the assignments of over 1000 senior officers. She was the first female assigned as plans and policy officer for a major combatant command in 1999, and in 2001 when she assumed command of the 12th Marine Corps District, became the first woman to serve as a recruiting district commanding officer.

Salinas is a 1976 graduate of Dominican College of San Rafael, Cal., where she received her B.A. in history. She received her master’s from the Naval War College in 1992. She is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, the Naval War College’s Command and Staff College, and the Army War College. Her decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with gold star, the Meritorious Service Medal with 2 gold stars, the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with 2 gold stars. She received Meritorious Service Awards from the Federal Employed Women (FEW) and the Molly Marine Award from the Woman Marine Association. She also received recognition for her leadership by the Navy League and was recognized as a “groundbreaker” by Women In the Military for Service to America. She appeared on the cover of Hispanic Engineer magazine in 2006.

Albert Garcia III, a retired two-star admiral from the United States Navy, Civil Engineer Corps, appeared on the cover of Hispanic Engineer magazine in 2009. has a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a master’s degree in civil engineering from San Jose State University, and is a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Honours Scholar from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Rear Admiral Garcia III served as Civil Engineer Corps deputy commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, deputy chief of Civil Engineers before he retired.

Major General Thomas A. Benes graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, before being commissioned as a Marine Corps Officer. A combat-tested fighter pilot and weapons and tactics instructor, he was a graduate of the TOPGUN training program for flight officers, specializing in weapons and tactics. He also commanded flight squadrons during Operation Desert Storm. In 1992, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University and, upon completion, reported to the Pentagon for a joint duty assignment. He served as chief of staff, Combined Forces Landing Component Commander, and participated in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Major General William D. Catto is the chief of staff of the United States European Command. He assumed the post in 2006, becoming the first U.S. Marine to hold the role. Catto led the Marine Corps Systems Command. Prior to this assignment, he served concurrently as a commanding general for the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory and vice chief of Naval Research. He received his baccalaureate degree from Bethel College and his master’s degree from Webster University. A distinguished helicopter pilot, Major General Catto has amassed more than 4,100 flight hours in 13 types of aircraft. Among his duty assignments, he served at Marine Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., as the rotary-wing assignment officer, prior to being named administrative assistant to the deputy commandant for Aviation. His personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit Medal with gold stars, Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, and Air Medal with one Strike Flight Numeral, among others.

Brigadier General Jimmie C. Jackson Jr. was Commandant, Air Command and Staff College when he appeared in the 2008 Hispanic Engineer magazine list. He was commissioned in 1977 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Texas A&M University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He later earned his M.S. degree in personnel supervision and management at Troy State University, Alabama, and a master’s in national security strategy at the National War College. He served in a variety of positions at squadron, wing, major command, and air staff levels.  He flew combat and support missions for Operations Provide Promise, Joint Guard, and Iraqi Freedom. He was a command pilot with nearly 3,100 hours. The general is the recipient of numerous personal awards and decorations including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the Air Medal, among others.

Brigadier General Roberto Marrero-Corletto retired as the assistant adjutant general for the Puerto Rico Army National Guard. He served as chairman of various committees including Safety and Occupational Health, Anti-Terrorism Forces Protection, Environmental and Military Construction. Marrero-Corletto joined the Army’s enlisted ranks in 1968, becoming a gunnery instructor and, later, a forward observer and liaison officer during the Vietnam War, commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1969. He earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico in 1973 and a Ph.D. in the same field from the University of Idaho in 1977. Among his many awards and decorations are the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, and one Bronze oak leaf cluster, Air Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. He also holds the Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze stars.

Rear Admiral George E. Mayer is a retired United States Naval officer and Naval Aviator. At the time of his retirement, he was the first Puerto Rican Commander of the Naval Safety Center. Mayer graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1975 and was designated a naval aviator in 1976. He commanded squadrons of A-7 Corsairs and F/A-18 Hornets, accumulating more than 4,000 flight hours and over 1,000 carrier landings. He held numerous shore posts as an executive assistant and deputy director of operations, including tours as deputy director of operations, United States Central Command, and at the Spanish Command and Staff College in Madrid, Spain. He earned a master’s degree at the U.S. Naval War College. His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Navy Achievement Medal, as well as various unit and service awards.

Retired Brigadier General Joseph V. Medina received his commission in 1976, following graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a B.S. in physics and M.S. in systems management from the University of Southern California. His military education includes Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the NATO Defense College. He served as a rifle platoon commander, company commander, battalion commander, and executive officer of the 2nd Marines. During the Kosovo Crisis, he served as chief, Kosovo Plans Group for two operations. His first assignment as a brigadier general was the command of Expeditionary Strike Group Three, based in San Diego as part of the U.S. Third Fleet. Brigadier General Medina led the strike group through a six-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over the course of his deployment, the task force conducted over 550 ship boardings, 50 coastal patrol and interdiction missions, and 50 armed helicopter reconnaissance missions in the North Arabian Gulf and Iraqi territorial waters. His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with gold star, Defense Meritorious Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and Navy Commendation Medal with two gold stars.

Brigadier General Roque C. Nido-Lanausse served as principal advisor to the adjutant general of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard before he retired. During his military career, Brigadier General Nido occupied several key positions, including general surgeon in the 201st Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, chief of surgical services at the 201st Evacuation Hospital, chief of surgical services on active duty with the 201st Evacuation Hospital during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Chief of Professional Services and, later, commander of the 201st Evacuation Hospital. In civilian life, Brigadier General Nido served as the director of surgery for Cristo Redentor Hospital and Santa Rosa Hospital at Guayame, Puerto Rico. He earned his medical degree at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, specializing in general surgery. Among his numerous medals and decorations are the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, and the Southwest Asia Service Medal.

Major General Charles G. Rodriguez was the adjutant general of the Texas National Guard,  responsible for commanding more than 21,000 soldiers, airmen, and civilians composing the Texas Army and Air National Guard, the State Guard, and the Adjutant General’s office. He began his military service in 1975, upon graduating from the U.S. Military Academy and going on active duty in the Signal Corps. He served eight years on active duty with the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division in light infantry, combat engineer, and tactical signal battalions, as well as Battalion Headquarters Company Commander. He then served for 11 years in the U.S. Army Reserve. He joined the Texas Army National Guard in 1995, leading forces in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom I. He holds an M.A. from Wheaton College Graduate School, an M.B.A. from Keller Graduate School of Management, and a Ph.D. in philanthropic leadership from Union Institute and University. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the National Defense Medal with one Bronze service star, among others.

Rear Admiral William D. Rodriguez, USN, Retired was born at the Portsmouth, Virginia, Naval Hospital. Upon graduation from The Citadel in 1977, where he earned a Baccalaureate in mathematics and computer science, he was commissioned an ensign through the NROTC program. After service aboard ship as an electronic warfare officer, Combat Information Center Officer, and surface warfare officer, he was named, in 1980, operations officer, antisubmarine warfare officer for a destroyer squadron. From 1982 to 1984, he attended Naval Postgraduate School, receiving an M.S. in systems technology, with an emphasis in computer science and communications engineering. This was followed by increasingly responsible assignments with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command and the Naval Sea Systems Command. After his selection to flag rank in 2004, Rear Admiral Rodriquez served as chief engineer for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. Rear Admiral Rodriquez is authorized to wear the Legion of Merit with one Gold Star, Meritorious Service Medal with three gold stars, and Navy Commendation Medal with one gold star, among many others.