TR Diversity Team Hosts Hispanic American Heritage Celebration

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (NNS) -- The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Diversity Team hosted a 2012 Hispanic American Heritage Month celebration, Oct. 4 honoring this year's Hispanic Heritage Month theme of, "Diversity United, Building America's Future Today."

Hispanic American Heritage Month is recognized from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year.

"The Diversity Team has been placing little known facts about influential Hispanic Americans in the plan of the day to educate Sailors of the rich history and numerous contributions Hispanics have made to the U.S. Navy," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 William Caple, Diversity Team officer in charge.

The guest speakers for the event were Lt. Richard Martinez from TR's Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, and Lt. Alexa Arias from the Weapons Department. Both officers touched on the origin of Hispanic American Heritage Month, while providing facts about the history of Hispanics in the military and telling their cultural background and the role it played in each of their military careers.

Arias and Martinez are both from Colombia, which is located in northwestern South America.

"I love being Hispanic, I love being American, and I love being Colombian," said Arias. "I joined the Navy to change the scenery and environment that I lived in so I can make a better life for myself."

Arias chose to begin an exciting and dangerous career as an aviation ordnanceman because it was a male dominated rating and she wanted a challenge.

"When I first enlisted in the Navy all I wanted to do was serve on an aircraft carrier, but at that time females were not allowed to serve on carriers yet," said Arias. "I remember my former gun boss telling me that I was the first Hispanic female in the aviation ordnanceman rating and only the 12th female limited duty officer."

Not only do Arias and Martinez share their Colombian background, but both of them have served on the TR as enlisted Sailors and now as Naval officers.

Lt. Martinez is the former officer in charge for the Diversity Team.

"It is an honor and a privilege to speak at this program," said Martinez. "Being the son of Colombian immigrants, joining the Navy helped give me a sense of belonging because the Navy treats its Sailors fairly based on the character and work ethic of the individual and not their race or ethnicity."

Martinez made it a priority to tie in a command message to the crew during his speech.

"If our Sailors stick to the Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment to calibrate our moral compasses, and avoid selfish thinking and actions, we will be able to accomplish the goal of our chain of command and deliver TR back to the fleet and its operational status," said Martinez.

TR's Supply Department provided the crew with tacos, burritos and tamales for lunch following the program. Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Charles Bringuez, who is originally from Cuba, set up his turntables and disc jockey equipment on the mess decks to provide the Sailors with Hispanic music while they ate their meal.

For more news from USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn71/.