No Regrets

           

I don’t know how to start a blog. I’ve never done one. Well, here it goes. I was born in Covina, California in 1986. I grew up in a small town in Hermosa Beach. I was raised by a single mother with my brother and me. I graduated from a continuation school in Redondo Beach. At 17 years of age I enlisted in the US Navy. In the Navy I did many things and seen many things. I was exposed to things most average 19 year olds wouldn’t have. I was a Helicopter Combat Search and Rescue Aircrewman (Sea/Land). I flew in back of an H-60 Blackhawk as door gunner, combat medic, and a rescue swimmer. Being a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) wasn’t easy. The program has a 45% attrition rate. I did over eight deployments to all over the world, including two of those being to Iraq. I spent six good years in the Navy. I earned several honors and awards and flew over 500 combat missions. I learned a lot and I grew up fast. Getting out wasn’t easy for me. Just like how you see in the movies, it’s hard for us combat Veterans to come back to the real world and just try to blend in. I didn’t believe in P.T.S.D. But, I have it. Every day I have to wake up and focus on what’s going on here in the states. Not what’s going on overseas with my old brothers still at war? It’s time to move on and start my new life as a civilian.

Still, as in-active Reserves for the military I sometimes do little work and flying. I do what they call “Drilling”, the one weekend a month, two weeks a year. But, sometimes you still get called back for a 6-8 months deployment. Now enrolled in college and working I plan to get my degree as a Metallurgist. Reason being is because I work for ALCOA Fastening Systems. ALCOA is one of world’s largest metal manufacturing companies. Here in Newbury Park, we manufacture strictly aerospace fasteners that only go on engines. We take rods of super alloy metal and turn them into fasteners or bolts. Our facility produced almost 40% of bolts and fasteners that went on the Mars Curiosity project. My position at ALCOA is a quality assurance lab engineer. There are several tests that go into making aerospace fasteners my job is to make sure all of our products pass certain tests before shipping it to our customer.

My future, where to begin? Well, I want to finish up college and hold a greater position at ALCOA. Also, I want to buy house, find that right woman, and have children. As a military man, stationed at Guam overseas, and doing deployments. I never really had any time to settle down. Now, back home I’m starting to feel settled and ready. With back and knee injuries I don’t know how much longer I will be staying in the military. I’m ready to hit the deck running. No regrets!