Getting everything back: 927th Reservist pursues comission in the Army

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shawn Rhodes
  • 927th Air Refueling Wing
MACDILL AIR FOECE BASE, Fla. --  All servicemembers pledge to give their life to the military. It's not every day that you run across someone who the military has given everything to in return.

For Staff Sgt. Leonardo Velez, a personnelist with the 927th Operational Support Flight here, that is exactly the case. A spouse, education, world travel, and even a father.

"When I joined the Air Force, all I wanted to do was get out of Queens, N.Y.," said Velez.

Like many New York kids, the soft-spoken, humble Hispanic man thought the mean streets he grew up on had prepared him for the military. It didn't take long before he was set straight.

"When I met him, he was a typical New York kid," said Frank Hernandez, Jr., a retired Master Sergeant and mentor to Velez from his first day on active duty. "He could've gotten in a lot of trouble ... he's had a lot of doors shut on him in his life."

Fortunately for Velez and the United States Air Force, he never let those doors stop him from pursuing his dreams.

Today, Velez is a reservist with the 927th Air Refueling Wing, based out of MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. For him, he can't joke with his friends about having to learn the hard way that all promises don't materialize.

"It's funny, but everything my recruiter promised me came true," Velez said.

The young man in Queens, N.Y. could not have imaged in the fall of 2003 that the military would allow him to see the world, help him obtain bachelor's and masters' degrees, introduce him to his wife, and give him an opportunity to receive a commission into its officer ranks. But then, Velez didn't know where his decision to join the military would take him.

"I did six years of active duty time from 2003 until 2009," Velez said. "It took me to Germany, and that's where I met my wife, who was also in the Air Force."

From Germany, Velez traveled to Korea and then back to the U.S. When Velez's active duty tour was over, he had completed most of his bachelor's degree in the military and didn't want to stop serving. Like many in his position, the reserves was the best option for him.

"I'm working on my master's degree in business administration and information security management," Velez said. "The military is helping to pay for it so I can be a full-time student while I serve my country."

Velez won't stop with just receiving his education, though. He and his wife are both accepting commissions in the United States Army.

When questioned about why he is making the transition from the Army to the Air Force, he replied, "I think I can bring the Air Force's 'work smarter, not harder' mentality to my experience in the Army."

Velez's mentor believes he'll have something to offer the Army that is unique to his Air Force experience as well.

"He'll bring leadership, commitment, and dedication he learned with the Air Force," said Hernandez.

The retired sergeant spent 11 years of his career training Reserve Officer Training Corps candidates, so he has some knowledge of what it takes to become an officer. He believes Velez will succeed admirably.

"Persistence has been his middle name. He'll be able to understand the trials and tribulations of both enlisted and officers. I've got nothing but admiration for him," said Hernandez.

Velez will leave for his officer's candidate school next summer. Until then, he will work on his master's degree, serve in the Air Force Reserves, and continue to overcome hurdles, just like Hernandez taught him to.

"The military's been great to me. You can't go wrong ... even if you only do it for four years, you'll have benefits that last a lifetime."