ANSO History

The Association of Naval Services Officers was created because of concerns by Hispanic officers that they were not fully represented in the officer corps and, more specifically, there were too few Hispanic applicants for the various officer programs. Historically, the Honorable Edward Hidalgo, then Secretary of the Navy, and having served during WWII, convened the Hispanic Officer Recruitment Conference (HORC) in December 1980 to closely examine issues, develop initiatives and resolve problems that confront the Naval Services in attracting qualified Hispanics for officer programs. One of the recommendations was the establishment of an organization of Hispanic Naval officers that would link the Hispanic community and the Sea Services in order to attract quality Hispanic Officer Candidates. Association of Naval Services Officers was formally established on February 12, 1981.