Association of Naval Services Officers
A 501c3 nonprofit supporting Latinos/Hispanics of all ranks in the U.S. Sea Services!
As we gather to celebrate the holiday with our friends and families, let us take a moment to reflect on the holiday and commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms and liberties.
Some ways we can do that is by attending a ceremony and/or parade, decorating with flags, participating in our moment of remembrance at 3pm your local time, or buying a poppy.
For more background on the holiday, please visit our post from last year.
Registration is open for the 2021 Eastern Region Symposium, which is being coordinated by the Washington DC Chapter and will take place via Zoom on 5 May 2021. Please visit our event page for more details and to register.
ANSO has several executive leadership opportunities available!
We are seeking nominations for the following Board of Director positions currently up for elections:
We are also seeking to fill current vacancies via special elections on the same day for the following:
The deadline for nominations is COB Wednesday, 31 March, 2021.
Nominees must be ANSO members in good standing. If you would like to run for one of these positions, or if you would like to nominate someone for the position, please visit the Elections Page on our website to submit your nomination(s). Note that you will need to be logged-in to our website to submit your nominations.
Election rules, eligibility, and duty descriptions are outlined in Articles III and IV of the ANSO By-laws.
Once we compile the list of nominees, we will send out an announcement with instructions for the vote.
If you have any questions please reach out via the Contact ANSO form on our website.
Thank you for your participation and support!
Best regards,
ANSO Board of Directors
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Please join us in celebrating the 40th anniversary of ANSO, the premier Hispanic organization of the sea services since 1981.
Today marks the 41st anniversary of the sinking of the 180′ buoy tender, US Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) BLACKTHORN. On January 28, 1980, USCGC BLACKTHORN sank in Tampa Bay and 23 Coast Guard personnel lost their lives after colliding with the the 600′ tanker S.S. CAPRICORN. One of the 23 crew members lost that day was 19-year-old Seaman Apprentice (SA) William Ray Flores, the namesake of our Tampa Chapter. SA Flores paid the ultimate price after locating the life jacket locker, ensuring all survivors in the water received a life jacket, and staying with the sinking ship determined to save the lives of his shipmates trapped in the sinking hull. 27 crew members survived. Today we remember and honor his sacrifice and all the lives lost during this terrible accident.
On this 79th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, we remember and pay tribute to the more than 2,400 American service members who lost their lives during the attack. One of the first lives lost during the attack was that of 21 year old Rudolph Machado Martinez, a Mexican-American U.S. Navy sailor stationed on the battleship USS Utah. His story is captured in the Pearl Harbor National Memorial video below. We are eternally grateful to all those who lost their lives on that fateful day, December 7th, 1941.
Saludos! I have been a member of ANSO since 2007. Back then I was a Lieutenant; a friend invited me to one of the annual conferences in San Diego, CA. I was excited for having the opportunity to network with senior officers who took the time out of their busy schedule to mentor enlisted members and junior officers like me. I remember sitting down with Admiral Jody Breckenridge, USCG (Ret.) for a mentorship session; that was the first time I had ever had a one-on-one conversation with an admiral about my career goals. I greatly benefited from her advice and the mentorship from all the other members that attended that conference. In addition, I came out with a few mentors who provided me with guidance during my 23 years in the Coast Guard, and a network of professionals who helped me succeed in my career.
ANSO helped me develop skills in the following areas:
Throughout the years, I have continued to attend conferences and events not only to seek professional development but also to serve as a mentor and contribute to the ANSO mission: “To assist the Sea Service Chief’s efforts in Hispanic workforce recruitment and retention by fostering the personal growth and professional development of officers, enlisted and civilian personnel; providing mentorship, networking, training and educational opportunities; and engaging the Hispanic community through outreach initiatives.”
In 2015, I had the privilege to serve as the President of the BM1 Carlos Valdivia Molina ANSO Chapter, San Francisco, CA. I was the only member in the Chapter at the time. Through partnership with Leadership Diversity Advisory Council (LDAC), Coast Guard Enlisted Association (CGEA), National Naval Officers Association (NNOA), Civil Rights Office and others, the San Francisco Chapter grew to be a 10-member Chapter responsible for the coordination of the Hispanic Heritage Month and two professional development events a year for officers, enlisted and civilian members. After this great opportunity, I volunteered to serve as the Board of Director – Membership Coordinator. This position gave me the opportunity to contribute to the organization at a higher level and have an impact in the future of ANSO. Currently, I have the pleasure to serve you as the 15th National President. I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity to lead ANSO for the next few years and work with the Board of Directors (BOD), and all ANSO members to make this organization even more successful.
I encourage you to join ANSO, take advantage of all the opportunities it provides, and help us accomplish ANSO’s mission.
Very respectfully,
CDR Blanca Rosas, USCG (Ret.)
La Presidenta de ANSO
AHORA ES, ANSO!
ADELANTE CON ANSO!
By William D. Rodriguez
Rear Admiral, United States Navy, Retired
Board Member, Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance (HVLA)
Past President, Association of Naval Services Officers (ANSO)
The continuing focus on Diversity and Inclusion has become more of a “Race issue” and a “Gender issue” than an “Ethnicity issue”. The Hispanic American population has grown to be the largest minority group in this country, and yet, comparatively speaking, our Armed Forces still do not reflect “the face of the nation” with regard to the Hispanic American population. This is particularly true in the Flag and General Officer, senior officer and senior enlisted ranks. This is NOT Diversity and Inclusion! As you will remember, forty-five years ago the emphasis to increase the number of African Americans in key colleges, universities and other educational and business institutions was through Affirmative Action and Quota Control. This program which was deemed as successful had its flaws. It had very little, if any, regard for any ethnic community, and there was little concern for meritocracy. Of note, however, the program eventually produced a significant number of African American Flag and General Officers. These senior officers then served as examples and potential mentors to those who came behind them. Similar to what was done for the African Americans over forty-five years ago, there should be a renewed emphasis and focus on the ethnic communities, specifically, the Hispanic American Community. Furthermore, there should be an in-depth analysis of the demographics of Hispanic Americans in the Armed Forces and specifically in its senior ranks, and the DoD and the Services should take an approach towards tracking and mentoring of Hispanic Americans in order to advocate for them, ensure they are fully qualified for promotion into the senior ranks of the Armed Forces, and are given a fair and objective opportunity for promotion without prejudice or discrimination.
Full version of the Op-Ed can be found here.
On Veterans Day we honor all of those who have served our country in war or peace and thank all veterans for their sacrifices.
Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, the day when the fighting stopped during World War I. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. A Congressional Act in 1938 made the 11th of November a legal holiday. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation” in 1954, and Nov. 11 became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars. (Source)
The videos below, although a few years old, provide the history and some statistics. We cannot forget our brothers and sisters of the newly formed US Space Force, most of which transferred from the US Air Force.
We wish all veterans and their families a safe and happy Veterans Day!
Visit the VA page for more history.
On behalf of the entire ANSO membership, we wish a happy 245th birthday to all our Marine Corps brothers and sisters.
In the video below, Gen. David H. Berger reminds us how the Corps’ legacy lives on in every Marine. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada)
Devil dogs and leathernecks are two of the names used to describe these fierce defenders of liberty.
World War I, At the Battle of Belleau Wood, Sergeant Daniel Joseph Daly, USMC, led a legendary charge against the German line, rallied his Marines by yelling “Come On, You Sons of Bitches, Do You Want to Live Forever?”
Unless you are on the wrong side of the charge, you have got to love that!
https://www.military.com/marine-corps-birthday/marine-corps-history-early-years.html
https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/edward-gomez
Semper Fidelis!
