Association of Naval Services Officers

A 501c3 nonprofit supporting Latinos/Hispanics of all ranks in the U.S. Sea Services!

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South Hialeah Elementary School Career Day

Continuing our commitment to our future generations, on April 6, Miami Chapter members, in partnership with Coast Guard members from Sector Miami Partners in Education (PIE), attended the 2023 South Hialeah Elementary School Career Day.

Miami Chapter and PIE members, including Enlisted and Officers, shared their personal stories, professional careers and answered questions from over 800 eager students within 42 classrooms. Overall the event was a tremendous success. Miami Chapter will continue building community relationships and post future opportunities in the events calendar. For more information on how to get involved in the Chapter, please email miamifl@ansomil.org.

CAPT Albert Angel, USN

My ANSO Story

My name is CAPT Albert Angel and I am a Naval Intelligence Officer currently assigned to the Office of the Naval Inspector General in Washington DC. My ANSO story is typical of many Hispanic Sailors serving in the Navy today. I am the son of immigrants and my parents were determined to build a better life the United States. My mother emigrated from Guadalajara, Mexico while my father emigrated from Bogota, Colombia. My sister and I were born in Southern California and spent the first few years of our youth in an immigrant community in Los Angeles, speaking mostly Spanish (our first language) until we moved to the suburbs five years later.  My father worked as a gardener until he retired and my mother barely graduated high school but they instilled in us the belief that we could accomplish anything we set our minds to and that education was the key to success. There were two events in my youth that shaped my desire to join the Navy. It all began in 1981 when I was 10 years old and met Mr. Rick Gribble, a former Naval Submariner who graduated from the US Naval Academy Class of ’75. He was my Sunday School teacher and would be the mentor who planted the seeds that would bloom into my lifelong Navy journey. Three years later, my parents were naturalized in the summer of 1984 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. I had never seen them as proud and happy as they were when they took their oaths of citizenship. My dad was a man of few words but he told me and my sister that America was the greatest country in the world and that you can never go wrong by serving her. I guess my sister and I took his words literally because she would retire as a Marine Corps Master Sergeant and I will reach 30 years commissioned service in June 2024.

During my career in the Navy I shied away from joining ANSO until I reached the rank of LCDR and was the Executive Officer at Navy Information Operations Command in San Antonio, Texas. It was during this time that ANSO was holding its annual symposium in San Antonio and a young LT “guilted” me into not only joining but becoming a life member as well. I had no excuse for not being active with ANSO since I was very familiar with ANSO since my days in Annapolis. I was the Vice President of the Latin American Studies Club and ANSO hosted a lunch for graduating Naval Academy seniors with the Hispanic Caucus in the Capitol. I wasn’t necessarily trying to avoid ANSO but kept putting off committing to the organization until the “right tame” came around. Since then I have embraced my ANSO membership and truly enjoy the mentoring opportunities, such as with the Naval Academy Latin American Studies Club, and I look forward to supporting the newly appointed ANSO leadership in the DC chapter. I have been blessed throughout my career with the opportunities to continue studying, traveling, and working with the finest Sailors in the world. My parents are proudest of my academic accomplishments and opportunities to travel since joining the Navy, especially since they didn’t have the same opportunities to see the world. During my career as a Surface Warfare Officer and Naval Intelligence Officer, I’ve completed eight deployments, including two ground deployments with NATO in Afghanistan and the United Nations in North Africa. I’ve traveled to 73 countries across six continents and even got to sail on the USS CONSTITUTION during 4th of July celebrations. The Navy has been very good to me and my family and ANSO is an opportunity to give back and share with the next generation the many opportunities to those who want to serve and succeed in our great Navy.

Biography

IT1 Karen Gonzalez, USNR

My ANSO Story

AT1 USN to IT1 USNR. ANSO was the missing link that helped me establish the Hispanic Sailor Association onboard USS Harry S. Truman. Their legitimacy helped us get the support we needed to obtain support from the chain of command. ANSO helped develop my leadership skills by giving me the opportunity to serve as Vice President for the Norfolk Chapter, and also gave me the unique opportunity of conducting an interview with Univision NY. This interview led to two more interviews during Hispanic Heritage Month. ANSO connected me with Hispanics Inspiring Students’ Performance and Achievement (HISPA) and I was able to volunteer virtually as a mentor for Middle School students. I can’t speak enough great things about ANSO and they will forever hold a special part in my career.

March 2023 Message

En Familia, March 2023

Women’s History Month began as a single week (the week of 7 March 1982, as authorized and requested by Congress), becoming a month-long observance in 1987. Year after year, this is a time to acknowledge and celebrate all the contributions of women to our nation and our world. Women throughout history have been a force of change and transformation. Most of that impact has been minimized or ignored during most periods of our recorded history. Every Women’s History Month observance is a new opportunity to change this narrative and share the real stories.

The theme for 2023 is Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories. The National Women’s History Alliance, the organization that advocated establishing this observance, picked that theme and explained how “From the earliest storytellers through pioneering journalist, our experiences have been captured by a wide variety of artists and teachers. These include authors, songwriters, scholars, playwrights, performers, and grandmothers throughout time.”

In previous En Familia messages, we have discussed the importance of sharing our stories and the impact of active listening in interpersonal interactions. Considering this theme, we celebrate all the women who have taken the creative and innovative role of communicating the stories and narratives of women worldwide with courage and determination. Many names come to mind, particularly powerful trailblazers that have changed our Sea Services in the last few decades.

Building platforms for women to continue sharing their stories and narratives for themselves and on behalf of other women is an effort that demands intentionality and advocacy. ANSO keeps developing spaces for these narratives, particularly Latinas’ stories, to be known, shared, and publicized. These stories provide encouragement and strength to new generations of leaders and visionaries.

During this month’s celebration, stop, connect, and listen to some of these stories. Many organizations offer platforms and spaces for voices to speak loudly and clearly. Stories transcend boundaries creating common languages of resilience and connection.

We celebrate all women and what they bring to the fight!

ANSO Women’s History Month 2023 YouTube Playlist

February 2023 Message

En Familia, February 2023,

The month of February honors and recognizes the journey of Blacks in our nation. The history of social injustice and marginalization is contrasted with the narratives of so many who have found a way upward and forward. We celebrate their lives and contributions this month as we reflect on this year’s Department of Defense Black History Month theme, “Inspiring Change.”

Department of Defense 2023 Black History Month Poster

February also celebrates Presidents’ Day. The history of this federal holiday goes back to President George Washington, as a celebration of his birthday. While this was not his intent or goal in any way, Washington’s supporters decided to keep his legacy by celebrating his birthday. It became a federal holiday in 1879. The holiday was moved from 22nd February to the third Monday in February 1968 as Congress passed a law to increase the number of three-day weekends (more 72s!).

Photo Source: History.com

A long-lasting tradition on this federal holiday has been upheld by the U.S. Congress. First done in 1862, it has been consistently done by the U.S. Senate since 1893. The House of Representatives ended the practice in 1984. Every year on George Washington’s birthday, a member of the Senate is selected to read the Washington Farewell Address. This year it will be read on February 27 at 3pm EST and will be broadcast live via C-SPAN2.

The Washington Farewell Address was written by Washington and a few of his supporters to notify the public that he was not running again for office after his second term. He never delivered this address in person, but it was printed in newspapers. His farewell projects a message of unity and reveals his hopes for our nation.

In one segment, he declares:

If benefits have resulted to our country from these services [presidential terms], let it always be remembered to your praise and as an instructive example in our annals that, under circumstances in which the passions agitated in every direction were liable to mislead, amidst appearances sometimes dubious, vicissitudes of fortune often discouraging, in situation in which not unfrequently want of success has countenanced the spirit of criticism, the constancy of your support was the essential prop of the efforts and a guarantee of the plans by which they were effected. Profoundly penetrated with this idea, I shall carry it with me to my grave as a strong incitement to unceasing vows that Heaven may continue to you the choicest tokens of its beneficence; that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the free constitution, which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained; that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue; that, in fine, the happiness of the people of these states, under the auspices of liberty, may be made complete by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing as well acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause, the affection, and adoption of every nation  which is yet a stranger to it.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon Website, Washington’s Farewell Address Transcript

Take a minute and read the entire address, particularly paying attention to the clear messages directed to all the citizens of our great nation.

December 2022 Message

En Familia December 2022,

The beginning of the new year connects with the celebration of the birthday of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Our nation stops early in the year to reflect on Dr. King’s life, efforts, and contributions on behalf of civil rights through nonviolence. His powerful messages, even after these years, provide seeds of wisdom that propels the listener to action. 

On 12 September 1962, Dr. King delivered a speech at the Park-Sheraton Hotel in New York City during the centennial anniversary of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. One of the most powerful lines in this speech says, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” While the statement speaks for itself, there are three elements for our ANSO members to consider carefully. 

(Image Source: New York State Museum)

  1. There is risk in life: The fears and concerns of not fully knowing the whole staircase will be there. The desire to know how long, how steep, or how much of an effort it will take are questions that may rise to the surface. Still, taking the first step, with limited knowledge, opens the way to a new reality and fresh opportunities. It’s a matter of taking the risk and moving on. 
  2. Grounded in trust: Faith comes from trust, confidence, or deep persuasion. While the word has a strong religious connotation, it portrays trustworthiness. Used in Dr. King’s sentence, faith creates tension to conceive a sense of trust when there is uncertainty about the staircase. Still, faith is what it takes to move on during this tension. 
  3. More than one: Considering this sentence, the appearance of this walk is an individual journey. However, trusting implies being in a relationship of some sort. This relationship reveals the true nature of this sentence we have faith, take first steps, and climb the way up with others. Dr. King believed in this concept and lived by it. During the civil rights movement, marching was a way to join forces as an expression of nonviolence. 

After the meaningful experience of our Western Leadership Symposium and the motivational messages of our presenters, Dr. King’s challenge is the perfect springboard to jump in 2023. Leadership, mentoring, coaching, and sponsoring are some of the first steps to take on this journey of investing in the present and future of our Sea Services. We may not know the whole staircase, but we know we are not alone on this journey. Join your local chapter, take the initiative, and participate in some of the events available this year while inviting others to join the journey. Together we build our strong ANSO family.

Supporting HISPA


Last Thursday, ANSO Miami Chapter members attended the annual Hispanics Inspiring Students’ Performance and Achievement (HISPA) 3 Kings Banquet at the Intercontinental Hotel, Doral, FL. The annual awards and fundraising event took place in person in three locations: Edison, NJ, Doral, FL, and San Antonio, TX, to honor the Latino professionals who support HISPA’s educational programs and raise funds for these programs. The night was a total success with several HISPA role models and supporters receiving awards.

Pictured above from left to right, 2ndLt Hernandez, USMC, CAPT Noreña, USMC, Ms. Zapata, LTJG Castillo, USCG, Miami Ch President, 2ndLt Devine, USMC, and Mr. Aranibar, ANSO Membership Coordinator

Thank you to ANSO BOD for supporting the Miami chapter and allowing members the opportunity to represent ANSO during such a special evening.

On Friday, 13 Jan 2023, LCDR Kim Glore (USCG) participated as a HISPA role model at Okeeheelee Middle School in West Palm Beach. LCDR Glore spoke to middle school students about her journey to success as a female military officer and the steps she took to get to her current position.

ANSO and the Miami Chapter continue to support and work hand in hand with HISPA to support our community and our future leaders. For upcoming opportunities and to get involved, please visit HISPA’s events calendar and contact HISPA directly via their website, or send an email to miamifl@ansomil.org to participate as part of a Chapter volunteer group.

Hialeah Elementary School Career Day

Finishing 2022 strong, on December 20, 2022, Miami Chapter members participated in the first career day for Hialeah Elementary School since COVID-19 lock-downs. The day started out with a light breakfast and then participants were assigned classrooms and were sent on their way. Eager student volunteers helped participants get to and from their classrooms and ensured everyone stayed hydrated and fed. One student volunteer kept asking participants if they were a detective, and fortunately for her, she eventually met one and was able to ask all her questions.

Participants came from the private, government, and non-profit sectors and included Fire Rescue, Police, Medical, Finance, Education, Military, Animal Rescue, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Park Service. Classrooms were comprised of students in grades K-5, with some classrooms containing only Spanish speaking students. Presentations were done both in English and Spanish.

The day culminated with lunch hosted by the school. The principal closed the day by thanking participants, the student volunteers, and the staff for their time and effort. Overall the event was a tremendous success. Miami Chapter will continue to build relationships in the community and will post future opportunities in the events calendar. For more information on how to get involved in the Chapter, please email miamifl@ansomil.org.

November 2022 Message and Season’s Greetings

En Familia

Just as lights, decorations, parties, and special meals highlight the holiday season, the recent Western Regional Symposium (WRS) became an unforgettable energizing experience for the ANSO family. With in-person and virtual options for participants, WRS offered high-value presenters and multiple opportunities for professional networking. Mentoring sessions and panels at all levels of the enlisted and officer ranks allowed for reflection, growth, and re-commitment among participants from all Sea Services. WRS was a unique experience for many in attendance, particularly among those joining for the first time. 

During the 2022 WRS, many participants and presenters shared personal stories of resilience and strength. These narratives were, for many, the most meaningful part of the event. The subjective nature of these narratives transcended through the experiences of connection generated by the spoken word. As Brene Brown has said, “maybe stories are just data with a soul.”

These shared narratives seem to have served the group in three different ways:

  • Encouragement: The experience of sharing a personal story is a journey of vulnerability. Certain areas of our past may come through that we are not proud of or may not want to reveal in public. Sharing about ourselves is to embrace those parts of our stories for what they are. By engaging in this process of open vulnerability, courage shines forth. Every step in this journey of self-revelation becomes an opportunity to embolden others to own and share their narratives finding value, meaning, and purpose in them. 
  • Empowerment: The phenomenological character of personal narratives speaks of the ups and downs that led to this time and place. The rich details of travels, people, opportunities, challenges, tears, and laughs make it what it is. At times, thoughts of not being good enough (impostor syndrome) or perceptions that no one else understands may reduce the desire to speak up. The process of telling our story is an exercise in empowerment, confronting the fallacy of empty doubts and taking steps forward with renewed strength. “Si se puede!” recovers its meaning.
  • Empathy: The most effective way to consider the impact of sharing a personal narrative with an audience is by noticing how the story creates connections. A smile, a nod, a tear, or another emotional response amplifies the universal meaning of shared stories. Spoken narratives unify the speaker and audience through shared empathic interactions and active listening. For many, this is an opportunity -or only opportunity in a while- to celebrate belonging and acceptance.

As the holidays approach, share your story. Whether your tradition is to celebrate Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or just the end of the year with special family rituals, food, or music, reach out and pull from your memory what makes this time of the year so meaningful. Share your story with those close to you or take advantage of the opportunities provided by ANSO to share your narratives through social media. Sharing your story has immeasurable power. Give it a try today.

ANSO Familia, build new memories with your loved ones! Enjoy this extraordinary time of the year. May your season be filled with joy, peace, and hope, a blessing to you and your family.

Check out our Season’s Greetings playlist on our YouTube Channel where members share their fondest holiday memories

Meeting HISPA Founder

Dr. Ivonne Diaz-Claisse (HISPA) and LTJG David Castillo (ANSO)
Leaders from HISPA, ANSO, Bank of America, Perry Ellis International, Visa, Wix.com, Walmart, and WeWork.

Last Friday ANSO Miami Chapter President had the pleasure and honor of meeting Dr. Ivonne Diaz-Claisee, founder of HISPA, and met several local leaders from different industries committed to mentoring and supporting our future leaders. We continue to connect with leaders from various industries, sharing ANSO’s mission and commitment to giving back to the community.

Email our chapter at MiamiFL@ansomil.org to learn more about our relationship with HISPA and how you can also become a role model for middle school students in your community.

Adelante con ANSO!

David C.
ANSO Miami Chapter President.