MODERNIZATION AND ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION


INTO THE BREACH


Martinez-Vega at a June 2018 test of the Assault Breacher Vehicle at Aberdeen Test Center. (Photo by Aberdeen Test Center)


things are done the way they are. “Tat it is always done this way should never be the answer. Te reason for a decision or action matters as much as the action itself,” he said.


It was a love of airplanes that got him into the world of engineering, but it’s the love of his family that keeps him focused on his work. In fact, he said, having a family has fundamentally changed the way he approaches his job. “I optimize tasks to make sure my team does not lose long weekends or have to spend more hours at work than they should,” he said. “Family also makes my drive for Soldier safety stronger than ever.”


He recalled seeing a poster on the walls of his office building several years ago—an


image of a Soldier with two young chil- dren, as a reminder of the importance of safety. “Being a Soldier is a dangerous duty—there’s no way around that fact— but a Soldier should not fail to return home to their family because their equip- ment was unsafe or did not work right when they needed it to,” he said. “When I’m doing my job, in a situation where I have a decision to make—am I going to speak up or not? Am I going to be that person right now, or not? I think about those kids and I think about my kids, and it makes the choice really easy.”


Troughout his career, Martinez-Vega said, that is the most important lesson he has learned—staying true to his standards. “I learned that when I was younger but I’ve applied it continuously through my


career,” he said. “If I do not compromise my values, I will not regret my decisions, even if the consequences are difficult.” He has also stayed true to his original dream of working with airplanes, though he hasn’t achieved it just yet. “I don’t work with aircraft, which is, I guess, a left turn I took.” But he’s still working toward that goal. “I am currently part of the Academic Degree Training program to earn my M.S. in aerospace and aeronautic engineering,” he said. “It was a life goal—an expensive life goal—more than a career goal. After I’m done, perhaps I’ll move to an avia- tion position, but I’m not sure yet what the future holds. Maybe I’ll pick up a hobby after that.”


—ELLEN SUMMEY


https://asc.ar my.mil


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