ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., November 10, 2022 –USDA Rural Development State Director Patricia Dominguez is asking everyone to show our appreciation this Veterans Day to those who served in the armed forces for our country.
Dominguez said, “Veterans Day is a time to recognize and reflect on those who joined the military to watch over and to project our country.” Dominguez added, “Let’s not forget we have our freedoms because of their service, and we need to honor them every day.”
This Veterans Day, Dominguez is recognizing the Rural Development staff who served in the United States armed forces. They are:
- Joseph Castillo served a total of 22 years in the United States Air Force. Joseph proudly reports he serviced various types of aircraft while he was in the Air Force. He says he was glad he had the opportunity and enjoyed the experiences he had to serve our country for 12 years overseas in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
- Carlos Contreras served nine years in the Army/Army Reserves with the 387th Engineer Unit attached to the 411th Combat Engineer Brigade during the Persian Gulf Wars and in Honduras in 1988. Carlos reports he will never forget seeing the joy of the liberated people of Kuwait.
- Mireya Lomas served five and a half years in the United States Navy where she was an X-ray Technician and Corpsman Medic (Vocational Nurse). Mireya talks about an incident when one day she received call to track down a much needed medical record. She located it and overnighted the record to a hospital overseas. Her efforts were able to get a soldier airlifted to a hospital for his medical care. Mireya says she’ll never forget that day, because she said, “You never know whose life you can have a positive impact on!”
To learn more about New Mexico’s USDA Rural Development’s veterans click on this weblink: https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/USDA-RD-Veterans.pdf
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