SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio native is representing his hometown while serving with the U.S. Navy’s submarine force in Washington state.
Jacinto, a 1994 Brackenridge High School graduate, is assigned to Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, which supports the Navy’s West Coast ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines.
From growing up in a large San Antonio family to becoming a Navy officer, Jacinto said the values he learned at home helped shape the sailor and leader he is today.
“Coming from a big family, I learned the value of understanding all the different types of personalities, having empathy and putting myself in others’ shoes,” Jacinto said.
His Navy journey began as an enlisted sailor and later led him to become an officer. Along the way, he earned a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering technology from Texas A&M University at Galveston and a master’s degree in applied physics from the Naval Postgraduate School.
One accomplishment holds meaning for Jacinto: earning the Submarine Warfare Pin, known as “Dolphins,” twice, first as an enlisted sailor and again as an officer.
“Very few people get to earn their ‘Dolphins,’ and even fewer get to do it twice,” Jacinto said.
But behind the milestones, Jacinto said his family has been a constant source of support through the moves and sacrifices that come with military life.
He specifically thanked his wife, Shelly, and their children for standing by him throughout his career.
“Serving in the Navy means a lot to me,” Jacinto said. “It’s allowed me to earn my degrees, continue growing as a leader, and serve my country.”
Though his service has taken him more than 2,000 miles from San Antonio, Jacinto continues to carry the lessons he learned at home with him — from his family, his community, and the city where his journey began.