Inspired by her family’s struggles and the community’s response after the Aug. 3 mass shooting, an El Paso sailor shared her story of serving in the U.S. Navy in Japan. <\/p>\n
After graduating from El Dorado High School in 2019, Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Noelia Granados left El Paso to join the Navy, hoping to challenge herself with military service instead of going to college. <\/p>\n
“I wanted to challenge myself,” Granados said. “I wanted to step outside my comfort zone, become more independent and build the confidence and life skills that would prepare me for my future.”<\/p>\n
Granados said her decision was shaped by her parents’ example.<\/p>\n
“My parents built a life for us from very little,” Granados said. “Everything they sacrificed motivated me to work hard and build something that would make them proud.”<\/p>\n
As the oldest sibling, Granados said she feels a responsibility to set an example for the younger ones.<\/p>\n
“Knowing my brother and my little sister look up to me makes me proud,” Granados said.<\/p>\n
RECOMMENDED: UTEP dancer selected for Phoenix Suns dance team, coach praises her rise<\/a><\/p>\n Granados said that, growing up in El Paso, she recalled how the aftermath of the Walmart mass shooting shaped her sense of community, as she constantly checks on her shipmates to make sure no one feels alone. <\/p>\n Professionally, Granados said one of her proudest accomplishments was coordinating logistics planning for a ship as a junior sailor while working alongside first class and chief petty officers, an experience she said strengthened her confidence as a leader.<\/p>\n For Granados, she said, the greatest reward has been the people she has met.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Navy changed me into a completely different person,\u201d Granados said. \u201cI’ve grown so much, and everywhere I’ve been I’ve found another family.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently, Granados is assigned to Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Yokosuka, where she supports logistics operations across the Pacific, working alongside sailors from around the United States and around the world. <\/p>\n NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka is the Western Pacific\u2019s largest U.S. Navy logistics command. From its headquarters near Truman Bay, about 26 miles (41 kilometers) south of Tokyo, it oversees a network of more than 20 detachments and sites ranging from Misawa, Japan, to Stirling, Australia, and from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to Guam. The command provides logistics support to the Navy, Marine Corps and other Department of Defense and federal activities within the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.<\/p>\n Naval Supply Systems Command, headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, employs more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel who provide supply, acquisition and logistics support to the Navy and joint forces worldwide.<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED: El Paso health workers participate in national protest, calling for fair pay and staffing<\/a><\/p>\n