As Simple as ABCs
Sanchez joined the Navy 27 years ago after talking with a friend who served as an Aviation Electronics Technician. At the time, Sanchez was working as a janitor and supporting a growing family. He saw the Navy as an opportunity to build a more stable future.
“I was working as a janitor at the time before I came to do all this stuff,” said Sanchez. “I already had a fiancé and a daughter, so I had to make sure I’d figure that out.”
He enlisted as an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) and advanced quickly, making first class petty officer in five years. For Sanchez, success came from a straightforward approach: focus on the job, keep things simple and trust the process.
“I was only five and a half years in and I wasn’t sure if my name was going to get called or not, just because of how junior I was” Sanchez said as he described finding out about his advancement to Petty Officer First Class. “I was in the lounge by myself and my name got called out. My entire work center just rushed in on me and it was great.”
As his career progressed, Sanchez began looking beyond his own work center and toward greater responsibility. He began pursuing a commission, a role that would give him a broader view of shipboard operations and leadership. His decision paid off when he successfully commissioned at his 15-year mark.
“When I was a junior Sailor, I remember walking past the main control office and thinking that I wanted this office,” says Sanchez. “I was making rank pretty quickly. I found the job very easy. I enjoyed what I did. When I made Chief, and eventually Senior Chief, I was deciding whether or not I wanted to go the Master Chief route or the officer route for the second part of my career.”
Becoming a commissioned officer, or ‘mustang,’ allowed Sanchez to build on his enlisted experience while taking on a wider role in the ship’s mission. He saw how the work of individual Sailors connected to the efforts of entire departments and the embarked air wing.
One of his most memorable experiences came while serving aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, where he held his first handler position before reporting to the Roosevelt. The experience reinforced the importance of coordination between the air wing and the ship’s Air Department, especially during combat operations.
“It was very rewarding to see the team in action, both the air wing and the Air Department,” said Sanchez. “To see the support from the ship, to come and make sure that we were taken care of during that time. You get to see the outcome, how everybody came together at the end. Nobody got hurt, all the aircraft came home safe and we were able to finish the task successfully.”
Nearly 27 years after joining the Navy, Sanchez’s career reflects the opportunities that can come from hard work, continued growth and a willingness to take on new challenges. His journey from enlisted Sailor to commissioned officer has also shaped the way he approaches leadership: keep the mission clear, trust the team and avoid making the job more complicated than it needs to be.
For Sanchez, the principle remains simple.
“Simple as ABCs.”
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