Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Bragg | Daniel Montano walks toward the stage after being announced as the recipient of a...... read more read more
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – U.S. Marine Corps representatives from Recruiting Station Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Marine Corps Recruiting Command, and Region 4 Headquarters, Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to present a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship on June 1, 2023.
The NROTC Program is a multi-year program that was established to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers and runs concurrently with a student’s normal college or university educational course of study. In addition to the normal academic workload, NROTC students will attend Naval Science classes, practice drill within their unit, conduct physical training together, and are generally taught the leadership principles and ideals of a military officer.
The scholarship was presented by Capt. Omar Feliciano and Capt. Yahia Aldhahraa during an official ceremony at the Asociación Escuelas Lincoln to Daniel Montano, whose parents are U.S. diplomats in the Foreign Service and currently assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires.
“I’m ecstatic and I feel like this is something I’ve worked for, for a long time,” said Daniel, a native of Twentynine Palms, Calif. “It’s been my dream my entire life to be a United States Marine Corps officer.”
Daniel was awarded $180,000 from the Marine Corps through the scholarship, but his journey to get there started in October 2021 with a conversation between his mother, Alina Montano, and Capt. Aldhahraa, a Marine Security Guard Officer, who happened to be conducting a semi-annual inspection with the MSG detachment at the embassy.
Alina mentioned her and her husband’s desire for Daniel was to go to college but also knew he wanted to follow his dream of becoming a Marine officer, and Capt. Aldhahraa suggested the NROTC Program could be the best option.
“We got in touch with Capt. Feliciano, through Capt. Aldhahraa, and he started guiding us on what to do as far as submitting a package with all the requirements,” said Mateo Montano, Daniel’s father and a retired U.S. Marine who also served on the MSG Program.
In addition to excelling in academics at school to complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Daniel’s father helped him train for the physical fitness test requirement for the NROTC Scholarship Regular Board. The MSG detachment in Buenos Aires monitored and certified his PFT, which improved his competitiveness for the board.
“Daniel was ranked number two out of a total of 144 applicants on the 6th Marine Corps District NROTC Regular Board,” said Feliciano, who is the Executive Officer of RS Ft. Lauderdale. “The collaboration between MCESG Region 4 and the 6th MCD, Recruiting Station Ft. Lauderdale, is an example of prioritizing the future of our organization while supporting American families serving overseas.”
The 6th MCD oversees seven U.S. states and Puerto Rico and has just a small number of scholarships it is able to award. Capt. Aldhahraa, the MCESG Region 4 Executive Officer, mentioned that Daniel’s selection proves that MCRC’s reach extends to all American citizens, not just those who reside within the U.S.
“MCESG Region 4 and RS Ft. Lauderdale’s close relationship facilitated the validation that Foreign Service families posted abroad can be added to MCRC’s population of American students eligible to apply for the NROTC scholarship,” Aldhahraa said. “Daniel Montano’s selection to receive the scholarship directly builds on the wide representation MSGs provide the Marine Corps by increasing the routes available to becoming a Marine for those desiring to serve despite geographic barriers to Marine Corps recruiting stations.”
With his father serving in the Marine Corps and transitioning to the Foreign Service alongside his mother, Daniel’s life has been filled with many unique challenges and diverse cultures. But one thing that remained constant across the eight different counties he lived in – the U.S., Bolivia, Austria, Germany, Nicaragua, Chile, Hungary, and Argentina – was the Marine Corps.
“I’ve spent my entire life traveling from embassy to embassy surrounded by Marines with the MSG detachments, and it’s inspired me even further to become a Marine,” Daniel said. “It’s just that sense of camaraderie that inspires me to push and achieve my goals even more.”
After Daniel had been notified that he received the scholarship, he and his parents took a road trip from Daytona Beach, Fla., to Albuquerque, N.M., visiting colleges and NROTC Programs along the way. Daniel’s parents wanted him to find a college in the area, as it would allow him to maintain a support network through his family and friends while they continued serving overseas within the Foreign Service.
The Montano’s visited several universities and Daniel ultimately chose to attend Texas A&M University due to the structured organization of the Corps of Cadets NROTC Program, but his mother admitted she was a little intimidated at first.
“I’m here thinking, ‘Why do you want to join the Corps of Cadets? There are other NROTC programs that are easier to do,’” Alina joked. “As a mother you just know that this is what my kid wants to do, and there’s no way I’m going to stop it. I’m just going to have to help him go through this.”
But for Daniel, he was not intimidated. He saw the program as an opportunity to better himself and continue to grow.
“I really got a feel for how strong the Corps of Cadets is at Texas A&M,” he said. “It’s well-renowned throughout the nation, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about how they produce good leaders who are well organized and determined. It’s a great program that gives you the best experience and best possibility to succeed when joining a military service branch, or in my case the Marine Corps.”
Daniel walked across the stage at the Asociación Escuelas Lincoln on June 2 and became a high school graduate. Shortly after, he departed to attend New Student Indoctrination at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., for several weeks, which provides standardized basic military instruction to new ROTC students. Daniel will begin attending classes at Texas A&M University this fall.
Even though he will be off on his own, Daniel’s parents reiterated they are proud of him and will continue to support him throughout his journey.
“We’re just real happy, and we’re looking forward to seeing him grow through four years of college and then in the military”, Mateo said. “It’s not a popular place nowadays, the military, law enforcement, and all of these public service institutions. So, him knowing all that and still wants to go out and serve his country, I just couldn’t be prouder of him for his decision.”
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2023 16:48 |
| Story ID: | 447443 |
| Location: | BUENOS AIRES, AR |
| Hometown: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 504 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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