Photo By Spc. Devin Davis | Sgt. 1st Class Miguel A. Davalos, a current operations noncommissioned officer for the...... read more read more
An unassuming sergeant first class sits on staff duty, responsible for monitoring the comings and goings of personnel and events at the two-star headquarters to which he’s assigned. During a lull in activity, he quietly discusses the importance of civilian education with his staff duty runner. Any number of activities and conversations fill the void between responsibilities, but this noncommissioned officer focuses on education. It turns out that this NCO has a habit of ensuring every Soldier within earshot knows and takes advantage of the educational opportunities the Army offers.
Sgt. 1st Class Miguel A. Davalos knows something about pursuing civilian education because he previously earned an associate degree and is now working toward his bachelor’s degree. Due to the operational tempo of the Army, his family life, and other important factors, his journey has not been straightforward or easy. However, he perseveres, and Davalos’s journey – inspired by others along the way – pushes him to encourage other Soldiers to pursue higher education.
Davalos’s journey started in Jalisco, Mexico, where he was born the first of four siblings. He lived in Mexico until he was in fifth grade when he moved to Gardena, California, where his family sought a better life for him and his siblings, said Davalos, now a current operations NCO for the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The transition was difficult, leaving friends and family and a place where he fit in. Starting grade school in the U.S. meant he had to continue his education while learning to speak English – no easy task.
Despite being an immigrant and having to learn a new language, Davalos graduated high school and began a construction job, which was working out fine until the Great Recession hit in December 2007.
“I had a good job in construction, doing all the brick walls on the freeways, and then in 2008, it started slowing down. By 2010, our jobs were done,” said Davalos.
But another opportunity presented itself by way of an online video sent from his younger brother. It was an official Army video explaining the duties of a wheeled vehicle mechanic, or military occupational specialty 91B. He joined in May 2010 and “never looked back,” he said.
He also vowed he would never go back to school, but at his first assignment after basic and advanced individual training, he encountered someone who pushed him to develop himself more.
“I thought I was never going to go to school again,” said Davalos. “My first NCO, Sgt. Llana, … asked me to go to school. I said ‘No,’ and he gave me a nice little counseling.”
Then Sgt. Marcelo Llana, Davalos’s team leader and motor sergeant in Fort Carson, Colorado, knew the benefits of a civilian education both in and after the Army, and he knew Davalos had what it took to look beyond the auto parts and engines directly in front of him.
Though Davalos was already working on correspondence courses, “I urged him to apply that level of willingness and motivation to aim it towards a degree – not just for promotion points, but to expand his knowledge as well as strengthening or improve his learning ability,” said Llana.
Llana said he encouraged all his Soldiers to pursue civilian education to better prepare them for civilian life after the Army.
However, taking that step toward higher education is a big one, and Davalos could not ignore his history with schooling. Remembering how difficult school had been because English is his second language and having just become a naturalized citizen during AIT, Davalos was understandably reluctant to start college classes. But he also remembered that he overcame those challenges and graduated high school.
After his initial counseling and receiving Llana's perspective on the value of college, Davalos asked, “How do I enroll?”
“(Llana) did explain to me the importance of being in the military and getting an education and also the (benefits) after the military,” said Davalos. Llana was foundational to Davalos’s educational journey.
“Having experience looks good on a resume, but having both experience and achieving higher education looks even better as a candidate for whatever field someone wants to go into,” said Llana, a 13-year veteran.
Pvt. Davalos started college courses one class at a time in 2012, and since then, his journey has started and stopped and has taken detours. Some of those stops and detours were on behalf of his family; others were due to the work tempo, expectations, and constant moves that come with Army life. Despite all of that, Davalos landed in Fort Irwin, California, where in 2019, he earned his associate in automotive technology – an area he is passionate about and could directly apply in his job, he said. However, it took another motivated NCO's assistance to push Davalos to this first milestone.
Lucky for Davalos, Sgt. 1st Class Juan Morales, the maintenance control sergeant and motor sergeant for the Maintenance Troop, Regimental Support Squadron at Fort Irwin, had a leadership development program that emphasized civilian education, among other areas. This program encouraged Soldiers to complete at least six college credit hours a year.
“Since I was a sergeant, I encouraged Soldiers on two things when it came to development: one is civilian education, and the other is military education,” said Morales, who is now a first sergeant in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. “I did this because I believe that an educated Soldier is a better Soldier. If I allow them to take the classes, they can write better, they can communicate better, and they will perform their job as NCOs better.”
Morales believes that if leaders provide Soldiers access to the right tools and allot them time for educational pursuits, they will excel in their personal lives and at work. In 2019, Morales ensured that when Davalos had practical, hands-on exercises or tests for his degree program, he would allow him time to drive to Barstow and complete them. Morales understood that the personal and professional importance of obtaining a degree outweighed his and others taking up the slack a few days out of the week. The team would sacrifice their time in support of their fellow Soldier.
Morales believed in his program and participated in it, earning an associate degree in sociology and a bachelor’s degree in business administration over 10 years. He is now working on a master’s in organizational psychology.
As Davalos departed Fort Irwin with his associate degree, life happened again, and Davalos took a detour for about four years, but he never lost his drive for continuing education, and he restarted classes for his bachelor's before he moved to Hawaii, he said. He is also taking advantage of the Army’s certification program – Credentialing Opportunities On-Line – to acquire certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, or ASE.
Through it all, the starts, stops, and struggles, Davalos’s family pushed and inspired him. Sometimes, balancing school, family, and job responsibilities became so stressful that Davalos wanted to quit school altogether, but his wife of 21 years, Yuridia, would be the calm in his storm.
“I wouldn't be able to do none of this if my wife wouldn't push me to,” said Davalos. “So many times, it was so rough that I was like, ‘Forget it; I'm not doing it; I'm not doing another class.’ And she was like, ‘Baby, you’ve come so far; don't quit.’ She's the one to have my back from day one.”
Davalos recalls his wife giving him time to complete his studies while ensuring his three sons understood what their dad was doing, he said. Yuridia's actions alleviated the guilt Davalos felt when he was closed up in a room studying for hours on end instead of spending time with his family after work.
His three sons, Michaelangelo, 19; Jeshua, 16; and Nathaniel, 15, are also instrumental to his determination, said Davalos.
“When I started my associate program, I couldn't look back and say I quit, or I didn't finish,” said Davalos. “I couldn't look at my kids and be like, ‘Hey, get your bachelor's degree or get your associate without me having one. Plus, I get to say, ‘I was older, I had a job, and I did it.’”
Today, Davalos is steadily chipping away at his bachelor's, consuming the content of each class as he eyes his future beyond the Army.
“I physically don't want to be under the trucks anymore because I'm getting older,” said Davalos, who has about six years left before he's eligible for retirement. “So, I’m leaning towards (owning) my own business.”
Davalos plans to capitalize on his education to run his automotive shop efficiently and effectively, he said.
But before he goes, he will continue to inspire other Soldiers to take advantage of the educational benefits offered by the Army. Pfc. Antonio Vargas, a transportation management coordinator with 8th TSC, who joined the Army partly for education benefits, was initially reluctant to start school, but Davalos urged him to start now.
“After getting to the unit, I was still trying to figure my way around,” said Vargas. “And it took me a while to enroll into a class, I guess, because I was kind of nervous to. I've never really been good at school.”
However, Davalos convinced him to enroll, ensuring the new Soldier that he would provide him with the tools and time necessary to help him be successful.
Vargas is now a Hawaii Pacific University student with one class under his belt and is currently enrolled in his second class. Vargas said Davalos lets him leave work early to study or complete other college-related tasks, including exams. Vargas is well on his way to earning an associate degree with the ultimate goal of a bachelor's degree in information technology or cyber security.
“(Davalos) definitely takes school very seriously and sees it as a priority,” said Vargas. “He, himself, has three kids, and he pushes them to the max for school. And he always tells me about that. Like, ‘Hey, I'm not just like, targeting you. I have three kids; one of them is in college. I want you to do good.’”
Davalos's oldest son, Michaelangelo, is a college student; he is also an ROTC cadet. Davalos credits that to him taking action – not just talking.
“I didn’t even have to say anything. He just does it. He goes to college, he goes to work, he does his homework, he’s in ROTC,” said Davalos, who transferred his G.I. Bill to his sons.
Davalos has some very brief advice for Soldiers like Vargas who are hesitant to start college courses or certification programs: "Just go get it; you don't get time back.”
Davalos is determined to develop his Soldiers through the civilian education benefits and possibilities the Army offers, including certifications and degree programs. His leaders passed down a passion for professional development to him, and he intends to do the same now and well beyond his final day in the Army.
| Date Taken: | 02.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.09.2024 17:59 |
| Story ID: | 463630 |
| Location: | FORT SHAFTER, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | JALISCO, DURANGO, MX |
| Hometown: | GARDENA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Senior NCO passes legacy of education to next generation, by SGM Nathan Hoskins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Light-Wheel Vehicle Mechanic
