Brigade commander shares lifelong experiences with UT El Paso crowd

By Capt. John Brimley, Mission Training Center Bliss, Division West Public AffairsOctober 24, 2014

Brigade commander shares lifelong experiences with UT El Paso crowd
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Raul Gonzalez, 5th Armored Brigade commander, speaks to a crowd of students, faculty members, retirees, fellow service members during the Fourth Annual Maj. Gen. Juan G. Ayala Military Appreciation Breakfast recently at the University of Texas a... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Col. Raul Gonzalez, 5th Armored Brigade commander, speaks to a crowd of students, faculty members, retirees, fellow service members during the Fourth Annual Maj. Gen. Juan G. Ayala Military Appreciati
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Dr. Robert Nachtmann, Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Texas at El Paso, presents Col. Raul Gonzalez, 5th Armored Brigade commander, with a framed photo of the business administration building after his remarks duri... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

EL PASO, Texas -- A brigade commander shared childhood memories and expressed gratitude to service members, veterans and other military supporters at a University of Texas at El Paso military appreciation breakfast here recently.

"It's an honor to be an American," said Col. Raul Gonzalez, commander of First Army Division West's 5th Armored Brigade. "Thank you for all of your support."

The College of Business Administration kicked off homecoming weekend with their Fourth Annual Maj. Gen. Juan G. Ayala Military Appreciation Breakfast with Gonzalez as the guest speaker.

Gonzalez spent his early childhood in his hometown of Bayamon, Puerto Rico before moving to Connecticut at age 10.

"My hometown in Puerto Rico isn't much different than being here in Texas," he said.

Spending much of his time in Bayamon as a child running around barefoot, moving to the United States opened Gonzalez to a world of possibilities, including the hard work that has brought him to where he is today.

"I didn't speak the language, but I worked hard in school," said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has committed 23 years in service to his country where the Soldiers Creed and the Army Values are what he what he preaches and lives by.

"We have the Army values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage, and our Soldiers live by them," he said. "Our Soldiers have the Warrior Ethos."

Dr. Robert Nachtmann, Dean of the College of Business Administration, introduced Gonzalez, but not before giving a brief history of how the appreciation breakfast was birthed.

After being charged by the university president several years ago to develop a program honoring alumnus, Nachtmann reached out to one of the more successful El Pasoans, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Juan G. Ayala.

"I made a few phone calls to contacts that I know and a few days later I had the number to Maj. Gen. Ayala's office," said Nachtmann. "I didn't think I'd call his office and he'd be the one answering the phone."

From that phone call, Ayala became the first honoree at the Military Appreciation Breakfast and the namesake for years to follow.

Much like Ayala, who Nachtmann knows to be both personable and approachable, Gonzalez ended his remarks with thanksgiving, and immediately following the program he thanked the retirees for their service and support and offered advice to the UTEP Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets in attendance.

While speaking to two cadets interested in becoming Army Rangers, Gonzalez told a couple anecdotal stories about guys who had to stay longer and make it through the training. "Stick with it. Never give up. Work hard. Your tab isn't going to say how long it took you to get through it. It just says Ranger. Don't take yourself too seriously and maintain your physical fitness."

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