Fort Shafter, Hawaii--The journey for a person to achieve the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Five is a long one. For many, it is the culmination of more than 30-plus-years of active duty service with several deployments and many different duty positions under one's belt. It represents the pinnacle of a career, being the top expert in one's field, and it is something that less than .1 percent of the military achieves.
So the chances of two people making this rank in one family, within a few months of each other, are relatively slim, yet, on Dec. 17, the Army welcomed in their only Chief Warrant Officer Five married couple.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mauricio Martinez met his wife, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Maria Martinez, during the Warrant Officer Advance Course at Fort Rucker, Ala., prior to their Operation Iraqi Freedom '07-'09 deployment to Iraq. Both were Chief Warrant Officer Fours at the time.
"I was working at the 4th [Infantry Division] Fires and Effects Cell and she was working with the 4th ID [supply section,]" said Mauricio. "We've been best 'battle buddies' ever since."
After their tours with the 4th ID, both Mauricio and Maria were transferred to Hawaii, where Maria went to work with the 8th Theater Sustainment Command as the senior logistics advisor in the Distribution Management Center, and Mauricio became the targeting officer for the 5th Battlefield Coordination Detachment. It was in Hawaii where they both were promoted to the highest rank in the Warrant Officer field and became the Army's only "Chief Warrant Officer 10."
"There is a phrase that I learned long ago that has changed my life," Mauricio said. "'Success is something you attract by the person you become. Success is not something that you pursue; it's like chasing a butterfly, you can't quite catch it.'"
Inspired by that quote, along with the family, friends, coworkers, and peers that helped them along the way, the Martinez family went on to great success. Where ever they were, and whatever they did, they made a point to not meet the standard, but to raise it.
"Everything you need to do to transform your life is easy, simply by making the right decisions, one at a time, over and over again, with persistence!" Mauricio added. "Consistency yields results! Life was not designed to give us what we need; life was designed to give us what we deserve."
Combined, the Martinez family has more than 70 years of military service, 10 combat tours.
Both Maria and Mauricio tribute their success to others that they have served over, beside and under during their military careers, and believe that anyone can achieve the same level of success in their lives by looking at those who have dreamed big and went after their dreams.
"Spend quality time with the men and women who have achieved goals and dreams similar to yours," Mauricio concluded. "In other words, model successful mentors, teachers, pastors, masters and allies. Do it daily, weekly and monthly, and you will turn your dreams into reality. I am today living the American Dream."
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