Soldier achieves goals set at early age

She’s a thinker. She’s a planner. She sets goals for herself and carries through. She knew in her heart what her goals were from the early age of 13, and she has accomplished them all, and more.

Meet Sgt. Angelica Perez, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 21st Theater Sustainment Command truck driver and administrative assistant. For Perez, joining the Army was her goal since she was 13 years old.

Born in a small town in Mexico, 27-year-old Perez is the third oldest in her family of six children. During her time in Mexico, she learned firsthand the meaning of respect, honor and hard work. Perez credits her parents with helping her learn to live with these values.

“My father worked in the U.S. for many years while the rest of us lived in Mexico,” Perez said. “My parents knew that being separated would be hard, but my father had to earn money to take care of us. I didn’t see my dad very often, but I saw the results of his hard work.”

According to Perez, this distance made her parents’ bond stronger.

“Their marriage seemed unbreakable; I never saw them disrespect each other,” Perez recalled.

When Perez was seven, her family moved to California.

“My parents wanted us to have the opportunity to grow up in the U.S.,” Perez said.

The entire family began the process of becoming official U.S. citizens while still in Mexico. This process, which continued when they arrived in the U.S., was no easy road, according to Perez.

“We did it the right way,” she said. “It was difficult, but not impossible to get the paperwork to go through the process for all of my family to move to the U.S.”

The process, according to Perez, included physical exams and undergoing a background check.

“We took tests and had to show why we wanted to become citizens of the United States,” she said.

Once the entire family became citizens, they moved to Dinuba, California, a small town about 30 miles southeast of Fresno, and the place where Perez’s father had been working for a number of years. Perez completed high school there and then continued her education by receiving her bachelor’s degree at Fresno State University in Physical Education. Her degree was a major milestone in her life, but her goals did not stop there.

From an early age Perez wanted to join the Army as soon as she graduated college.

“I love physical education and knew I could fall back on it if my dream of being in the Army didn’t work out for me,” Perez said.

In February 2014, Perez realized her dream and joined the Army as a specialist.

“I saw the good for me in joining the Army,” she said.

After attending basic and advanced training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, Perez landed at her first duty station as a truck driver for the 39th Transportation Battalion, 21st TSC. She quickly changed her position and became the driver for Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Rhoades, the senior enlisted advisor for the 21st TSC.

Perez was promoted to sergeant in November 2015. The normal progression for a specialist to be promoted to sergeant is 36 months.

“Sgt. Perez is an outstanding NCO who will go as far as she wants to in the Army,” Rhoades said. “I am very proud of this milestone that she has reached so quickly. Her promotion to sergeant within 21 months again shows how committed she is to the Army and to her career.”

Perez credits reaching this milestone, along with all others she has accomplished, to the strong family ties she has developed throughout the years.

“I believe that love for my family is the most important aspect in my life, because they give me unconditional support. Regardless of the time or occasion, my family has always been there for me,” Perez said. “Every little step or big goal I have achieved is thanks to the education and support my
family has given me.”

Perez feels proud to serve as a Soldier in the 21st TSC, and says she could not be in a better place. She views her Army peers, mentors and leaders as her second family, and she brings the same values to her military family that she learned growing up, including respect, loyalty and hard work. Just as Perez considers her family her backbone of strength, respect and love, she feels that as an NCO she now has the opportunity to be the backbone for those Soldiers she hopes to soon support.

“I feel lucky to have two families,” Perez said. “As a leader, I will carry on the traditions, customs and courtesies of the U.S. Army. I want to give the Army my motivation, dedication and knowledge to support our mission on a daily basis. I know I have a long way to go, but I will get there.”

Another aspect of Perez is that she has been playing soccer since she attended elementary school in Mexico. When she became a U.S. citizen, she continued playing for the soccer team in Dinuba. She has continued her zest for soccer by joining the TSG Kaiserslautern Frauenfussball, a local women’s soccer team.

“I love to play soccer. I love the teamwork, the workout and meeting new people,” Perez said. “I am also hoping to learn some German.”

Perez’s flexibility, openness and desire to improve in all areas of her life help her to exceed her performance at anything she attempts. Her current plan is to be a career Soldier, to serve 20 years and continue to progress, not only for her Soldiers but for the Army mission.

“I want to be in the Army long enough to lead and become a command sergeant major,” she said.

Perez plans on taking more military classes in order to continue to create a terrific promotion packet that continues to make her stand out above the other NCOs.

“I want to build a great career so that I get promoted on my own merits,” Perez said. “I am motivated to have Soldiers under me that I can support and assist in becoming better Soldiers themselves.”