Staff Sgt. Jesus Yanez could arguably be called an American Spartan for the depth and breadth of his military service. It’s a rarity, but Sgt. Yanez has served honorably in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
“It sort of just happened,” Sgt. Yanez told the Air Force on Tuesday. He is currently deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, from the Texas Air National Guard’s 204th Security Forces Squadron in El Paso, Texas, but his service to the country started in 1993.
Sgt. Yanez, a 455th Expeditionary Base Defense Squadron defender, told the Air Force that he started out as a logistics Marine at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and after leaving active duty he eventually returned to military service in 1999 as a master-at-arms in the Navy Reserve in El Paso, Texas.
In 2001, Sgt. Yanez was looking for new challenges, and he found it in the Army Reserve in Fort Bliss, Texas. He became a heavy wheel mechanic until 2006, the Air Force reported. It was during his stint as a mechanic that he heard about about the Air Force’s 204th Security Forces Squadron.
“Regardless of branch of service, everyone always works together to get the job done,” Sgt. Yanez told the Air Force of his military career. “I have also learned that anywhere you go, if you take care of the people below you, they will take care of you. […] The military has given me so much, and I help [young Airmen] understand that if you give 100 percent to the military, it will give 100 percent back to you.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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