NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, Calif. –
Exceptional. Dynamic. Hard charger. Visionary. These are just some of the words used to describe the leadership of Fleet Readiness Southwest (FRCSW) Shore Senior Sailors of the Year. The award, which is issued on a yearly basis by Commander Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRC), FRCSW’s parent command, selected LS1 (AW/SW) Ramiro Luevano and AS2 (AW/SW) Aaron Sanders, have been selected as the honorable recipients of this award.
Petty Officer Luevano was born in El Paso, Texas and graduated from Ysleta High School. He entered the Delayed Entry Program in February of 2008, which allowed him to enlist prior to his initial training in boot camp and he attended Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois later that year. In August of 2020, Petty Officer Luevano reported to FRCSW Detachment North Island where he was hand selected to lead FRCSW's largest division consisting of 139 limited duty (LIMDU) and pregnant sailors across five work centers, while simultaneously managing and maintaining 252 sailors across seven divisions. LS1 Luevano demonstrated that he thrives in any leadership position, in or out of his current area of expertise. In addition to those roles, he also served as team captain for the command’s flag football team where he strengthened and promoted esprit de corps throughout the entire command. Luevano flawlessly executed his duties and his role as the Supply Leading Petty Officer resulted in a cost avoidance of $89,000. As First Class Petty Officer Association Vice President and Sailor 360 Lead (a U.S Navy enlisted leadership training program for First Class Petty Officers and Chief Petty Officers) he was the driving force behind these successful programs which resulted in seven selections to Chief Petty Officer.
“Petty Officer Luevano represents our Navy’s core values of honor, courage, and commitment. He is immensely involved in this command and his extraordinary dedication has proven to be an invaluable asset to FRCSW. Through leadership and mentorship, Luevano develops his subordinates and guides them to the highest standards, preaching mission first and people always, as his job demands of him. His personal behavior is beyond reproach. His devotion to his Sailors is unparalleled and his dedication to the Navy's mission is shown in everything he does.” – FRCSW Officer in Charge, Commander Jason Martinson
Petty Officer Luevano has 3 children and is married to Mrs. Stephanie Luevano, from Bronx, New York. The couple lives in San Diego, California where he spends his off-duty hours volunteering for local elementary schools, Little League baseball teams, and PETCO Park events representing himself, his command, and the Navy.
One of six kids, Petty Officer Aaron Sanders Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended True Bright Science Academy Charter School where he starred as an athlete on the Men's Basketball team. He graduated in 2015 as one of the top students in his class and enlisted in the U.S. Navy the following year. He reported to the John C Stennis CVN-74 Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier in June of 2016 where he was assigned to the air department as an undesignated Aviation Boatswain's Mate. Sanders reported to FRCSW in August of 2019 where he quickly became a full systems Collateral Duty Inspector and began training and mentoring junior sailors. He was also hand-selected to lead the biggest and most demanding work center within the 900 Division. He led the production efforts of seven technicians in completing over 5,000 maintenance actions on more than a thousand support equipment assets. He supported 24 tenant commands, 43 transient squadrons, 64 detachments, and 7 enabled Navy Region Southwest facilities. Furthermore, his leadership efforts have resulted in molding his subordinates and peers resulting in five advancements in paygrade, two Sailors of the Month, and one Blue Jacket of the Quarter, a recognition for sailors who stand out above the rest in boot camp.
Among his collateral duties, he also serves as the Suicide Awareness Representative for the command where he is fully engaged in fostering a positive influence and focused resiliency. He tirelessly facilitated training sessions to prevent stress problems both professionally and personally. Moreover, his subject matter expertise brought awareness to suicide and stress minimizing suicide risk by enhancing Sailor’s inclusive events such as FRCSW Suicide Awareness Golf Scramble and MWR basketball tournament.
“Petty Officer Sanders is a premier Second Class Petty Officer who stands out amongst his peers and excels in every endeavor and assignment. His selfless desire to see them succeed is truly commendable and his actions have earned the admiration and respect of those around him. He is the type of leader whose principles are defined by the ability to inspire and motivate subordinates beyond their own individual expectations. Serving his peers and junior Sailors is the strength of his character and mentoring them is the core element of his natural leadership ability. Petty Officer Sanders inspires the highest levels of initiative, cooperation and achievement among them.” – FRCSW Officer in Charge, Commander Jason Martinson
Petty Officers Luevano and Sanders’s commitment and focus to the mission have driven them far in their career. However, these Sailors of the Year go beyond demonstrating their commitment to excellence in the Navy. They impact the next generation of sailors who look up to their example as the standard for leadership and merit. While serving as role models and mentors, their outstanding leadership adds more talent to the command and even impacts communities outside of the Navy.