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It’s been said the U.S. Military takes young boys and turns them into men.
 Former DHS track star Albert Varela will graduate this Friday as a Second Lieutenant from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Upon graduating from the Academy Varela will take his rank and transfer over to the United States Marines where he will serve for five more years. |
The former DHS track athlete will graduate this coming Friday from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where he will then become a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marines while graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics.
Varela, 22, is the son of Albert of Gloria Varela of Douglas. His younger brother Anthony, a senior this year at DHS, has been offered a spot at the U.S. Naval Academy where he could follow in his older brothers’ footsteps. Family members say Anthony has not yet made a decision as to whether or not accept the nomination.
The soon to be naval graduate was in Douglas last weekend spending time with his family before returning to Annapolis for graduation.
He took some time to sit down for an interview with The Daily Dispatch.
Varela says is hard to believe four-years have passed and he’s now on the verge of graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy.
“It’s almost like a blur,” he said. “It went by so fast.”
Varela admits he’s “had a blast” since enrolling at the academy and been able to do a lot of things most kids his age would not have had the opportunity to do.
“I’ve learned so much about people leading people,” he said. “It was one of the best educations I could have asked for.”
As a freshman, or a plebe, as they are referred to at the Naval Academy, Varela says the first year was the roughest because of the demands of being a plebe.
“Those guys are bottom of the totem pole and the center of a lot of negative attention,” he said. “But to be honest with you it wasn’t that bad. One of the things the military academy is worried about is hazing. That was never an issue for me or for anyone I know. My plebe year was a good year – yes it was rough but you get through it.”
Before beginning his first year at the Naval Academy Varela went though seven weeks of intense summer training which is required for all incoming plebes.
The juniors are the ones usually doing most of the “yelling” at the plebes and second year students.
The seniors pretty much oversee what the juniors are doing.
“Their duties are pretty similar to that of what an officer’s role is out in the fleet,” he said. “We’re not actually getting hands on with the plebes or subordinates. We’re pretty much overseeing the entire operation – leading from the front.”
Varela has had the opportunity to lead other Navy midshipmen on numerous occasions and spent this past summer running the plebe summer camp he went through four years ago.
“My role in that was the company commander,” he said. “I had 81 plebes under my command at one time and 14 of my classmates who were required to report to me.”
Varela said that was such an amazing experience because he learned so much about leadership, about organization and about planning.
The U.S. Naval Academy is not just a four-year school there are also summer time duties each student is required to take part in.
Varela said his day during the school year at the Naval Academy usually began around 6:30 a.m. followed by formation at 7 a.m., then a mandatory breakfast which is followed by class time, then lunch and a brief break which can include some kind of military training, then its back to class at which time the students are taught things in military ethics – all geared towards making them officers. In the evening there is more mandatory meals followed by an 8-11 p.m. study hall in the dorms.
After plebe summer the physical training is pretty much done on an individual basis but they are regular tests being done to make sure the soldiers stay in shape. Varela says he’s run the mile and a half run in 8:45; done 91 push ups in two minutes and 101 sit ups also in two minutes.
“You have to learn how to balance your time,” the DHS graduate said. “Some people spend more time on academics while others spend more on working out.”
Varela says last semester he got straight A’s at the academy.
“What made it possible was that all my classes this past semester where pretty much a culmination of what I learned in the last four-years,” he said.
Varela says his most difficult experience at the Naval Academy was adjusting to life away from home especially his first year. It got easier each year after that but he still had frequent calls and letters from home keeping him informed about what was happening here in Douglas.
His most rewarding experience came during the plebe summer camp in which he had 81 freshmen under his command.
“Being able to practice the leadership I had been learning and actually getting to lead those freshmen was by far the most rewarding experience I had during my four-years at the Naval Academy,” he said. “The last four years at the Naval Academy has been the best experience of my life. I had my ups, my downs but in the end it was worth it.”
Preparing for war
Varela says his time at the Naval Academy has helped him become ready for the next five-years of military duty with the United States Marines.
“In my heart I am ready,” he said. “Leading people into combat to me is leadership in the purist form.”
Varela admits however he still has a lot of additional training to go which could take up to another year before he actually leads a group of solders into combat and whose to say after five years he may want out.
“After I graduate from the Naval Academy I will have six months of additional training in Quantico, Virginia … learning the basic skills needed to be a rifle platoon commander,” he said.
After that then he has an additional three to four months of training at a Military Operations Specialty facility.
“Once that’s done then I’ll be assigned a platoon of Marines to lead but even then I’ll still be learning things,” he said. “You’re always learning whether it be new leadership skills – you’re always going to be facing new challenges regardless of what it is your doing.”
Varela is “fully confident” once his training is completed he’ll be ready to lead his group of Marines.
“The trademark of the United States military and the Marine Corps, especially, is the ability to adapt to any situation,” he said. “I am fully confident in my seniors that I will be trained well.”
Varela could have stayed in the U.S. Navy after graduation but opted to join the Marines instead based on their history.
“There is just something about being a United States Marine that I can’t put into words,” he said. “I know in my heart everything they’re doing is for the right reasons. They’re serving their country with honor, courage and commitment. … They’re lean, mean fighting machines. They’re everything you could want in a military service member. Leading Marines is leadership in its purist form. I went to the Naval Academy to be a leader and there is no better place for me to take what I’ve learned and apply it than the United States Marine Corps.”
Kenny Cormier and Varela
Varela says he was aware of Kenny Cormier’s desire to join the Marines before the announcement became public shocking many of Cormier’s followers and supporters.
“Nowadays we kind of have this view of enlisting in the military as it’s kind of like a last resort – people do it to get money for college or things like that,” Varela said. “People should know that couldn’t be further from the truth. People serving in today’s military are more educated, more technically trained than ever before and they are more patriotic and are in it for the right reasons.”
The former Douglas Bulldog admits however he was surprised by Cormier’s decision because he had everything he wanted at Arkansas where he was running on a full-ride scholarship.
“But I completely understood where he was coming from,” he said. “I fully support his decision … I’m very happy for him.”
Cormier graduated from basic training this past Friday and will be home briefly this week before departing on for additional training as a full fledged United States Marine.
Varela says from here on out he and Cormier will be forever linked as “Marine brothers.”
Brother Anthony offered appointment
Gloria Varela advised The Daily Dispatch shortly before the interview with Albert that Anthony has been offered an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he will join another former Douglas graduate Luis Luy who just completed his plebe year.
“He’s in if he wants it,” Albert said. “Right now he’s kind of on the fence not sure if he should go to school somewhere else or at the Naval Academy.”
Albert says he knows his brother very well and feels the Naval Academy would be a good fit for him.
“I had the same fears going into the academy as he does now but it couldn’t have turned out any better for me and I think it will turn out the same for him,” he said.
Varela says he enjoys being in the military and what it has to offer.
“You can’t find any more loyal people than what there are currently in the military,” he said. “I’m ready to serve. … I’m proud of what I’ve done, what I’ve accomplished; this is what I signed up for.”
Family
Part of enduring the last four-years was because of the love and support of his family, Varela said.
During the interview Albert’s mother got emotional hearing her son’s passionate words about all that he has gone through.
“I’m so proud of him,” Gloria said choking back tears of joy. “Just hearing him talk today made me realize how much he’s grown up.”
The U.S. Naval Academy has its graduation the same day as Douglas High School. Gloria, a member of the Douglas School Board, is in Maryland today taking part in Albert’s pre-graduation festivities but will return Thursday for Anthony’s graduation.
Albert was co-valedictorian when he graduated in 2004 from DHS but seeing him grow and mature the way he has through the Naval Academy, Gloria says is truly inspiring.
Gloria admits she is concerned for her son and what could happen to him should he go to war.
“What mother wants her son to go to war?” she said.
Gloria says during her visits to the Naval Academy she is so impressed with the discipline all the young men and women show.
But she also admits all that discipline, begins at home.
“It’s such an amazing place,” she said of the Naval Academy. “It’s like a whole other world.”
Varela and Rear Admiral Leonard
Records at Douglas High School indicate Varela is more than likely the first DHS student to graduate from the Naval Academy.
William Leonard, who was born in 1916 in Douglas and was a 1938 graduate of the Naval Academy, did not attend Douglas High School.
Leonard went on to become a Rear Admiral with the U.S. Navy before passing away in 2005 following a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Navy.
Admiral Leonard took a prominent part in the Battle of Midway in World War II. He was received two awards of the Navy Cross for his Naval service, as well as the Legion of Merit the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal (8 awards) and the Bronze Star Medal.
Leonard is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
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