Lambdas in the Community is a monthly biography of a Brother of Lambda Theta Phi who is doing great and important work in his community, and exemplifying the Brotherhood’s motto of “Chivalry Above Self.” The Brother below is but one example of how Lambda Theta Phi is leading the Latino Greek movement.
Name: Gunnery Sergeant Ryan L. Rivera, USMC (Ret.)
Chapter: Alpha Iota (California State University – Long Beach)
Semester: Spring 2007, Pi Line #4
Hometown: Garden Grove, CA
Profession: National Security, Department of Defense
State of Residence: Virginia
Email:
CAREER SUMMARY & BACKGROUND
Ryan Rivera began his life of public service in 1995 when he left for U.S. Marine Corps boot camp after high school graduation. Since that time, he has served numerous assignments in a variety of locations. As a rifleman and fire team leader, he was stationed in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and deployed to Okinawa, Japan and Guam. Following these assignments, Rivera volunteered and was chosen for highly selective duty as a Marine Embassy Guard at U.S. embassies Warsaw, Poland and Port au Prince, Haiti. There he served as a watchstander and Assistant Detachment Commander responsible for the internal security at designated U.S. diplomatic and consular facilities, the protection of classified material, and U.S. citizens. Rivera then served as an interrogator & counterintelligence/HUMINT specialist upon completion of his embassy tour, deploying to such austere environments as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Oman; Singapore; Djibouti; Darwin, Australia; East Timor; Kuwait; and Iraq. His duties entailed the gathering of time sensitive and critical information from and through the use of human sources. Rivera, as team chief, led a team of Marines through the initial invasion of Iraq and the remainder of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. Rivera was wounded during a firefight in an intelligence collection operation in August 2003 that ultimately led to his retirement from the Marine Corps. Rivera’s personal awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal second award with Combat Distinguishing Device, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal second award, Combat Action Ribbon second award, and a Purple Heart.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM SERVING IN THE MILITARY?
There are many experiences that I’ve had at various stages of my Marine Corps career that come to mind with each one having their own significance. There’s not one moment that I cherish more than another. Each experience did have a significant contribution in my professional and character development that shaped who I am today.
WHAT WAS YOUR TRANSFORMATIVE MOMENT IN THE MILITARY?
A transformative moment and single happiest moment in The Corps for me was crossing the parade deck at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego after completing 13 weeks of boot camp and finally earning the title of U.S. Marine. It was the first time that I was able to see my family after committing to the Corps and the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming. I felt an intense sense of pride in myself and in the fact that I had become a part of an elite club that had a storied past.
WHY DID YOU JOIN LAMBDA THETA PHI?
After going back to college, I wanted to enjoy the full experience of the college life that I’ve heard the officers talk about. During the Week of Welcome at Cal State University Long Beach, I talked to several main stream fraternities about their organization. While walking away with pamphlet in hand, I was stopped by a brother who asked me if I had ever thought about a Latino fraternity which was the first time that I had heard of Latino fraternities. I ultimately decided to pledge Lambda because during the informational that Alpha Iota presented, I was impressed by the professionalism that they had in their dress and the way they presented their information. The brothers were all wearing shirts and ties and carried themselves as young men. Conversely, I went to another Latino greek organization that had around 20 of their brothers there mostly wearing baggy jeans and hats turned to the back which gave me the impression that it’s not difficult to pledge their organization and that these guys are not the type of characters that I was looking to associate myself with. Another thing that Alpha Iota did that helped in my decision to pledge Lambda was that the brothers also continued to follow up with me personally whenever we saw each other on campus by saying what’s up or asking how are things going. Even though I was not officially an interest, the brothers would still stop and carry on a conversation with me. These types of interactions that I had with the brothers convinced me that this was the right fraternity for me to pledge.
HOW DID LAMBDA THETA PHI IMPACT YOUR VISION?
The continual pursuit of bettering and improving oneself has been ingrained in me. I recently completed my graduate degree in Homeland Security & Public Safety Leadership at George Washington University and I encourage others to seek improvement physically, mentally, or through other methods, in order to “develop character in the service of God and humanity.”
WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
I am currently employed in national security as a deputy branch chief within the Department of Defense. I continue to stay involved with the Fraternity by co-founding Lambda Eta Alumni chapter in the Washington, D.C. area, serving as its first president, and assisting with the creation of the founding documents.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A BROTHER CONSIDERING A CAREER IN THE MILITARY?
I would encourage any brother who wishes to pursue a career in the service. I would, however, encourage that brother to go in as an officer and to have realistic expectations of what to expect. The Armed Service is difficult and there are many hardships and sacrifices that one must make, especially if serving on active duty, but the experiences are rewarding and life-changing. Go in knowing what you want to do. The service is truly what you make of it, and if one decides to try a change in jobs or duty locations, there are mechanisms in place to make that happen. Deploy frequently and often to learn more about yourself. Brothers can contact me and I’ll walk with them through the process and help them understand exactly what they are committing to do.