Staff Sergeant Zane Alvarez, US Army
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After Staff Sergeant Zane Alvarez enlisted in the U.S. Army as a behavioral health technician in 2012, he sat down to write a bucket list. The very first item on the list was “make an impact on someone’s life.” His 19-year old self had no idea what that would really mean. He does now.
From the very beginning of his career, Zane was an all-star. He’d volunteer for every opportunity that came his way, including deployments. Normally, behavioral health techs support the medical providers in whatever tasks need doing, but Zane was a true force multiplier. In addition to accomplishing his primary mission, he utilized his lived experience to train medical providers on caring for other transgender soldiers. Zane used his experience to bring people together and ensure everyone got the care they needed for their situation. Writing of his service, he said, “Every one of us has our own unique journey, but the one thing that unites us is the oath we took when we raised our right hands and pledged to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. This bond, shared by all service members, is something I hold in the highest regard, especially among those who are transgender. It’s a testament to our shared commitment and resilience, no matter our individual stories.” Zane was often the one helping others find the resilience they needed to face their challenges. He made a habit of posting his bucket list on his refrigerator as a reminder of what he wanted to accomplish. One day, a battle buddy was over and noticed the old yellow sheet of paper on the fridge. Zane’s friend walked over to the list and crossed out the line that said to make an impact on someone’s life. He told Zane, “You’re the reason I’m still alive.” Zane was recently Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of Inpatient Behavioral Health Services at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA. He is a native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. You can read more of Zane's story in 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 |