MAJ Duran-Stanton

My promotion to MAJ ("major") was today. Another PA and I had the ceremony at the AMEDD Museum at Fort Sam Houston, TX. Ralph was there to help me place my new rank along with COL Gross. Sofia and abuela were there, too. During my speech I talked about how everything goes in full circle. How the first time I was in Fort Sam was as a 17 year old private going through Patiend Admin school and if someone would have told me back then that I would be back to Fort Sam to be promoted as MAJ, I would not have believed it. I talked about how the Army values help not only as a Soldier but as a human being as well. I thanked all the mentors that have helped me achieve my accomplishments. I thanked my family for being there. I also thanked COL Gross who was indirectly a mentor to me and how the first time I talked to her was to find out why I was going to Germany for my duty station as a new PA... she said because I asked for it. I already thought I was going to a post in Georgia so it was a surprise to me to be going to Germany. She said she's been to Germany and told me that I would enjoy being stationed there. I said she was right, I did enjoyed Germany along with the other countries I was able to visit while stationed there... such as Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan (this got a laugh)... and Spain and Italy. I thanked my PA friend for inviting me to be promoted with him... Rafa was the first (and only so far) to salute me... then we dropped him off at the airport for his TDY to El Salvador...never a dull moment being dual military... I'm still practicing on saying my new rank... "major" instead of "captain."