KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Sergeant First Class Leonel Castillo came to the United States from Nicaragua in the early 80s. He enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was 23 years old taking the first step in his military career.
Now, he currently serves as a recruiter and has been for over a decade.
Castillo is actually one of seven Hispanic recruiters at the Armed Forces Career Center in Kissimmee.
“Throughout the years that I’ve been recruiting, I’ve seen a big influx of Hispanics wanting to serve especially in this area in Kissimmee. We have a majority of people enlisted out of this office are Hispanics,” Castillo explained.
In fact, Castillo said 22% of Hispanic females and 17% of Hispanic males are serving in the U.S. Army. In fact, Hispanics are the fastest-growing population in the military, making up about 16% of all active-duty military, according to the Department of Defense.
News 6 was there as Jose Luis Reategui arrived at the recruiting office on Monday morning.
The 28-year-old is from Peru and said he did not know much English though his goal is to join the Army.
Castillo said it’s important to learn and understand different cultures such as language and history.
“It is extremely important to know who you’re dealing with because for me, it’s not the same recruiting in Philadelphia or when I was in North Carolina, or here in Central Florida. It’s completely different based on demographics, based on the culture,” Castillo said.
Sergeant First Class Isaac Ayala, also a U.S. Army recruiter, is from New York though his parents came from Puerto Rico.
“I felt a sense of duty to join the military and show my family members that I’m grateful to be here; I’m grateful for the opportunities the Army can give you,” Ayala said.
As for Castillo, he’s moving to Richmond, Virginia for three years to continue recruiting for the Army but said once he’s done, he’ll come back to retire in Central Florida.
To learn more about the history of Hispanics in the U.S. Army, click here.
For more Somos Central Florida stories, check out clickorlando.com/hispanicheritage.