Naval Science Instructor

SENIOR CHIEF RAUL MENENDEZ, USN  (Ret.)

Military Biography:

Senior Chief (SW/AW) Raul Alain Menendez Raul Menendez was born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Miami Senior High School on June 16, 1996. While in high school he always wanted to join the Navy. In his senior year in high school, he enrolled in the US Navy Delayed Entry program and four days after his graduation Raul was in Great Lakes, Illinois attending Basic Training in the United States Navy where he graduated in the top 7% of his division and was promoted to Fireman Apprentice. Upon graduation from Basic Training, he attended Machinist Mate engineering A School at Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois from August 1996 to November 1996 and was promoted to Machinist Mate Fireman for graduating in the top 10 percent of his class. He reported on board the USS Fort Fisher (LSD-40) in San Diego, California for his first tour of sea duty. He was station on board there from December 1996 to February 1998 where he was assigned to propulsion division 2 and received all his qualification in the engine room up to Machinist Mate Upper-Level Man. He also completed his first Western Pacific Deployment and was meritoriously promoted to Machinist Mate Third Class. At the completion of the Deployment, he was part of the official Decommissioning Ceremony for the USS Fort Fisher. At the time as Petty Officer third class Menendez then transferred to Pre-Commissioning Unit for the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) in San Diego, California. He was on board this ship from March 1998 to March 2001 assigned to the ships Engineering Oil Test Laboratory whereas the youngest sailor in this shop he led a team of 7 sailors. During this time, he embarked on the commissioning transit to home port and completed his second Western Pacific Deployment, was selected as Junior Sailor of the Quarter, received his first Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and was meritoriously promoted to Petty Officer Second Class. During this tour on December 9, 1999, his first daughter Tamia was born. Petty Officer Second Class Menendez then completed his first tour of Recruiting Duty from April 2001 to August 2003 at NRD Miami in Miami, Florida. He went on to receive his 2nd, 3rd and 4th Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, 1st Navy and Marine Corps Accommodation medal, two Admiral Accelerator awards, Nuke Recruiter of the year, Divisional Recruiter of the year, and was qualified Recruiter in Charge. During this time, he also advanced to Petty Officer First Class. Petty Officer First Class Menendez then returned to the fleet for his third sea duty command on board the USS Duluth (LPD-6) from August 2003 to August 2005 assigned as the ships Oil King. During his time on board, he completed his 3rd Western Pacific deployment, earned his Surface Warfare Qualification, and received his 5th Navy and Marine Corp Medal. After completion of his deployment on board the USS Duluth the ship was scheduled to decommission so he was immediately selected received orders to transfer to the USS Tarawa (LHA-1) as the ships only Automatic Boiler Control Tech from November 2005 to March 2008. During his time on board, he completed his 4th and 5th Western Pacific Deployment, earned his qualification as the youngest Engineer officer of the watch on board the ship, he also earned his Aviation Warfare Qualification and his 6th Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and 2nd Navy and Marine Corps Accommodation medal. It was during this tour in FY 2007 with only 9 years In the Navy he received his selection to the rank of Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy. Chief Menendez then returned for his second tour of recruiting to NRD Miami from March 2008 to September 2011. He was assigned as the Recruiter in Charge of NRS North Miami Beach and NRS Perrine. During his time on April 18, 2008, he married his wife Tara, and she gave birth to his second daughter Celine on January 7, 2010. He received his selection to convert to Navy Career Recruiting force and he earned his Zone Supervisor Qualification. He was then promoted to Zone Supervisor of Zone 1

where he was overall responsible for over 5 USN recruiting offices and 25 sailors, received his 7th Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, 3rd Navy and Marine Corps Accommodation Medal, and was voted as President of the Chief’s Mess. in September of 2011 he transferred to NRD New York. In transit to his next duty station NRD New York, he attended the Navy Career Recruiter Academy in Pensacola, Florida. While assigned in NRD New York Chief Menendez was the Division Leading Chief Petty Officer of Brooklyn Division responsible for 6 recruiting offices and 30 sailors, then asked to lead and fix the Bronx division. During his tour in NRD New York he was selected for Senior Chief. As a Senior Chief in NRD New York he took the roll of officer Assistant Chief Recruiter and was SELECTED by the Admiral of Navy Recruiting as the NRD Miami Assistant Chief Recruiter responsible for 52 navy recruiting offices covering from central Florida, Puerto Rico and the USVI. On December 14, 2014 Senior Chief Menendez reported to Navy Recruiting District Miami as the Assistant Chief Recruiter for what would be his final tour of duty in the US Navy. While in NRD Miami he was one of the leaders that changed the moral and work ethic of 245 Sailors resulting in NRD Miami rise from being ranked last in the region to being Reward the Golden “R” award the highest award a recruiting command can receive. Earning him his 5th Navy and Marine accommodation medal. During his time onboard he continued his dream of leading the future leaders by volunteering at different JROTC units across the state.

Senior Chief Menendez retired from active duty on June 30, 2022, and dedicated a year to volunteer with his church as one of the leading couples in the Fully engaged program, with VFW doing outreach activities for veterans, as well as assisting the Braddock JROTC program. It was this year where he fell in love with the idea to lead and mentor the future leaders through the JROTC program and in August 2023 where he was hired as the Naval Science Instructor at G. Homes Braddock Senior High School.