Legalman 1st Class Evelin Garcia, assigned to Region Legal Service Office Northwest (RLSO NW), was selected as the naval active-duty recipient of the 2017 National Image Inc., Meritorious Service Award. The award was presented at the 2017 National Image Training Program in September in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
"Receiving this honor is important to me as a female Hispanic in the military service because I want to set a good example," said Garcia. "I want young women to know that they can make a difference in their communities, workplace, and lives."
The award honors those who supported the DoD mission, oversea contingency operations, or whose attributes best epitomized the qualities and core values of their respective Military Service or Agency. National Image Inc., was founded in 1971 to assist Spanish-speaking Americans interested in government service and developing upward mobility for those in Civil Service employment. Born in Salinas, Calif., Garcia joined the Navy in April 2009 after she earned an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration. She currently works in the RLSO NW legal assistance department where she focuses on customer service to active duty, family members, and retirees. The office provides legal advice, power attorneys, notarial, and will services.
“The Navy has afforded me so many opportunities that might be difficult to achieve without the military being a part of me,” said Garcia. “I decided to make the military my career in 2014 when I decided to reenlist for six more years. At this time, I was transitioning into my current military rate and decided to extend as much as I could. I truly enjoy being a Navy legalman and look forward to going into work every day. Providing services and being able to help active duty, families, and retirees is such a great feeling."
Additionally, working in the military legal field has allowed Garcia to reach out to military service members and their families as a translator.
“Serving in the Navy has helped me develop my leadership skills and team skills allowing me to be a better Sailor and mentor to junior sailors," said Garcia. "Working with people from all backgrounds and paths of life has helped me have better understanding of different cultures and beliefs. We tend to forget at times that the military is a great melting pot of different cultures and sometimes we have families that do not speak English so they feel they cannot turn to their big military family for assistance due to language barriers. I am working diligently every day to narrow that gap.”