 Each year, the nation celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month from 15 September to 15 October in order to recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to our nation. 15 September is significant as it marks the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on 16 and 18 September. Hispanic Heritage Month allows us to have a national conversation about Spanish-speaking people from all over the countries but it also allows non-Spanish-speaking folks to learn about our culture. Being Hispanic is such a diverse culture. We're not monolithic in cultures, especially being in the military. You get to meet everyone from everywhere. Hispanic Americans have made incredible contributions throughout our history to include serving in each one of our nation's wars, beginning with the Revolutionary War. In fact, 61 service members of Hispanic or Latino descent have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest medal for valor. That number includes two sailors, 13 Marines, and 46 soldiers. The first Medal of Honor recipient was Corporal Joseph H. De Castro of the Union Army for distinguishing himself at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The most recent Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient is Sergeant First Class Leroy Petrie. Then Staff Sergeant Petrie distinguished himself by acts of gallantry at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in Afghanistan on May 26, 2008. Through Hispanic Heritage Month, I've had the chance to reflect on the amount of representation and diversity in all aspects of leadership. Currently, Latino and Hispanic Americans make up more than 17% of our active duty force. We're grateful for their selfless service and devotion to our organization, our military, and our nation. Honestly, being in the military was the first time I've ever felt like I was included. It's a fun month just to be around the people you love. It's like a safe place, too, of being who you are and expressing your roots of being a Latino. BAMC salutes our teammates. We are Team BAMC. We are Team BAMC.