NORFOLK, Va. –
The duties of a Navy yeoman normally consist of general administrative tasks, such as records management, processing annual performance evaluations and producing official correspondence on a variety of subjects.
When Yeoman 1st Class Ricardo Mejicano recently submitted his active duty definite recall package, he was expecting to assume a traditional administrative role. However, the arrival of his package coincided with the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Suddenly, Mejicano was thrust into an entirely new and challenging role — managing the brand new Distributed Mobilization (DM) program at Reserve Component Command (RCC) Fort Worth, Texas.
“My previous work experience has been in a more traditional setting as a yeoman,” said Mejicano. “I have never worked with managing mobilizations before now.”
A new concept put into action as a quicker way to process mass mobilizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, Distributed Mobilization allows Reserve Sailors to be mobilized through their local Navy Operational Support Centers (NOSC) instead of the normal first stop for mobilization processing at the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Command (ECRC) in Norfolk, Virginia.
Mejicano said despite having a lot to learn and being in unfamiliar territory, he saw his new mission as yet another opportunity to excel.
“When I see something challenging … I take that head on,” said Mejicano. “I think the unknown quality of this billet was intimidating, but I was confident in overcoming the challenge.”
Mejicano, a native of Tyler, Texas, is no stranger to learning new things. He initially served four years on active duty as a logistics specialist at Aviation Support Division Misawa, Japan, before completing his enlistment and joining the Reserve as a yeoman. From there, he used his Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to earn a degree in multimedia marketing and production, and also spent time working at a radio station.
According to Mejicano, taking on new challenges at work gets him out of his comfort zone and helps him learn new skills. But even outside of work, Mejicano seeks to challenge himself and avoid complacency. It is a trait he credits the Navy with helping him develop.
“I think it started in high school. I never had a clear direction, and I always sat around on things I should have made a priority,” said Mejicano. “It wasn’t until I became used to the military way of life I realized I had this potential to really succeed.”
On orders so far, Mejicano has assisted in the mobilization of over 7,200 Reserve Sailors. In addition to learning the new process, he hopes to be able to set future Distributed Mobilization program managers up for continued success.
“I want to lay a solid foundation for those who come after me,” said Mejicano. “I want to make sure that those after me have the necessary information and tools provided to them by the work we are doing now.”