Alberto Diaz, Jr.

Infobox Military Person
name=Alberto Diaz, Jr.
born= birth year and age|1943
died=
placeofbirth= San Juan, Puerto Rico
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption=Rear Admiral Alberto Diaz, Jr. First Hispanic to become the Director of the San Diego Naval District and Balboa Naval Hospital
nickname=
allegiance=United States of America
branch=
serviceyears=1976-2003
rank=
commands=Director of the San Diego Naval District and Balboa Naval Hospital
unit=
battles= Gulf War
awards=Legion of Merit (2) Meritorious Service Medal (2)
laterwork=
Rear Admiral Alberto Diaz, Jr. (born 1943) is the first Hispanic to become the Director of the San Diego Naval District and Balboa Naval Hospital.

Early years

Diaz was born and raised in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, where he received his primary education. He completed his secondary education at Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut. After he graduated from high school, he applied and was accepted at University of Rochester in upstate New York. Subsequently, he transferred to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. [http://www.medalofhonor.com/AlbertoDiazAd.htm Medal of Honor] ] [http://www.navy.mil/navydata/news/mednews/med99/med99026.txt Navy News] ]

Naval service

After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree, he enrolled at Butler University, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and earned a Master's Degree in Psychology. Following that, he applied and was accepted to University of Barcelona Medical School in Barcelona, Spain. After earning his Medical Degree, Diaz joined the United States Navy and in 1976 was commissioned an officer. While serving in the Navy, he continued his education, doing his internship and residency in Psychiatry at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Washington, D.C.. His first post-graduate assignment in the Navy was Chief Resident at the Naval Center, Bethesda, Maryland. Then he was sent to the Naval Medical Regional Clinic, Marine Corps Development and Education Command, Quantico, Virginia, where he served as staff psychiatrist and Clinical Director of the Alcohol Rehabilitation Service. [ [http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=3413 Defense link] ]

Among other assignments which he has held are Chief, Department of Psychiatry as Fleet Liaison Officer and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Medical Staff, Naval Hospital, Rota, Spain. Diaz established and served as Director of the Navy's only Alcohol Rehabilitation Service in Europe. During Operation Desert Storm, he was ordered to the 1st Medical Battalion, 1st FSSG, at Camp Pendleton, California.

Naval Medical Center San Diego

In 1998, Diaz was assigned as Commander of the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, cite web|accessdate=2007-04-15|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug1998/m08071998_m130-98.html
title=General and Flag Officer Assignments |date=August 7, 1998
publisher=DefenseLINK News, U.S Department of Defense] , becoming its first Hispanic Commander as well as Lead Agent TRICARE Region Nine. As Commander of the Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), he was in charge with providing leadership and management of the command, planning, directing and administering the operations of NMCSD. He was also responsible for the professional care and services provided to the patients in the Medical Center.

As Lead Agent TRICARE Region Nine, his role was to advance the partnership and communication between the military health system leadership, military treatment facilities, the managed care support contractor and the civilian network to provide beneficiaries access to a high-quality integrated healthcare delivery system.

Diaz held these positions until July 10, 2002 when he when was transferred to Washington, D.C. and named Chief of Staff/Program Executive Officer Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Diaz retired from the Navy on June 13, 2003, at a ceremony held at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Later years

Rear Admiral Alberto Diaz, Jr. currently resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland with his family. He is a member of Annapolis Center Board of Directors and serves as a spokesman on the subject of health issues. In 2002, "Hispanic Business magazine" selected Diaz as one of the most influential Hispanics in the United Statescite web|accessdate=2007-04-15 |url=http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/influentials/details.asp?id=335&year=2002
title=Alberto Diaz Jr., Influential Hispanic for 2002
work=2002 Influentials |publisher=HispanicBusiness.com] On February 12, 2004, SAIC's Enterprises (Science Applications Incorporated) and Health Solutions Business hired Diaz and five other retired senior military healthcare leaders to serve in its newly founded Military Health System. Their job is to help SAIC strategize and design innovative solutions for itself and its teammates to meet the growing and complex needs of military customers. [ [http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/personfactsheet.php?id=408 Exxon] ]

Awards and recognitions

Among the many awards and recognitions which Diaz has received are the following:

* with Gold Star
* with Gold Star
*

ee also

*List of notable Puerto Ricans - Military

Notes

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