Fabian Lee Martinez served in the Navy from 2001 to 2012 to pursue two of his goals.
“I wanted to serve my country and be a firefighter,” he said. “I was able to do both by joining.”
Today, Martinez is #StillServing in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, as a member of VFW Post 2466. He also works at Texas Tech University as a school certifying official by helping veterans and dependent students use their military benefits to attend college.
In previous roles with local nonprofits, Martinez helped other veterans receive assistance through the Texas Veterans Commission for things like paying their utilities and replacing major home appliances.
Martinez is focused on uplifting and building relationships with his fellow veterans outside of work, too. He created, and now leads, the VETSports Lubbock chapter to provide community members a venue to play anything from softball to volleyball to cornhole. He recognizes the benefits of connecting people in this way.
“Many of us have a close-knit relationship,” he said. “Just having other veterans around makes me feel good.”