Oscar Vazquez has an inspiring story on his own

The following is an excerpted story written by a U.S. Army Public Affairs reporter in January of 2014. It's about the patriotism of one of Hayden Community High School four.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF RICHARDSON, Alaska - Army Sgt. Oscar Vazquez, a cavalry scout, took his first steps on American soil as a child, when he and his mother illegally crossed the Mexican-American border in Douglas, Ariz. They were joining his father.

Years later, Vazquez excelled in the classroom at Carl Hayden Community High School in Phoenix. He particularly enjoyed being a part of the school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, where he aspired to become a soldier in the Army.

He wanted to go to Army basic training between his junior and senior year like some of his friends did, but his foreign citizenship disqualified him. Army enlistment would have to wait.

In the meantime, Vazquez didn't let his foreign credentials hold him back from performing at a high level as a student and cadet. He was awarded the JROTC Officer of the Year trophy and he earned a spot on the school's marine science program's robotics team.

The team's main project was to construct a remotely-operated underwater vehicle to compete at a national competition in Santa Barbara, Calif. Most high schools entered the Ranger division, while colleges and universities competed mainly in the Explorer division.

"We saw who was going to be in the Explorer class, and it was mainly universities, and the Ranger was all high schools. We were like, 'Well, if we can join either one, we might as well go against universities, that way if we lose, then it will be against a university and not another high school'," said Vazquez.

The team named the robot Stinky because of the strong fumes generated by the pipe glue used to construct it.

"We had to put it together in one afternoon, so we had to glue all of the joints at the same time," Vazquez said. "It was a small area, maybe the size of a cubicle, and it stunk really bad in there. We would go in and work for like five minutes and then rotate out with each other."

Stinky's capabilities included neutral buoyancy, on-board video cameras, an audio recorder, a water sample collection point, a robotic arm, and trolling motors for movement.

Vazquez's high school team went on to beat out collegiate teams from across the county, to include the highly respected and prestigious team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The competition earned Vazquez national recognition, and Arizona State University offered him an academic scholarship. He accepted the school's offer and spent the next four years earning his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

Through all of his accomplishments, Vazquez was still saddled with illegal status. His wife and child were both American citizens, and he knew he needed to try for legal residency.

Vazquez made the tough decision to return to Mexico and apply for legal U.S. residency. His application was denied. Consulate officials told him it could take possibly a decade for approval.

He filed for a waiver, but accepted the decision and acquired employment working the night shift at a manufacturing facility in Sonora. He remained in Mexico for nearly a year.

"(Sen.) Dick Durbin asked Homeland Security to consider my case again and, out of nowhere, it just got approved for a visa to come back," Vazquez said. "I had a green card and a social security number - and for the first time, I got a driver's license!"

Vazquez used his qualifications to fulfill his lifetime dream of being a soldier. He came back to the USA in August of 2010 and joined the Army the following February.

"I really wanted to go and fight for the country that had raised me," he said. "Luckily, I got to JBER July 19th, [2011] and we left to Fort Polk to train, and then three months later we deployed. So, I got to go on that 2012 [Afghanistan] deployment, which was really what I wanted to do."

During his time in the Army, Vazquez has gone on to attain full U.S. citizenship. As a combat veteran, Vazquez has earned his citizenship.

"I was inspired and deeply moved by Sgt. Vazquez's personal story," Lt. Col. Richard Scott said. "It is exceptional individuals like Sgt. Vazquez who serve amongst our ranks that make us the best Army in the world."