An Alice Independent School District coach and teacher has returned home after serving more than a year on military deployment overseas, bringing his decades of service experience back to the classroom.
Army Sergeant First Class Martin Martinez Jr. returned to Alice sooner than expected due to a service-related injury after being deployed to what he described as a hostile environment overseas. The veteran educator, who has served in the Army for 30 years, managed 17 facilities during his deployment but couldn't disclose his exact location for security reasons.
"When duty calls — obligation — you know — I'll fulfill my obligation when I have to," Martinez said before his deployment in November 2024.
Martinez's military career began in 1996 when he enlisted in the Army at age 20, inspired by those who served before him.
"It's just an honor," Martinez said about his service.
The coach and teacher said he couldn't have made it through his deployment without FaceTime calls home and the prayers of his community.
"All the community — everybody, my family and friends, and the community around Alice — thank you for all their prayers. Because prayers do help. They really do," Martinez said.
Now back in the classroom at Noonan Elementary, Martinez is teaching the youngest students and sharing lessons that extend beyond textbooks. He hopes even his young students understand the sacrifices others make for the freedoms they enjoy.
"There's other countries where students can't just go to school. So it's a privilege and an honor that there's people willing to sacrifice so they can get educated and be successful," Martinez said.
Martinez said coming home always reminds him why he has proudly served for three decades in the Army.
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