A Legacy of Duty, Honor, Achievement
A Legacy of Duty, Honor, Achievement
September 2025
By Karl Harness, LTC, U.S. Army
Master Sergeant Gerald Diaz was a sophomore in high school when the tragic events of the 9/11 terror attacks occurred. By 23 July of 2003, Master Sergeant Diaz enlisted as an infantryman in the U.S. Army and one year later in 2004, he was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the larger Global War on Terror. This September 11 marks the last day in uniform for Gerald after 22 years of honorable service.
To commemorate his service, Master Sergeant Diaz had one final request; to salute the flag he so honorably served through the Global War on Terror one last time. His request was granted at the New Mexico Military Institute but with a unique twist. The flag he would salute was the same flag he carried with him on every combat deployment throughout his service, which included carrying it with him on combat patrols. Gerald said he could not recall where he got the flag, that it might have come from his father, but regardless, he decided to take it with him on his first deployment to Afghanistan in 2004. He would take it on subsequent deployments to Iraq in 2005 and 2009, Afghanistan again in 2017, and Syria in 2020.
Master Sergeant Diaz recalls his most memorable moment with the flag, “The most exciting experience with this flag was flying it off my truck while on patrol in Syria. It was pride for us while on patrol, signaled to friendly forces we were Americans, and let the Russians know who we were when we were conducting operations.”
On September 11, 2025, Master Sergeant Diaz led the Cadet Color Guard who raised his flag over the New Mexico Military Institute for reveille that morning. Giving the orders to raise the flag during the playing of reveille, which signals the beginning of the duty day, Gerald saluted the flag one last time as the non-commissioned officer in charge. The flag flew proudly over the Institute until the flag was lowered, and retreat sounded, signifying the end of the duty day. At this point, Sergeant First Class Gomez assumed command of the Cadet Color Guard, who lowered the flag and folded it with care while Master Sergeant Diaz gave his final salute in military uniform. A powerful symbol of respect not just for Master Sergeant Diaz’s service, but a fitting closure to the end of the Global War on Terror and all the service members who answered the nation’s call.
Gerald’s path to NMMI began when he was a young man in Junior ROTC in Albuquerque, NM. “I remember coming here for a drill competition and was so impressed with the discipline. You could feel it in the air.” Gerald recalls. By 2021, he and his family would find themselves back at NMMI but this time, with Gerald serving as a Senior ROTC instructor. Over four years, he contributed to the training of SROTC cadets and would see approximately 120 of these cadets become Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Army.
The most impactful memory of his time at NMMI is when he received his first salute. “I didn’t really know the origins of it until Cadet Heacox asked me to be her first salute. It didn’t hit me how much of an impact I made until she asked me.” The first salute is a tradition when newly commissioned officers receive their first salute from an enlisted member, usually someone who made a significant impact on them during their officer training. In exchange for the salute, the officer provides the enlisted member with a silver dollar, symbolizing their gratitude for the mentorship given by the enlisted member.
Master Sergeant Diaz may be retiring, but his family’s service to NMMI and the nation continues. Gerald’s wife, Cheryl, will continue her service as part of the NMMI staff while Gerald starts his service with the Border Patrol. Their daughter, Aricela Diaz, is currently at Basic Training to become a supply specialist. She will enroll in the New Mexico Military Institute and join the ROTC program to earn her commission in the same program her father served in, helping create some of the U.S. Army’s newest Second Lieutenants. Master Sergeant Diaz’s impact reverberates not just in the halls of NMMI, but throughout the U.S Army.
