Naval Sea Systems Command > Media

NSWCDD cybersecurity lead finds courage to start anew in the United States
September 21, 2023 — “I knew I needed to leave Puerto Rico because I wanted to give my family a better life.” When Joseann Peralta Castro, a native of Puerto Rico, came to the United States in 2016, he was terrified of speaking English. “I would watch television shows before we left Puerto Rico to learn English,” said Peralta Castro.Peralta Castro came from a lineage... MORE

IMAGE: Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division cybersecurity lead Joseann Peralta Castro of the Strategic and Computing Systems Department moved to the United States in 2016 looking for a better life for his family.

PSNS & IMF joins the Navy and the nation in recognizing the many contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans
September 12, 2023 — The history of America is a history of diversity. The fabric of our nation is woven with threads of diverse communities, cultures, experiences and perspectives. The national observance months we celebrate throughout the year offer an opportunity to spotlight many of the communities who have shaped our nation and continue to make an impact... MORE

"Todos Somos, Somos Uno: We Are All, We Are One" is the theme for the 2023 National Hispanic Heritage Month observance, which begins Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15. (U.S Navy illustration by Robin Lee)

NSWC Dahlgren Division’s Isel Caro: From a Small Town in Texas to the Naval Academy and Beyond
October 15, 2022 — Capt. Isel Caro’s life began in a single-wide trailer in the “Land of Heart’s Delight,” otherwise known as Falfurrias, Texas. Depending upon who you ask, the town either derived its name from the Lipan Apache language or from the name of a desert flower. Life was cramped for Caro’s family in the trailer where he lived with his parents and brother... MORE

NSWCDD Physicist’s Love of Food and Photography Promotes Understanding and Acceptance
October 7, 2022 — “When you understand the other’s background, you understand where they’re coming from and then the conversations and relationships are more meaningful,” said Elixia Ross, a Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) physicist. “Food, photography and even language can help us see things we thought were unique to our culture and help us... MORE

IMAGE: Elixia Ross, a Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division physicist from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, uses her love of food and photography to promote understanding and acceptance among her coworkers and others.

NSWCDD Systems Administrator Inspires Team by Leading by Example
October 3, 2022 — Since the 1960s, Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) systems have protected the United States naval warfighter.Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) plays a crucial role in the nation’s success in the SLBM arena. For the last 27 years, Team Lead and Systems Administrator Hector Minero has worked with the SLBM program at... MORE

IMAGE: Hector Minero is an electrical engineer and systems administrator in the Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile program at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. Minero and his family moved to the United States from Central America when he was a teenager.

An Astronomical Passion Sparks NSWC Dahlgren Division Scientist to Shoot for the Stars
September 28, 2022 — As a native from Salinas, Puerto Rico, a small rural town on the southern coast, Scientist Nohely Miranda-Colon traveled the distance to make an impact at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).Miranda-Colon started her path to NSWCDD with several internships at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and an... MORE

IMAGE: Nohely Miranda-Colon, a native to Puerto Rico and a scientist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division is spotlighted for National Hispanic Heritage month. She emphasizes the importance of having diverse scientists and engineers who bring a unique background and understanding to the team.

Alexander Rivera-Jimenez has learned to "be quick" in time at NSWC Dahlgren Division
September 26, 2022 — When Alexander Rivera-Jimenez was a student at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez (UPRM), recruiters from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) participated in a job fair on campus.The effort was part of an ongoing initiative to attract a diverse pool of talent to NSWCDD.Rivera-Jimenez received a job offer on the spot in... MORE

IMAGE: Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren employee Alexander Rivera-Jimenez leads more than 20 contractors as the Nulka Project Manager in the Electronic Systems Warfare Branch.

NSWC Dahlgren Division Branch Head Uses Heritage in Everyday Leadership Style and Management
September 20, 2022 — Mission Assurance and System Assessment Branch head Loraida “Lory” Santiago-Mendez at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) has always used her community-oriented style of leadership, which she credits to her Hispanic heritage, to bring out the best in not only herself but her team members as well.Originally from Bayamon, Puerto... MORE

IMAGE: Mission Assurance and System Assessment Branch head Loraida Santiago-Mendez uses her well-rounded background and Hispanic heritage to promote community-oriented ideals and values to her team members.

Hispanic Heritage Month: SEP 15 - OCT 15
September 19, 2022 — From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, Americans are asked to take the time to celebrate and honor the contributions and accomplishments of the Hispanic Americans of our nation.Rather than dividing us, this month is an opportunity to come together as a nation and lift up a community that spent many decades underappreciated for the ways they helped build,... MORE

Graphic recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month. (U.S. Navy graphic by Taylor Curry)

From Puerto Rico to Virginia: NSWC Dahlgren Division Employee Goes the Distance for Software Innovation
September 16, 2022 — For Wildaly Honaker-Medina, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, taking that leap of faith meant leaving behind her family, friends and home, and venturing to an unfamiliar region for an opportunity to utilize her expertise and technical skillset in computer science and software development.“When I first entered into the computer science field, I... MORE

IMAGE: In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division highlights Strategic and Computing Systems Department Leadership Coordinator and Acting Chief Engineer Liaison Wildaly Honaker-Medina for her vast technical expertise, leadership and mentorship and outstanding contributions in advancing software technology.