Steven Vazquez and Mark “Pablo” Noelle weren’t done hanging out when their tours of duty in the U.S. Army ended about a year apart.
The veterans, Steven from Kansas City, Mo., and Pablo from Hawaii, rekindled their friendship and their brotherhood in August, becoming roommates in Prescott Valley, Steven joining Pablo as a student at Yavapai College and a participant in YC Student Veterans Association activities.
We met Steven and Pablo at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in November where they were helping build a joint YC and ERAU Student Veterans Association float for the Veterans Day Parade in downtown Prescott on Nov. 11 and invited them to share their friendship story. They obliged.
Steven and Pablo met and bonded over almost-shared birthdays, Feb. 3 and 4, while stationed together at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. The two, both assigned to the same Army motor pool, began “hanging out” – exploring the mountains and deserts nearby together and communing about their pre- and post-Army lives.
“When you’re a soldier, you don’t hear a lot of people talk about goals and dreams. But Pablo and I did talk about our goals and dreams and what kind of people we wanted to be,” Steven said.
Something else about Pablo that was different, said Steven, who has a speech impediment: “I could tell he didn’t care how I talked.”
For his part, Pablo, a YC aviation student and martial art enthusiast, said he could “see” the real Steven after their first meaningful conversation and knew “he had the right attitude.” Eight years Steven’s senior, Pablo said he was inspired by what he saw to guide the younger man and help him avoid some common pitfalls of military service.
Steven and Pablo’s friendship made their Army service, including a nine-month tour of South Korea, the life-changing adventure they both wanted. Back in the United States, while still soldiering, they became roommates, traveling extensively together when they could. Pablo also helped Steven improve his eating habits and even taught him how to cook.
“There are vegetables that I never put into my body until I was 23,” Steven said, acknowledging Pablo’s influence.
When Steven’s extension of his Army service was wrapping up at Fort Lewis in Washington earlier this year, he hadn’t yet decided where to put down civilian roots. During leave in May he visited Pablo and fell in love with the Prescott area. A few months later, he moved into the extra bedroom of Pablo’s apartment. That room, Pablo said, was always meant for Steven.
A desire for adventure and experiencing different cultures drew both men to the military, as did the desire to serve their country and, Pablo said, “be someone you can be proud of.”
Post-Army, both Steven and Pablo still yearn for more for themselves and to see more of the world. Hence the aviation degree quest for Pablo and his current service in the National Guard. Along with taking college classes, Steven is delving into investing in hopes of one day having the resources to travel anywhere he wants in the world.
The student veterans attribute their trajectories to their military service and their friendship. “The goals that we talked about starting then (in the Army) are happening now,” Pablo said.
Steven and Pablo know their paths likely will diverge one day. In fact, Steven is considering returning to his hometown to rekindle relationships with family members he hasn’t seen in a great while.
But the pair’s friendship will stand the test of miles and separation, just as it did when Pablo moved to Arizona while Steven finished his commitment to the Army. They are both certain of it.
“I’m going to pay him one day to fly us to the Philippines, or anywhere else in the world we want to go,” Steven said of Pablo.
“We both know every person has their own path. We’ll be fine,” Pablo said, adding, “I’m grateful every day for Steven.”
Yavapai College operates six campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, two baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities.
To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu