Seaman Recruit Reginald P. Micu (US Navy, RTC Great Lakes, Illinois, October 2007-December 2007)

Updated Jun 26, 2025

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Seaman Recruit Reginald P. Micu (US Navy, RTC Great Lakes, Illinois, October 2007-December 2007)

Reiji Minato

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01/28/2024

Seaman Recruit Reginald P. Micu (US Navy, RTC Great Lakes, Illinois, October 2007-December 2007)

My boot camp portrait. I was wearing my US Navy Service Dress Blues (a.k.a. "Crackerjacks" or the "Blue Popeye Uniform"), long before my legal name change to "Reiji Minato" in Pomona, California (July 2013).

I can remember the best of times as well as the worst of times. Instead of being in Division Staff getting beat up with excruciating extra P.T., I worked the laundry room with 7-8 other guys in my division (022). Since I enlisted and shipped out from Coolidge, Arizona, at 17 years young, I turned 18 on November 24, 2007, but kept quiet about it. No cupcakes to subtly celebrate, but that was fine by me.

Upon finishing "Battle Stations" (the final evolution exercise culminating recruit basic training), my division was treated by the RDC's (Recruit Division Commanders - Senior enlisted "Naval Drill Instructors") to a pizza party at a local exchange. There, I sat next to a Commander who initially enlisted as a Nuclear Technician ("Nuke"); he eventually flew F-14 Tomcats as a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO), graduated from the famous TOPGUN Fighter Weapons School, and transitioned to the two-seater F/A-18F ("Foxtrot") Super Hornet as a backseat Weapons Systems Officer (WSO). I owe it to that Commander to keep doing my best everyday until the day I get my own pair of "Silver Pilot Wings" on my chest.

As of 2024, this portrait is over 16 years old. I can only hope one day I'll replace this uniform with the Service Dress Blues in either the US Air Force (as a 2nd Lieutenant - 2nd Lt, Pay Grade O-1E for a prior enlisted-service officer) or the California Army National Guard (as a Warrant Officer 1 - WO1, Pay Grade W-1).

Date & Place: circa December 7, 2007 at Great Lakes Navy Recruit Training Command Great Lakes - 2650 Green Bay Rd, in North Chicago, Lake County, Illinois 60088, United States

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Reiji Minato born Nov 24, 1989 Burbank, California, United States

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Reiji Minato

Thanksgiving '89 Baby. Born Reginald Panes Micu. Adopted the Japanese Kanji name scripture 港令治. Burbank, California native. ISTJ-A. Sigma Male. Former Aviation Electrician (US Navy, 2007-2011). Colegio De San Juan De Letran (Calamba, Laguna, Philippines) 2001. David Starr Jordan Middle School (Burbank, California) 2003. Christopher Columbus Middle School (Canoga Park, California) 2003. Reseda High School (Reseda, California) 2007. Coolidge High School (Coolidge, Arizona) 2007. Cal Poly Pomona 2016 (B.S. in Marketing Management). Los Angeles Valley College - LAVC, 2024 (A.S. in Electronics). Glendale Community College - GCC-LA, 2025-Present (A.S. in Pilot Training). Cypress College (Orange County/OC), 2025-Present (A.S. in Commercial Aviation a.k.a. Airline Pilot Training) Writer, illustrator, Japanologist, adventurer, electrician, ramp agent, industrialist, and aspiring Airline Pilot, Commissioned Officer, and Military Aviator in the US Air Force Reserves/Air National Guard (affiliation outside of California). Future Other West Coast/Inland Mountain/East Coast States transplant. Practitioner of Shorinji Kempo, Muay Thai (Kickboxing), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Kendo, and Naginata-Do. Also sampled Taekwondo, Shotokan Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Hapkido, Eskrima, Judo, and Jeff Speakman's Kempo Karate 5.0.
I am the only child of Nida (Neth) Panes-Micu, a caretaker in Los Angeles and Gerardo (Gerry) Subido Micu, a former Navy shipboard engine mechanic and a mechanical engineer throughout the Midwest and Eastern United States. My parents divorced when I was barely starting 7th grade (around September 2001), and I'm just fighting not to repeat that on my end. As of November 24, 2024, I'm a single 35-year-young man hoping to find the best lady to be with (albeit her imperfections in life).

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