MILITARY MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
San Diego - February 2021 By Holly Shaffner
Luis Moret, Jr. Gunnery Sergeant, USMC The professional football season is coming to an end and the U.S. Marine Corps spring season should be starting. COVID-19 has wrecked havoc in the base’s competitive football season; however, one coach has found a way to continue to give back. We are honored to highlight Gunnery Sergeant Luis Moret, Jr. United States Marine Corps, for his volunteer work, on and off base. Coach Moret was born in New York City and was raised in Puerto Rico. He has always loved football; and in high school, his playing skills had developed so well that he was recruited for Syracuse University. He attended college on a scholarship and after sustaining an injury where he could no longer play, he had to drop out of college. Coach’s family had served in the Army and Navy. After working in dead end jobs, Coach wanted more and so one day he walked into a recruiting office. The Air Force and Navy recruiters were out that day, so the Army and Marine Corps recruiters talked to him. He chose to be one of “The Few, The Proud” and enlisted in the Marine Corps. With more than 16 years of military service, he has multiple units under his belt (including overseas tours), and he has deployed to Iraq six times. As a “0629” (his Military Occupational Specialty), he serves as a Communications Chief. This Marine Corps E-7 is looking for ways to better understand his sister branches, so he is voluntarily going through the Navy’s Chief Petty Officer initiation. Gunnery Sergeant Moret has a demanding job in the USMC and is a husband and father of two boys. He has played or coached football since he was a boy. As a Marine, he played at a competitive level during numerous assignments at Camp Pendleton and he coached in the Okinawa Football League. He is back at Camp Pendleton for his current tour and has found a way to pair his love for football with his desire to give back. For the second year, Gunnery Sergeant Moret is the volunteer coach of the Camp Pendleton Bulldogs, a competitive all-active duty team. 10
WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBURARY 2021
“I am just doing my part,” said Coach Moret. “I just love to serve my country and love football.”