LCHS grad nears goal of becoming a Naval officer

Naval Officer Candidate Leonard Thurman, a Las Cruces native and 2007 graduate of Las Cruces High School, is enrolled in Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.

Thurman describes the process as “a grueling 13-week program” deigned to put him and his classmates to the test morally, mentally and physically. He said he’ll find out this month whether he will graduate from the program.

If he passes, he’ll be commissioned as an ensign. Eventually, he said, he hopes to advance from the enlisted ranks to become a Naval aviator. 

A former ballroom dancing champion, Thurman said he joined the Navy to push his limits and join a cause greater than himself. He answered a series of questions from The Bulletin.

Bulletin: When did you leave Las Cruces to go to training camp?

Thurman: I left Las Cruces well before I joined the Navy. I’m 31 years old, and I enlisted in the Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician just last year. The first time I left Las Cruces was prior to graduating from New Mexico State University. I lived and studied Chinese language in Shijiazhuang, China, under the Confucius Institute for a year. The second and more permanent time I left was upon being hired as a staff instructor at Colorado Dancesport, arguably the top ballroom dance school in North America. I left Denver to enlist in the Navy in 2019 and left my first command in California in May of this year. I miss both my Colorado Dancesport and Big Red families.

Bulletin: What are the three things you miss most about Las Cruces?

Thurman: New Mexican food for sure. If anyone has not tried green chile from Hatch -- and only from Hatch – they don’t know why the New Mexico staple is so legendary. The beauty of the area. Between the type of desert, the smell of mesquite bushes after a rainstorm, the Organ Mountains and White Sands, there’s no place like it. Most of all, I miss my community that brought me up to make me the person I am today. I couldn’t do it without them. I owe a lot of my success and experiences to my Las Cruces family.

Bulletin: What do you like best about the training camp?

Thurman: As a senior student in the training pipeline, I have found that all the lessons that I have learned, consciously or unconsciously, are making themselves clear, and I am able to reflect on them to better prepare me for the challenges of enacting my duty as a Naval officer. The staff are exceptional and offer mentorship, which I have found extremely rewarding. The hundred years of experience the staff brings to the table further enhances the learning experience. Their mentorship is a priceless gift that I appreciate wholeheartedly.

Bulletin: What do you like least about it?

Thurman: Indoctrination phase. I do not think you will find one candidate who enjoys that phase of three long weeks. I also got the pleasure to do it twice. Glad to have the experience, literally got the shirt. Never again.

Bulletin: How is COVID-19 affecting your training experience?

Thurman: It’s hard to say because I have only experienced it in a COVID-19 environment. I have also grown used to the mask wearing and social distancing. It feels like a part of normal life after several weeks of practicing the safety procedures. The Navy prioritizes safety over everything else, so we follow strict measures in order to ensure a COVID-19 free safety environment.

Bulletin: Do you have any opportunities to do ballroom dancing during off hours?

Thurman: Unfortunately, no. The beauty of ballroom and Latin dancing is that the art needs a partnership to execute, and I am unaware of any other candidate who has the ability. I would also need the means to play music, which is not the focus of training, so there’s really no opportunity. Upon graduation, due to COVID-19 there is also little opportunity to dance due to social distancing.

Bulletin: Has anyone teased you about your dancing? If so, how do you respond?

Thurman: No. I think to some candidates that it registers that dancing was my profession for many years and they’re more interested and curious about my experience and ability as a dancer. Even if there was negative feedback, I have never let anything like that discourage me. I loved every minute of my time as a professional dancer, and it is still a cherished part of me. Oh, and I’m still a great dancer and dance instructor.

Bulletin: What are your ultimate Naval ambitions, and how do you plan to achieve them?

Thurman: I’m not sure yet. When I decided to join the Navy, I knew I wanted to join but didn’t really have a specific goal. As I was going to “A” School in Pensacola, the Blue Angels frequently practiced right over our heads. From when I first saw them, I was immediately inspired to fly among their ranks. With extreme focus after getting to my first command, I worked extremely hard to demonstrate that I was a top performer and to finish the OCS Application process in three-months time. Currently, I’m in the pipeline for Naval flight officer. I was disqualified due to eyesight, but I plan to correct my vision and hopefully prove to the Navy again that I am a sailor they want flying jets when the opportunity comes and then rush for a spot on the Blue Angel Team. As specific and inspiring that is for me, really the most important “ambition” is to be a great leader and a positive influence to everyone around me. Everything else will fall into place. Come find me in about 14 years and ask me how flying the Blue and Gold colors feels.

Bulletin: Do you recommend enlistment to other Las Cruces graduates who are searching for work?  Why or why not?

Thurman: Absolutely. I have had many great experiences in my life, and the Navy is definitely one of them. There’s nothing like serving in our country’s armed forces. I think more Americans should join the service. You grow so much as a person, and you have the best of us around you. It’s a family. As much as I loved being a dancer, the Navy is the best job I have ever had.

Bulletin: What’s the first thing you want to do when you get to come back to Las Cruces?

Thurman: Enjoy the three things I miss: New Mexican cuisine, the unique landscape and my people back home.

Bulletin: What else should our readers know about you?

Thurman: Whenever I consider a life-altering commitment, I contemplate the potential decision for a long time. The Navy is one of those commitments, just like marriage or moving to a different country or starting a family. After enough reflection, I know in my heart to make the right decision almost all the time. My grandfather always told me that I could do anything if I set my mind to it, and I 110 percent believe that. If you want it and take the necessary steps and do the hard work required, you’ll make it someway. I would say from enlisting last year February to commissioning a year and a half later, my grandfather is an extremely wise man.