William A . Navas , Jr . William A . Navas , Jr . ( born December 15 , 1942 ) is a retired United States Army Major General who served as the Director of the Army National Guard . He is also the first Puerto Rican to be named an Assistant Secretary of the Navy . Early life and education . Navas was born in Mayaguez , Puerto Rico on December 15 , 1942 . His family has a long tradition of military service , including his grandfather , Colonel Antonio M . Navas , who served in both World Wars . His father , Captain William A . Navas , Sr . served in World War II and had a successful career in civil engineering upon his retirement from the military . Navas received his primary and secondary education in his hometown of Mayagüez . After graduating from high school , he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico , Mayagüez Campus , and received his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering . He joined the Beta - Activo Chapter of Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity , fand served as chapter president from 1963 to 1964 . In addition to his degree from the University of Puerto Rico , Navas completed a Master of Science degree in Management Engineering at the University of Bridgeport . Navas completed Army qualification courses for the Engineer , Military Police , and Infantry branches . He also completed specialty courses including Jungle Warfare . He was the Distinguished Graduate of his class at the United States Army Command and General Staff College , and graduated from the Inter - American Defense College . Navas also completed the Program for Senior Managers in Government at Harvard University ' s John F . Kennedy School of Government . Career . Navas completed the ROTC program while in college , and joined the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant of Engineers . He served more than five years on active duty , primarily in West Germany . From 1968 to 1969 he served in Vietnam as Commander of Company A , 168th Engineer Battalion . In 1970 Navas joined his family ' s construction business , ( Navas y Moreda ) , and became a member of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard . He advanced through a series of command and staff assignments , including command of the 125th Military Police Battalion , 1st Battalion , 296th Infantry Regiment and Combined Task Force , 193rd Infantry Brigade , attaining the rank of Colonel in 1981 . In 1981 he became a full time member of the National Guard . After serving in several assignments at the Headquarters of the Puerto Rico National Guard , in 1987 he was selected to succeed Richard D . Dean as Deputy Director of the Army National Guard and promoted to Brigadier General . In 1990 he was chosen for the position of Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau and promoted to Major General . Navas served as Vice Chief until 1992 , when he became Executive Officer of the Reserve Forces Policy Board . From September 1994 through October 1995 Navas was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs . In October , 1995 Navas was assigned as Director of the Army National Guard , and he served until May , 1998 . He was succeeded by Roger C . Schultz . From June , 1998 until retiring from the military in October , 1998 Navas was a Special Assistant in the Office of the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army . Assistant Secretary of the Navy . After retiring from the military Navas became the Chairman of the American Veteran ' s Committee for Puerto Rico Self - Determination , an organization which he co - founded . On June 6 , 2001 Navas was nominated by President George W . Bush to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy ( Manpower and Reserve Affairs ) . He was sworn in on July 17 , 2001 , and served through January , 2008 . From 2008 to 2011 Navas served as Executive Director of the National Security Professional Development Integration Office at the United States Department of Defense , the first individual to hold this position . Later work . Since 2011 , Navas has been a Senior Advisor at Dawson & Associates , a Washington , D . C . consulting firm . Badges :