Andres “Monty” Montenegro

Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army
PhD Executive Leadership, University of Charleston West Virginia

Growing up in Costa Rica, Andres initially enlisted in the French Foreign Legion (FFL) at 21 years old as an opportunity to find himself and completed 6 years of service. During his time with the FFL, he injured his back during a static line jump when his parachute failed. Over the next 4 months he spent recovering in the hospital, Andres was given an opportunity to look inward and reflect on the type of life he desired to have. From this moment he began to strive to be the best leader he could be and help make every organization he works with better.

Andres later enlisted in the U.S. Army and served 11 years and 9 months with the 3/75th Ranger Regiment. He made the decision to join the military to defend the country that had given him everything. Throughout his time in the service, he completed 4 deployments to Afghanistan. It was during a 2017 deployment when Andres experienced his greatest loss as his best friend died in his arms during a mission. Shortly after, Andres set future goals for himself to excel in education. He began pursuing a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership as a way to improve his writing and comprehension of the English language. He graduated with his first degree in August 2021. This event stirred a desire to go further in his studies and complete his master’s degree in strategic leadership in May 2023, while also navigating the responsibilities of his squad leader position stateside and during deployment.

Andres learned about Sentinels of Freedom from the Care Coalition while he was determining what his next steps would be following his transition to civilian life. He applied and has been accepted for mentoring and networking support while he pursues his PhD in Executive Leadership from the University of Charleston West Virginia during the out-processing from the US Army. Andres was introduced to his mentor, Charles Storlie, who has helped him navigate the transition to civilian life and pursue job opportunities that will also support his PhD Studies. Sentinels of Freedom has also been able to assist Andres with a flight and hotel stay, in order to attend the in-person portion part of his studies at the University of Charleston.

Andres recently completed a training course and was hired by SOC, where he will be able to continue serving the United States in a new capacity while also completing his PhD studies. Sentinels of Freedom will continue to follow alongside him on his journey while providing mentoring, networking, and resources while he pursues his personal and educational goals.

“Your unwavering support and guidance have meant the world to me throughout this process and I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported me through actions and thoughts. Transitioning out of the military is hard even if you do the right steps, but I would not be here if I didn’t develop a team mentality and an open mind for the advice from everyone involved in this process.”