Saturday, November 11 is Veteran’s Day. We’re honoring veterans at Parametrix by sharing their stories. Six employee-owners who have served in the military discuss what Veterans Day means to them, how you can support veterans, and more.
Marcella Aiu | Puyallup, WA
Marcella is a Senior Administrative Assistant who joined Parametrix in September 2023. She served in the United States Navy from 2002 – 2007.
What was your job in the military?
Master-At-Arms (Military Police)
What was your favorite moment during your service?
It was an honor to work special duty in my dress whites during Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day to honor and remember the people who were killed during the attack.
This is an event that I hold dear to me because my grandpa was a survivor and was aboard the USS Nevada during the attack on Dec 7, 1941. I also cherish my time at Pearl Harbor because I was able to visit the exact spot where the ship ran aground and of course, the beauty that Hawaii brings.
What did you learn from serving in the military?
I learned how to be selfless. I put something greater before myself and was able to serve my country. That is a great honor. I also have found throughout the years that there is a bond and cohesiveness between each other that is hard to find anywhere else.
What does Veterans Day mean to you?
I love Veterans Day because it is a great reminder for me to appreciate those moments and be proud of what I accomplished. It also helps me remember how tough those days could be and to reach out to fellow Veterans to thank them and support them any way I can.
Are there any traditions you participate in for Veterans Day?
I really enjoy finding a Veterans Day parade to take my children to and usually come across older veterans that love sharing their stories during the time they served.
What can others do to support veterans?
There are many ways to support veterans. It could be something as simple as listening! There are organizations to donate money, send greeting cards, care packages, etc.
Michael Horntvedt | Seattle, WA
Michael is a Senior Consultant with our Transportation Division. He first joined Parametrix in 1998. He served in the United States Air Force from 1986 – 1990.
What was your job in the military?
Weapons load crew/maintenance on F-15
How did serving in the military influence your career?
I learned about Civil Engineering while in the Air Force and began pursuing my Civil Engineering degree while stationed at Tyndall Airforce Base, Panama City, Florida.
What was your favorite moment during your service?
When I realized all of the women and men in the service come from diverse backgrounds and we can put aside differences to work together for a common good. There was also a lot of fishing on the weekend days and dancing at night.
What did you learn from serving in the military?
We all have something to offer for the betterment of the world and we all have something to learn about each other and about different cultures.
What does Veterans Day mean to you?
It is a time to recognize the sacrifices many people have made in response to continued aggression throughout the world. It is a day to remember the service members, family, friends, and people affected by war. It should be a reminder that diplomacy should be fully exhausted before any form of aggression.
Michael Martel | Puyallup, WA
Michael is a Senior Consultant and IT Manager who joined Parametrix in 2017. He served in the United States Army from 1982 – 2002.
What does Veterans Day mean to you?
Veterans Day is a day of reflection for me. It’s not just a day off or a chance to catch parades and collect free cheeseburgers. It’s a moment to reflect on my experiences/adventures, the people I’ve met, and the places I’ve seen. I also think about the team I lead now in IT, and how similar, at times, it can be.
Veterans Day reminds me of friends lost and sacrifices made, not just by myself but by others who have served and my family with so much time I spent away from them. It’s also a day that aligns with the Special Forces motto of “De Oppresso Liber” to help others. Amidst all this, I’ll try to find a moment to connect with my family, grounding why I served in the first place—to secure a better, safer future.
Kendrick McCabe | Albuquerque, NM
Kendrick is a Cultural Resources Specialist with our Environmental Planning and Compliance Division. He joined Parametrix in May 2023 and serves on our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Kendrick served in the United States Army from 2010 – 2017.
What was your job in the military?
My MOS was a 68×20, or Behavioral Health NCO
How did serving in the military influence your career?
In my position as Behavioral Health, I traveled everywhere on most posts, talking to various soldiers, units, squads, platoons, and commands. I met various personalities and dealt a lot with interpersonal issues. Many of which were remedied with some tough conversations and acknowledgment of being. A lot of these talks dealt with very sensitive topics of suicide, homicide, religion, sexuality, marriage, family, and death. I found that doing such work was rewarding, especially when the soldier(s) would take everything and be reminded they could change their lives and they just needed a little reminder, both at home and down range.
Most of the time, people just want to be heard; their story understood on their terms, in their perspective, and in their own spirit. That really influenced how I go about doing anthropology.
What was your favorite moment during your service?
I went to various trainings, extreme cold weather, air load planner, mountain warfare, etc… the most fun and ridiculous was at Fort Irwin for NTC, essentially the sandbox. Your unit goes there to get certified to redeploy. You pretend to be down range for a month to stress your unit and you get evaluated.
During the training, my gear got placed on a 5-ton and taken to another spot that wasn’t our next jump spot. It was 30 degrees wet and cold, and I, along with one other NCO, had NO sleeping bag. I remember walking around at 2300 in the evening looking for my friend Jules in a heated Humvee, just screaming out his name “SGT Dulce! Take pity on me, grant me shelter!” He never heard me, he was fast asleep, but he was wondering where I was up until that moment. I ended up grabbing three aid station blankets and sleeping on a cot and freezing for two nights before my gear showed up.
The shenanigans are the favorite moments of my service. I look back on them and can laugh. Time to time soldiers I know will reach out to tell me the story of me walking around the desert yelling for SGT Dulce and it always makes me laugh.
What did you learn from serving in the military?
There are so many different ways to deal with adversity. Not all of them HAVE to look alike. Some general chit chat, teasing, mean banter, depending on the crowd, can all be ways of showing respect and affection to your battles. There’s a shared resilience. So many stupid things occurred, that at the end of the day, all you could do was laugh about them or be depressed.
I remember being so tired, up for 42 hours straight, that one of my soldiers looked at me and said “Sergeant… I’m so tired!” and she started laughing, and then I started laughing, and we laughed for 20 minutes straight.
Laughter got me through so many tough times, now I have to start my day with it.
What does Veterans Day mean to you?
This is a hard question for me. I don’t know. I feel a various mixture of things when it comes to Veterans Day.
The “thank you for your service” is so odd. I never know how to react to it. I have an automatic setting in my brain to say “thank you” back. I think for most people, it’s a day to remember those who sacrificed, mind, body, and soul. It’s also a time to reminisce on wars that SHOULDN’T have happened.
It’s difficult to hear “thank you for your service” when there are more wars going on. That phrase feels like something you should say when there’s no more fighting.
I guess for this, maybe a more one-on-one thing is better to talk about it. I try to be open about talking about these things.
Are there any traditions you participate in for Veterans Day?
I’m still on a quest to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner free lol. But I do go have a drink for some friends and leaders who are sadly no longer with us. I’ll toast to them at the bar and tell a good story about them.
What can others do to support veterans?
I think suicide numbers are the biggest thing with Veterans. The transition period is so difficult. There are lots of Veteran organizations that someone can help with. There are two that I really like:
Guitars 4 Vets is an organization that donates guitars to veterans. When we transition out, it’s a WHOLE different world. Our hands have to be busy and there’s nothing more satisfying than teaching yourself one song on the guitar. I know many of my veteran friends who took up a guitar and became so much calmer and more focused just writing poetry, writing songs, and performing. Learning to speak about experiences through music has done much for them, so donating a little to them would be great.
Paws of War is another great organization. They rescue dogs and cats and train them to help veterans. When I was in Afghanistan, we had two combat stress dogs. These dogs were trained to be so calming, and you have NOT seen anything until battled hardened Army rangers, just muscles, with beards and oakleys, carrying their M4’s around, see a dog and give you the highest pitch voice of “a puppy!!!” and run over to pet our dogs. My dogs got me through a lot as well, and I don’t know where I would have been without them. I know vets who are happiest just with their dog in the passenger seat or running around the woods.
Jesse Noga | Tacoma, WA
Jesse is a Construction Manager who joined Parametrix in 2016. He served in the United States Navy from 1993 – 1997.
What was your job in the military?
Mess Management Specialist Petty Officer 3rd Class- I was a galley watch captain, a supply/cargo petty officer, and damage control coordinator on an aircraft carrier, serving overseas in Japan and on forward deployment in the Persian Gulf in furtherance of the Iraqi No-Fly Zone set in the mid-1990’s following the liberation of Kuwait. I served on aircraft carriers through my term of service on both the USS Independence and USS Nimitz.
How did serving in the military influence your career?
Serving taught me a lot about myself, about people from all walks of life and from all parts of the United States; serving something bigger than myself, the discipline it takes to focus, listen carefully, and work together as a team; it helped with my courage, my commitment to excellence, to service, to integrity and ethics (many others are often directly relying on you and your individual performance to advance the whole, the mission), etc.
What was your favorite moment during your service?
Probably watching the open ocean, lit with what felt like a football field’s width of bioluminescent life in our wake, for hundreds of square miles at sea at night. It was so bright and wonderous. I will never forget that.
What did you learn from serving in the military?
I learned to listen. To do. I learned discipline. I learned to be a part of a team. I learned more about courage and bravery. I learned how hierarchical systems are deeply flawed from a leadership perspective if not carefully managed. I learned that missiles, bombs, and jet aircraft are VERY LOUD. I learned how to cook for myself and others. I learned how to clean for myself and others. I learned first aid. I learned how to test my own endurance more than I thought possible. I learned that through passion, training, commitment, teamwork, and perseverance- all objectives are achievable.
What does Veterans Day mean to you?
It is a day I spend reflecting on my past, friends who have come and gone, my life’s goals, my greater purpose, and how I can help contribute toward leaving the world better than I found it. It’s a common theme among those called to serve.
It is a day to remember the sacrifices of our military and their families, our reasons to serve, among many other things.
Are there any traditions you participate in for Veterans Day?
I send messages and try to attend calls with people I served with, and often spend time reflecting, looking at photos, and sharing memories of those times.
What can others do to support veterans?
I think one of the biggest things I think can positively support veterans is not to assume they, like any group of humans, are a monolith in their thoughts, their politics, or their aptitude. I think veterans need support but are often pandered to.
Most veterans can tell the difference between someone who sincerely supports them as an individual, and they hope for substantive support for whatever issues they face- whether mental or physical health or otherwise, and not pandering out of a misplaced sense of national pride or patriotism.
I think people can volunteer to spend time listening to veterans’ stories, helping the disabled veterans from our most recent foreign wars and those who’ve been marginalized for over 40 years.
Pete Ruscitti | San Diego, CA
Pete joined Parametrix in October 2023 as a Senior Consultant and Southern California Planning Lead. He served in the United States Navy from 2003 – 2010.
What was your job in the military?
Surface Warfare Officer (ship driver)
How did serving in the military influence your career?
It taught me the value of being organized, having a plan, and keeping perspective in stressful situations.
What was your favorite moment during your service?
Humanitarian relief mission in Indonesia following the 2004 Asian tsunami.
What did you learn from serving in the military?
The military is a real-world lesson in the value of diversity, with people from every background imaginable living together in challenging conditions. You have to work together to survive.
Are there any traditions you participate in for Veterans Day?
Free lunch at just about every restaurant in America! 
What can others do to support veterans?
Support greater funding for the VA which cares for our veterans’ physical and mental health.
