Daniel “Dan” Laguna, United States Army
Float Lead Pilot, REACH, Elko, Nevada
Daniel “Dan” Laguna doesn’t believe in wasting anything, including a tough start to life that almost reads as if it came straight out of Hollywood.
Born of Mexican-Native American descent, Laguna’s humble beginnings started with his upbringing in Rio Linda, California, where he recalls being bullied by classmates for being the first minority they had ever seen in school. He says even his teachers derided him, predicting that he would end up incarcerated or amounting to nothing of value, at best.
While cruel and belittling, the jeers and comments didn’t break Laguna — they only made him stronger.
His determination, fueled partly to prove his tormentors wrong and partly to make his military family proud, would propel Laguna into a career of service that would see him as a skilled Green Beret in 1978 and eventually, a member of the, then, brand new 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, where he would spend the rest of his military career.
Early in Laguna’s military career he was an Army Drill Sergeant then an Army Green Beret. He worked for Colonel Nick Rowe, who escaped imprisonment from the North Vietnamese in setting up the Army’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) school. He would also go on to serve in Operation Desert Storm and in Mogadishu, Somalia, where he would help in the search for Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant in the renowned “Black Hawk Down” incident of 1993. Additionally, Laguna served, in secret, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, Philippines, Central and South America, and other war-torn regions of the world.
Laguna’s recognitions include the Air Medal in Desert Storm, Legion of Merit, Silver Star awarded by Poland, Master Parachutist, Combat Diver, Special Forces Tab, Drill Instructor Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Master Aviator Wings, and numerous other awards. Upon retiring from the United States Army, he was awarded the Saint Michael Bronze Award for Courage, Justice, Gallantry and Excellence in Aviation.
Today, the retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 and author of his memoir, “You Have to Live Hard to Be Hard,” has advised world leaders like the King of Jordan, Diplomats, senators, ambassadors, and senior-level officials on all things military and aviation. He also spends his time at GMR, serving at REACH since 2020, first as a flight lead pilot and now float pilot in Elko, Nevada, which he says allows him to visit other bases.
“I have gained lot of flight experience around the world and so this is a way for me to pay back the medical field for all the kindness they gave me when I needed their help,” he said. “Every flight I go on is an opportunity to do good and to help someone in need. That’s where I get my satisfaction. Patients are calling us because they need us.”
Born of Mexican-Native American descent, Laguna’s humble beginnings started with his upbringing in Rio Linda, California, where he recalls being bullied by classmates for being the first minority they had ever seen in school. He says even his teachers derided him, predicting that he would end up incarcerated or amounting to nothing of value, at best.
While cruel and belittling, the jeers and comments didn’t break Laguna — they only made him stronger.
His determination, fueled partly to prove his tormentors wrong and partly to make his military family proud, would propel Laguna into a career of service that would see him as a skilled Green Beret in 1978 and eventually, a member of the, then, brand new 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, where he would spend the rest of his military career.
Early in Laguna’s military career he was an Army Drill Sergeant then an Army Green Beret. He worked for Colonel Nick Rowe, who escaped imprisonment from the North Vietnamese in setting up the Army’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) school. He would also go on to serve in Operation Desert Storm and in Mogadishu, Somalia, where he would help in the search for Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant in the renowned “Black Hawk Down” incident of 1993. Additionally, Laguna served, in secret, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, Philippines, Central and South America, and other war-torn regions of the world.
Laguna’s recognitions include the Air Medal in Desert Storm, Legion of Merit, Silver Star awarded by Poland, Master Parachutist, Combat Diver, Special Forces Tab, Drill Instructor Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Master Aviator Wings, and numerous other awards. Upon retiring from the United States Army, he was awarded the Saint Michael Bronze Award for Courage, Justice, Gallantry and Excellence in Aviation.
Today, the retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 and author of his memoir, “You Have to Live Hard to Be Hard,” has advised world leaders like the King of Jordan, Diplomats, senators, ambassadors, and senior-level officials on all things military and aviation. He also spends his time at GMR, serving at REACH since 2020, first as a flight lead pilot and now float pilot in Elko, Nevada, which he says allows him to visit other bases.
“I have gained lot of flight experience around the world and so this is a way for me to pay back the medical field for all the kindness they gave me when I needed their help,” he said. “Every flight I go on is an opportunity to do good and to help someone in need. That’s where I get my satisfaction. Patients are calling us because they need us.”
.png)
