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Episode Summary
Twenty four years ago, Adrian sat in my high school English classroom. He was quiet. Thoughtful. The kind of student who did not demand attention, but was always paying attention. I do not think either of us could have imagined where life would take him.

Today, he is an Air Force ROTC commander and instructor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, leading and mentoring the next generation of Air Force and Space Force cadets.

But there is a chapter in between those two versions of Adrian that most people never saw.

After 9/11, he felt pulled toward military service, searching for purpose and direction. He became a pilot. He deployed. He stepped into leadership. And in one defining deployment, no one showed up when he left and no one checked in when he returned. In an environment that expects strength and steadiness, he carried that weight quietly.

In this conversation, we talk about what it feels like to grow up unseen, the pressure to hold it together when others are depending on you, and the moment that changed the way he leads. Adrian made a decision that day. If he ever had the opportunity to lead others, he would not let them walk through major moments alone.

Now, as an instructor and commander, that commitment shapes the way he mentors this generation.

This episode is about the moments that mark us, the responsibility that comes with leadership, and the choice to show up differently because of what you once needed yourself.

The Hidden Chapter Moment
Adrian’s hidden chapter was not just the deployment itself. It was what surrounded it, or more accurately, what didn’t.

No one checked in before he left. No one reached out when he came home. In a role where you are expected to be steady and strong, he quietly carried that experience by himself.

That moment stayed with him. Not in a bitter way, but in a clarifying way. He decided that if he ever had the responsibility of leading others, he would pay attention to those moments. He would not let someone walk through something significant and feel invisible. Now, as a commander and instructor, that decision still guides him. The way he shows up. The way he checks in. The way he leads.

Resources and Mentions:

🇺🇸 The LMU Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) : https://academics.lmu.edu/afrotc/

📩 Email: adrianfcruz@gmail.com

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