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Andy Soto emigrated from Havana at the age of seven, and today, 17 years later, he serves as a specialist in the United States Army Reserve while pursuing his second university degree in Miami, a journey he attributes to his father's decision to leave Cuba at any cost.
The story of Soto was published yesterday by the Department of Defense through its official information platform DVIDS, as part of the coverage of the military exercise Operation Sentinel Justice, held at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
Soto serves as a specialist in automated logistics in the 873rd Quartermaster Company, 332nd Transportation Battalion, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). At the same time, he is studying full-time at Florida International University in Miami, where he is pursuing his second degree in anthropology, having already completed a first degree in history.
Behind his story lies a past marked by the repression of the Cuban regime. Soto's father, who served in the Cuban Army with the rank of major, was expelled from the armed forces and imprisoned for several months for refusing to sever communication with Andy's grandfather, who was already living in the United States.
“He chose to refuse and was marginalized. He spent several months in prison as a result. Upon his release, he was given a job at the bakery,” Soto recounted about his father.
After leaving prison, the father was relegated to working as a manager of a bakery. Aware of the living conditions and the persecution he faced for having family abroad, he made the decision to leave.
"He managed to obtain a visa through a lottery, which allowed us to visit the U.S. Through the 'wet foot, dry foot' policy, which allowed Cubans to apply for permanent residency, we were able to stay," Soto explained.
From his childhood in Havana, Soto holds onto diffuse yet eloquent memories: "It could be tough: most of the stores were closed, we didn't have air conditioning, but I spent most of my time outside playing with my friends, being a normal kid."
Once in Miami, it was his older brother—eight years his senior and now a retired first-class sergeant of the U.S. Army—who showed him the way. "I used to wear his uniform when I was little and pretended to salute. I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew I wanted to be like my brother," he recalled.
It was that same brother who recruited him from the Royal Palm Recruiting Station in Palm Beach and convinced him to specialize in automated logistics. Soto graduated from Felix Varela Senior High School in Miami and enlisted at age 18, choosing the Reserve instead of active duty to avoid "copying everything his brother had done."
Today, he is participating in Operation Sentinel Justice, one of the largest training exercises in the history of the U.S. Army Reserve, with between 12,000 and 15,000 soldiers deployed in Mississippi. "I feel like I am a good soldier; the unit trusts me with a lot of responsibility as a specialist, and I am looking forward to next year's deployment,” he stated.
It is not the first time that a Cuban in the U.S. Army shares a story of gratitude towards their adopted country. Soldier Lea Nieves spoke in April about her experience in the armed forces, and in February another Cuban confessed what he feels when he is told "thank you for your service". In December 2025, a soldier of Cuban origin sent a message to the Venezuelan people from his position in the U.S. Army.
Soto plans to deploy in 2027, for which he will need to take a year off from his studies. "I will have to take a year for the deployment, but I will finish it when I return," he said about his degree in anthropology.
"If I were still in Cuba, I don’t know what I would be doing. I am eternally grateful to the United States and to the Army for everything they have given me," Soto concluded.
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