After 40 years in the U.S. Army, Command Sergeant Major Carlos Lopes retired June 28 at a ceremony held in the World War II Museum in New Orleans. He returns to Warwick  after eight years of continuous service — most recently in New Orleans as a senior enlisted advisor at the two-star General level for the 377th Theater Sustainment command.

During the ceremony, Lopes reflected on being asked to join the 3rd Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning in Georgia, where he enlisted in 1984 and completed his basic training as an unassigned airborne ranger.

“I was like, ‘what do they do?’ Because I had no clue. And he showed me pictures of people flying out of planes and doing all this cool stuff. I was like ‘yeah, I’ll do that!’” Lopes recounted. “He says, ‘I’ll give you $5,000!’ I said, ‘even better!’”

The crowd laughed.

“And so I joined. Not knowing what I was getting into,” Lopes continued. “To tell you the truth, it was the best thing I did.”

Over the next 40 years, Lopes completed active duty assignments in the U.S. and Germany before transitioning into the U.S. Army Reserve. As a part of the Reserve, Lopes served with multiple units in Frankfurt, Kuwait, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

“The first lessons they give you is usually what carries you through your life,” Lopes reflected in a video interview posted recently on Facebook by the 377th Theater Sustainment Command. He added he had “the best time” as a first sergeant, helping train and support new recruits.

“They’re coming from different parts of the US, different cultures. But they're yours, for those nine weeks. Those are your soldiers that you need to get ready,” Lopes said in the video.

Lopes completed an extensive military education, attending the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy and taking multiple enlisted leadership courses. He also received numerous decorations, including the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal.

Lopes is married to Karen Lopes — also a retired Commander Sergeant Major — with whom he has a daughter, Alexandra. During his time in the Reserve, Lopes worked as an electrician at Al Dias Electric between assignments.

“Because of his rank and positions, he had to travel often… The experience for him was amazing and he excelled and thrived in all his positions. As for the family, it had its challenges but nothing we couldn't overcome,” Karen wrote in an email to the Beacon.

Returning to civilian life will be “an adjustment for all of us since we have basically been living separate lives,” she added.

“I would do it again in a heartbeat. The military gave me what I have today,” Lopes said in the video. “You just have to hope you made the best choices as you went along your life. But if you didn’t do one piece of it, the rest of the puzzle wouldn’t be there.”