Pete Schiavo entered the U.S. Navy right after high school, and his six years in the military were largely spent aboard the Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. For Schiavo, serving his country was the greatest privilege, even when training in alligator-infested swamps, and he rose through the ranks to petty officer second class. But when reflecting on his service, it isn't experiences like sailing five of the seven seas or crossing the equator that make him emotional—it's the fact that he continues to serve by caring for his "brothers and sisters."
As a hemostasis tech, Schiavo applies pressure to patients’ groins to aid in clotting, which affords him a chance to get to know them quite well. “That secret clearance in the Navy never goes away—whatever we talk about during those 30 minutes, I’ll take to my grave!” he said, laughing. “But it’s my duty to do whatever I can for every patient, and I especially take that to heart when a veteran comes in.”