From immigrant to Marine | Lt. Col. Jose L. Montalvan - S.O.S. podcast #118

S.O.S. (Stories of Service) - Ordinary people who do extraordinary work

At the age of 11, Jose was sent on a 2,000-mile, month-long journey through three countries to come to America. He left behind the only family he ever knew to escape conscription in the Nicaraguan military and have a chance at a better life.
This is one of those stories that illustrates why I started this podcast. It’s about overcoming immeasurable odds and making things happen no matter what life throws at us.
Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol) Jose L. Montalvan, originally from Nicaragua, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1995 from his adopted home of Hialeah, FL.
He graduated from the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training Program in 2000. Upon graduation, he was selected for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program.
LtCol Montalvan attended Florida State University as part of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Criminology. LtCol Montalvan was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2002.
As a company grade officer, LtCol Montalvan served as the Motor Transport and Assistant Logistics Officer for the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, where he deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He subsequently served as the Executive and Operations Officer for Recruiting Station Albuquerque, NM.
As a field grade officer, LtCol Montalvan was the Expeditionary Branch Officer-In-Charge at the Marine Corps Logistics Operations Group.
He then completed his Joint tour at Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, United States Strategic Command, where he served as an Integrated Missile Defense Watch Commander and later as the Global Ballistic Missile Defense Training, Education, and Exercise Director.
Upon completing his Joint tour, LtCol Montalvan served as the 6th Marine Corps District Recruiting Operations Officer. LtCol Montalvan is currently the Assistant Chief of Staff G-4 for Marine Forces Japan.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and volunteers himself in countless civic organizations, most notably the Association of Naval Services Officers, where he is currently the President and Marine Corps service representative.
More on Jose and ANSO - https://www.ansomil.org/

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