GALVESTON, Texas (May 21, 2012) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District welcomed its new deputy commander Maj. Marty Maldonado today. Outgoing deputy Lt. Col. James Schultze was selected to command the 15th Engineer Battalion based in Schweinfurt, Germany.
“The district is fortunate to have Maj. Maldonado onboard and I am confident that he will quickly become an invaluable member of the district,” said Col. Christopher Sallese, USACE Galveston District commander. “His extensive background in engineering coupled with increasingly progressive roles as a leader makes him a perfect addition to our team.”
A native of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Maldonado graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology, received his commission through Army ROTC and later graduated from the Engineer Officers Basic Course in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Following graduation from EOBC, Maldonado was assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany, where he served as the battalion signal officer, assault and obstacle platoon leader, and company executive officer. During this tour, Maj. Maldonado participated in multiple rotations at the Combat Maneuver Training Center, served as a task force engineer while conducting multi-national exercises in support of the United Nations Preventive Deployment force in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and deployed to Kosovo as part of KFOR in support of Operation Joint Guardian II.
Maldonado’s next assignment led him to the 4th Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo., where he served as company commander and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
In 2004, he was selected as a combat observer/controller team chief and combat advisor to reserve combat engineer units in Wyoming, N.D., S.D., Idaho and Hawaii. Following this assignment, he was assigned as the operations, plans and security officer for the Seattle District, USACE. During this tour he deployed to Afghanistan as part of the Afghanistan Engineer District to manage the construction of two Afghan National Army Brigade complexes in the Helmand and Herat provinces.
In 2008, Maldonado served as operations officer and instructor at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. He was later assigned as a battalion executive officer for the 11th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade in Fort Benning, Ga., and shortly afterwards deployed once more to Afghanistan as a security forces advisor team chief to provided combat support and advice to Afghan National Security Forces to include the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police.
A graduate of the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, Maldonado earned a Master of Science in Geology and Geophysics from the Missouri University of Science and Technology as well as graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2), Meritorious Service Medal (5), Army Commendation Medal (2), Army Achievement Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal (2), Iraq Campaign Medal (2), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (3), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon (3), Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge and the Bronze Order of the De Fleury Medal.
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