LTC Manuel “Manny” Menendez, hails from San Juan, Puerto Rico and enlisted into Army service in August of 1992 as a Combat Medic (91B). He is currently 232d Medical Battalion Commander (Combat Medic Training).
After completing his enlisted service he attended Methodist University and graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Physician Assistant Studies. He then earned a direct commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Medical Specialist Corps, and later graduated with a Masters in Physician Assistant studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Lieutenant Colonel Menendez has spent a career focused on operational medicine, and is a wealth of tactical-medical knowledge. His experiences range from bridging operations in Bosnia, combat operations in Iraq, Special Operations Raids in Afghanistan, and humanitarian assistance (Hurricane response) in Puerto Rico.
His previous assignments include the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, 1/377 Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (Air Assault), 1/319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, the Joint Special Operations Command, the AMEDD Captain Career Course, XO to the Commanding General for the AMEDDC&S HRCoE, Commander for the 759th Forward Surgical Team (Airborne), the Fielded Force Integration Directorate of the MEDCoE, and currently serves as Commander for the 232d Medical Battalion (Combat Medic Training).
Previous deployment experience includes Operation Joint Endeavor – Bosnia Dec 1995 to July 1996; Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) August 2006 to November 2007; Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) March to July 2010, January to May 2011, November 2011 to February 2012, March to July 2013, and February to November 2018; as well as 2 other combat deployments in support of SOCOM / GWOT.
His awards and decorations include: Bronze Star (3OLC); Meritorious Service Medal (4 OLC); Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal (8 OLC) and Army Achievement Medal (7 OLC); as well as the Ranger Tab, Combat Medical Badge, Combat Action Badge, Expert Field Medical Badge, Flight Surgeon Badge, Airborne Badge, and Air Assault Badge. He earned the Surgeon General’s Physician Assistant Award in 2012, was named an Army Medicine Iron Major in 2017, and was inducted into the Order of Military Medical Merit in 2019.
LTC Menendez has been married for 28 years to Wendy Menendez and they have one daughter, Emily Menendez-Albright, married to SSG Lane Albright of 10th Special Forces Group.
Acknowledgments: This biography was prepared by LTC Menendez and submitted on October 2021. The photograph is courtesy of LTC Menendez.
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