John L. Estrada
Encyclopedia
John L. Estrada was the 15th Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a unique non-commissioned rank and billet in the United States Marine Corps....

  of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

. He succeeded Alford L. McMichael
Alford L. McMichael
Sergeant Major Alford L. McMichael, USMC, was the 14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps , and was the 1st Senior Non-Commissioned Officer for Allied Command Operations for NATO...

 on June 26, 2003, becoming the 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Estrada stepped down on April 25, 2007, turning over the post to SgtMaj Carlton Kent. Estrada retired from the Marine Corps in June 2007, after over 34 years of service.

Military career

Sergeant Major John L. Estrada is originally from the nation of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...

. At the age of 12 he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. He enlisted on September 19, 1973 and attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...

, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

. After completing F-4 aircraft maintenance schools at Naval Air Station (NAS)
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...

, Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

 and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state...

, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, Private First Class Estrada was assigned to VMFA-451
VMFA-451
Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 is a newly reactivated training squadron in the United States Marine Corps that will eventually consist of 20 F-35B Lightning II aircraft and will serve as the Fleet Replacement Squadron...

 at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort or MCAS Beaufort is a United States Marine Corps air base located three miles northwest of the central business district of Beaufort, a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States...

, South Carolina in March 1974.

In December 1974, Lance Corporal Estrada was transferred to VMFA-232
VMFA-232
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Nicknamed the "Red Devils", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing...

, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan...

, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni or MCAS Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of the Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi in Japan.-Tenant commands:...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. He was meritoriously promoted to Corporal in March 1975.

In February 1976, Sergeant Estrada served with VMFAT-101
VMFAT-101
Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet training squadron. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing .-History:Marine Fighter...

, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma or MCAS Yuma is a United States Marine Corps air station which is the home to multiple squadrons of AV-8B Harrier IIs of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 and Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 , an air combat adversary...

, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

. In September 1977, he transferred to VMFA-314
VMFA-314
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron, known as the "Black Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing...

, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located near Irvine, California.Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps aviation on the West Coast. Designated as a Master Jet Station, its four runways could handle the largest aircraft...

, CA. Reassigned to VMFA-323
VMFA-323
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing but deploys with Carrier Air Wing 14.-World...

 in December 1978, he deployed with the squadron in November 1979 for 7 months aboard the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea
USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
USS Coral Sea , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. She earned the affectionate nickname "Ageless Warrior" through her long career...

 to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

. In June 1980, Staff Sergeant Estrada transferred to VMFA-321
VMFA-321
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 321 was a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron consisting of F/A-18 Hornets . Known as "Hell’s Angels”, the squadron participated in action during World War II and was then transferred to the Marine Forces Reserve...

, Marine Aircraft Group 41
Marine Aircraft Group 41
Marine Aircraft Group 41 is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas that is currently composed of one F/A-18A+ squadron, one KC-130T squadron, a Maintenance and Logistics squadron, as well as detachments from Engineer and...

, Detachment "A" at Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base
Joint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, Air Force District of Washington ....

, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

.

In August 1982, Staff Sergeant Estrada was ordered to Drill Instructor
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...

 Duty at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former Naval Training Center San Diego...

, California where he served with Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. He was meritoriously promoted to Gunnery Sergeant in January 1984. In October 1984, Gunnery Sergeant Estrada returned to MCAS Beaufort, SC for duty with VMFA-251
VMFA-251
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Also known as the "Thunderbolts", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing...

 as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the Airframes Division. In November 1985, he was reassigned to VMFA-451
VMFA-451
Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 is a newly reactivated training squadron in the United States Marine Corps that will eventually consist of 20 F-35B Lightning II aircraft and will serve as the Fleet Replacement Squadron...

 and deployed to the Western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 from January to July 1986 under the Unit Deployment Program. From January to March 1987, Gunnery Sergeant Estrada attended aircraft maintenance schools at Naval Air Station Cecil Field
Naval Air Station Cecil Field
Naval Air Station Cecil Field or NAS Cecil Field was a United States Navy base, located in Duval County, Florida. NAS Cecil Field was the largest military base in the Jacksonville, Florida, area....

 and Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville or NAS Jacksonville is a military airport located four miles south of the central business district of Jacksonville...

, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 retraining as an FA-18 Hornet Hydraulic/Structural Mechanic.

In October 1987, Gunnery Sergeant Estrada returned to Drill Instructor duty, this time at MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina. He served as Series Chief Drill Instructor with India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion and subsequently as Standing Operations Procedures Instructor and Drill Master at Drill Instructor School until his promotion to First Sergeant in October 1990.

From December 1990 to March 1995, First Sergeant Estrada served as First Sergeant for Intelligence Company, 3rd Surveillance Reconnaissance and Intelligence Group, Camp Hansen
Camp Hansen
Camp Hansen is a United States Marine Corps base located in Okinawa, Japan. The camp is situated in the town of Kin, near the northern shore of Kin Bay, and is the second-northernmost major installation on Okinawa, with Camp Schwab to the north...

, Okinawa, Japan; Marine Security Force Company, Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

; Electronics Maintenance Company, 1st Maintenance Battalion
1st Maintenance Battalion
The 1st Maintenance Battalion is a battalion of the United States Marine Corps that provides intermediate-level maintenance for the I Marine Expeditionary Force’s tactical ordnance, engineer, motor transport, communications electronics and general support ground equipment...

, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton; and Alpha Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Highlanders," their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they fall under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force...

, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton.

From March 1995 to May 1998, Sergeant Major Estrada served as Sergeant Major for 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton; and deployed with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced...

 (SOC) and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel...

 (SOC) to the Western Pacific and the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

.

In May 1998, Sergeant Major Estrada assumed the duties as Sergeant Major for Recruiting Station Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

, California in the 12th Marine Corps District, Western Recruiting Region. From April 2000 to October 2001, Sergeant Major Estrada was assigned as Sergeant Major, Recruit Training Regiment, MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina.

From December 2001 to May 2003, Sergeant Major Estrada served as the Sergeant Major, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 3d Marine Aircraft Wing is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and provides the aviation combat element for I Marine Expeditionary Force...

. During this assignment, he was forward deployed and participated in Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...

 and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sergeant Major Estrada assumed his post as the 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps on 26 June 2003.
On April 25, 2007, SgtMaj Estrada stepped down from his post as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, turning over the post to Sgt Major Carlton Kent. Estrada was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...

 for his service and retired from the Marine Corps in June 2007.

Post-retirement

Estrada formally endorsed Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 during a rally at Battery Creek High School in Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...

 on January 24, 2008. On August 28, 2008, Estrada spoke at the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...

, echoing his support for Barack Obama over John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

, citing his "obligation... to protect the Marines, sailors and their families."

Estrada now works for Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....

, as well as serving on the board of directors for Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a nonprofit 501 organization that provides emergency assistance for military troops, the families they leave behind, and wounded warriors when they return home. The organization raises funds to provide emergency, financial, and morale assistance to families while troops are...

 and the American Battle Monuments Com­mission.

Awards and honors

His personal awards include:

  
1st Row Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...

Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...

Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...

 w/ 3 award star
Award star
An award star is a decoration issued to personnel of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard in lieu of multiple awards of the same award. An award star is very similar to an oak leaf cluster, which serves the same purpose in the United States Army and United States Air Force...

s
2nd Row Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Commendation Medal
The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may...

Joint Service Achievement Medal
Achievement Medal
The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service...

Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Achievement Medal
The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service...

Navy Presidential Unit Citation
3rd Row Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...

 w/ 2 service star
Service star
A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...

s
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....

 w/ 4 service stars
Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
Good Conduct Medal
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was...

 w/ 10 service stars
Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
The Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal is a decoration of the United States Marine Corps which was first created on 8 May 1919. Originally known as the Marine Corps Expeditionary Ribbon, a full-sized medal was authorized in July 1921 by Presidential Order of Warren G. Harding...

4th Row National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...

 w/ 2 service stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...

Southwest Asia Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
The Southwest Asia Service Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War...

 w/ 1 service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is a United States armed forces military award created by George W. Bush on March 12, 2003 by Executive Order 13289. It recognizes those military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror from September 11,...

5th Row Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13289 of President George W. Bush on March 12, 2003...

Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
Sea Service Ribbon
A Sea Service Ribbon is an award of the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard and the United States Army which recognizes those service members who have performed military duty while stationed on a vessel at sea....

 w/ 5 service stars
Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon
Recruiting Service Ribbon
The Recruiting Service Ribbon is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which is issued by every branch of service with the exception of the United States Army...

Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon
Drill Instructor Ribbon
A Drill Instructor Ribbon is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which is issued by the Navy, Air Force and United States Marine Corps...

 w/ 2 service stars

He also rates expert in rifle and sharpshooter in pistol marksmanship badges, as well as eight service stripe
Service stripe
A service stripe, commonly called a hash mark, is a decoration of the United States military which is presented to enlisted members of the U.S. military to denote length of service. The United States Army awards each stripe for three years service, while the United States Navy, United States...

s.

See also

  • Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
    Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
    Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a unique non-commissioned rank and billet in the United States Marine Corps....

  • Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps
    Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps
    Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps, such as Private France Silva who during the Boxer Rebellion became the first Marine of the thirteen Marines of Hispanic descent to be awarded the Medal of Honor, and Private First Class Guy Gabaldon who is credited with capturing over 1,000 enemy...



External links

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