Lt. Cmdr. Michael Martinez is a native of Miami, Florida. He was commissioned into the United States Navy through Officer Candidate School in 2010 and became a Surface Warfare Officer.
His sea assignments include serving as a division officer aboard MCM Crew Fearless and the USS Essex (LHD 2), homeported in San Diego, California. He also held department head positions on the USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) and USS Cowpens (CG 63) as chief engineer. Throughout his career, he completed multiple deployments in the Fifth and Seventh Fleet areas of responsibility.
Ashore, he attended the Naval Postgraduate School, where he earned a master's degree in Combat Systems Science and completed Joint Professional Military Education Phase I. He also served as an assessor for Engineering Assessments Pacific.
His awards include three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and several unit commendations and service campaign awards.
Last Updated: 13 February 2025