Justin Constantine is a former Marine and attorney and is now an inspirational speaker and leadership consultant. He recently published his first book, My Battlefield, Your Office, Leadership Lessons From the Front Lines, which focuses on teaching mid-level managers how to lead people. Justin is also a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a member of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, and leads a team at the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation focused on employment for wounded warriors and caregivers.
Justin deployed to Iraq in 2006, serving as a Civil Affairs Team Leader while attached to an infantry battalion. During a combat patrol, Justin was shot in the head by a sniper. Although the original prognosis was that he had been killed in action, Justin survived thanks to risks taken by his fellow Marines and a courageous Navy Corpsman. For his service in Iraq, he earned the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal.
After recovering from his injuries, Justin worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and as Counsel for the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. More recently, he worked for several years with the FBI as an attorney on a counterterrorism team. Justin was the Honor Graduate of his class at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and in 2011 the Secretary of Defense appointed him to a four-year term on the Task Force for Recovering Warriors. In 2015 he graduated on the Dean’s List from Georgetown University with a Master of Laws degree focusing on National Security.
Justin retired from the Marine Corps with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His writing on military and leadership issues has been featured in such outlets as CNN, Time, the Washington Post, The Atlantic, Forbes magazine, USA Today, Business Insider, Stars and Stripes and the Huffington Post. Last year, Justin also co-founded the Veteran Success Resource Group, a military nonprofit organization that provides personalized networking opportunities for motivated veterans. He serves on the board of directors of several national military nonprofit organizations.
In 2012 the Virginia Legislature passed a commending resolution highlighting Justin’s continued support of veterans and other wounded warriors. Justin has been named a Champion of Change by the White House, and also was awarded the prestigious inaugural 2014 Lincoln Award recognizing his outstanding achievement and excellence in providing opportunities and support to our nation’s veterans and military families.