Justin Constantine

Justin Constantine is a former Marine and attorney who works as an inspirational speaker and leadership consultant and serves as a liaison between the corporate and military communities. He survived a gunshot wound to the head while serving in Iraq in 2006.

About

Justin Constantine is a former Marine and attorney who works as an inspirational speaker and leadership consultant and serves as a liaison between the corporate and military communities. He is senior adviser to the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes Campaign and is a fellow with the Truman National Security Project. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Wounded Warrior Project Give an Hour and SemperMax He's also on the Board of Advisors for the Military Golfer Association and the Military Advisory Council for First Data. He received a Purple Heart Medal for his services in Iraq.

Military career

Constantine joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1997 during his second year of law school at the University of Denver. While on active duty, he served as a Judge Advocate specializing in criminal law and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and Camp Pendleton, California. He left active duty in 2004 but volunteered as a reservist for deployment to Iraq in 2006, performing civil affairs work while serving as a team leader in Al-Anbar Province.

Injury

On October 18, 2006, Constantine was on a routine patrol in the Al-Anbar Province. He had just stepped out of his Humvee to warn a journalist about a sniper working in the area when he was shot behind his left ear. A Navy Corpsman George Grant performed an emergency tracheotomy while Lance Cpl. Buhler risked his life driving over 70 mph to get Constantine to an aid station. Constantine recovered at the [Walter Reed National Military Medical Center] with the help of his future wife, Dahlia.

Post-injury career

From 2009 to 2011, Constantine served as counsel for the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Awards

Constantine received the George C. Lang Award for Courage from the Wounded Warrior Project in 2011 and the Commitment to Service Award from Give an Hour in 2012 He received the inaugural 2014 Lincoln Award for his outstanding achievement and excellence in providing opportunities and support to our nation's veterans and military families. He has also been named a Champion of Change by the White House, and was presented with the All-American Hero Award at the 2013 All-American Inaugural Ball. In 2012, the Virginia state legislature passed a joint resolution highlighting Constantine's work for veterans.