1ST SGT Javier Duarte

Ran a Bible study group in Afghanistan in his off time.

Duarte began 2009 by deploying to Japan on the heels of a combat tour in southern Afghanistan with Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.

In Afghanistan, he earned several medals, including a Bronze Star, for organizing a resupply route that served as the sole lifeline for hundreds of Marines in Garmsir. He regularly drove mine-laden roads to deliver supplies to units engaged in daily firefights with the enemy.

But it is his concern and care for the Marines under his command, not his medals, for which he is best-known. “I have never worked with or seen a senior enlisted Marine more invested in his Marines,” wrote 1st Lt. Crystal Serrano, who nominated Duarte for Marine of the Year after working with him in Okinawa. “He devotes himself to mission accomplishment and troop welfare.”

Despite the abrupt transition from the battlefield to a new garrison in Okinawa, Duarte embraced his new post and began coordinating companywide volunteer activities to clean up public spaces in Okinawa. He also inspired Marines under his command to coach children’s soccer and tutor kids at local schools.

He returned to Afghanistan in March to support operations in Marjah, Helmand province, after field commanders requested him by name for his detailed knowledge of the region.