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Meet Justin Story
I am a husband, father of two, and a retired Marine Corps officer. A sixth-generation Central Floridian, I'm raising my family in the same community that raised me.
From agricultural beginnings, I spent my early childhood on a cattle ranch where my father was the ranch foreman. As I grew older, I helped my grandmother work her orange grove and sell oranges at her roadside fruit stand. On the weekends I worked at the local feed store throwing feed bags and delivering feed to local ranchers.
After high school, I attended Valencia Community College full time while working a full-time job at Walt Disney World. As my world perspective grew, I heard the call to serve. So I joined the Marine Corps Officer program. I spent my mornings at school, afternoons to evenings at work, and nights preparing my body for the rigors of Marine Officer Candidate School (OCS). After completing Valencia, I resigned from Disney to attend Officer Candidate School that summer, then the University of Florida that fall.
I was inspired by the science of Economics. So it was natural for me to pursue this as my declared major. I cherished my time as a student at Florida. Weeks on campus were spent passing through the oak tree- lined paths and autumn lawns between classes with an occasional serenade from the bell tower. Weekends, of course, were spent cheering on the boys in Orange and Blue at the Gator football games. During the offseason, we frequented the many natural springs of the area.
In May of 2001, I graduated from the University of Florida. With OCS complete and degree in hand, it was time to take my Oath of Office.
Days after graduation, I was commissioned in St. Cloud's Veterans Park as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Answering the call to service, I stood before family and friends, swearing an oath to defend our Constitution. It was an acknowledgment that I would leave my community to serve them as our national leaders saw fit.
On September 11, 2001, radical Islamists made sure I had that opportunity.
In 2003, I earned my Wings of Gold and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, CA. I was a proud pilot for the storied VMFA-323 "Death Rattlers." In 2007, I deployed on an 8-month cruise with the squadron aboard the John C. Stennis aircraft carrier. We flew strike missions over both Afghanistan and Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror.
I made sure our nation's enemies heard from us here in Central Florida.
In early 2008, I deployed with the IMEF (FWD) command element to Camp Fallujah, Iraq, where I managed the internal fragmentary order process for Major General John Kelly. Requesting to be stationed where the sun is Orange and the sky is Blue, I took follow-on orders as a flight instructor at NAS Whiting Field, FL. There I taught the next generation of pilots to fly.
This marked the end of my active duty tenure and the beginning of my service in the Marine Corps Reserves.
After 11 years of active duty service, and during my Reserve service, I launched a second career in commercial aviation, continuing a life defined by discipline, leadership, and commitment.
As a Marine Corps Reservist, I had a second full-time job. I was based at JRB Andrews, MD, as a transport pilot for VMR.
There, I participated in two additional Reserve mobilizations and Middle East deployments in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. We spent our winter months in Qatar, transporting personnel throughout the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
I continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves as a pilot until 2019, when I retired.
Today, my wife Maria and I are raising our two young children in the same hometown that raised me. She fled the brutality of a Communist Venezuela to find safety and sanctuary here in the United States. Her story is a daily reminder of why we fight.
I believe faith and family are the cornerstones of a strong, Capitalist society. I am a steadfast advocate for freedom and a voice for our smallest minority, the individual. I remain unwavering in my dedication to serving our community, our way of life, and our grand Republic.
I’m stepping forward not just as a veteran, but as a father, husband, and neighbor.
Ready to fight for the future our children, Central Florida, and our Nation deserves.