Dennis Medina of Chicago, Illinois, was promoted to first sergeant during a promotion ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Aurora, Illinois, March 25.
Medina was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived there until age nine. He initially joined the Marine Corps in 2000, years later finding his way to the Minnesota Army National Guard on June 20, 2010 where he enlisted as an infantryman assigned to Company B, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor in East St. Paul, Minnesota. Shortly after enlisting in the National Guard, Medina began recruiting in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Medina deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in June of 2011 as a team leader conducting convoy operations in Iraq until December of 2011. Upon his return, Medina was selected for a recruiter position at the Minneapolis Armory. In June 2016 he transferred to the Illinois Army National Guard and accepted a recruiting position at the Joliet Armory.
Prior to his promotion, Medina served as the Company G, Recruiting and Retention Battalion, team leader based in Marseilles and is now assigned as the Company D first sergeant in Aurora. Sgt. Maj. Joshua C. Wittenauer, of Dixon, Illinois, relinquished responsibility of Delta Company to Medina during a ceremony on March 26 in Aurora.
Medina is now in charge of a recruiting team of approximately 10 recruiters and provides oversight of a Recruit Sustainment Program that prepares newly enlisted Soldiers for basic training.