Norwich University

Lt. Col. USMC (Ret.) Justin Orobona kept busy at Norwich, earning varsity letters all four years in lacrosse, and serving two seasons as captain. Of lacrosse Orabona said, "Playing a sport, especially a contact sport is hard, but those shared difficulties whether in long practices, hard earned wins or tough losses were always worth the effort. Those shared experiences last a lifetime." His success as a goaltender earned him a spot on the All-Colonial Division Team his senior year as well as a spot on the East/West Senior All-Star Game. 

In the Corps of Cadets, Orabona was elected "Rook of the Year", and in his junior year served as Command Sergent Major and Cadet Colonel his senior year. Orobona was also the co-chairman of the class ring committee, Chair of the Honor Committee, and a member of Skull and Swords. He noted that him involvement in "things that put a great strain on my time" helped him multi-task and utilize time management skills. "Little did I know this was a life skill that (would) translate into my military service." 

A Criminal Justice major, Orabona chose to commission into the Marine Corps after graduation because he felt "that the Marines would challenge me the most." In 1984 he was one of four officers selected to complete in the military pentathlon in Rome, Italy. 

Orabona was designated as a naval Flight Officer in 1986. With over 3700 jet flight hours, he holds numerous awards including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. In 1996 he received the Marine Corps Aviation Association's Naval Flight Officer of the Year award. 

Lt. Col. Orobona's career spanned 25 years, taking him from deployments in the Western Pacific to Bosnia and Italy, North Carolina, California and Virginia retiring as a Senior Systems Analyst for UNITECH in Quantico, Va. He credits Norwich for unique opportunities that helped his career. "In four short years, I grew from a competitive sports player into a competitive, compassionate, well-rounded leader. That's what Norwich allowed me to become."