The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC is endorsing the 65th Combat Veteran For Congress; he is a fiscally conservative candidate who will work to rein in the out of control spending by the Congress and the Administration.  Sgt Julius Melendez, USNG (MC) (R-FL-9) http://juliusmelendez.us resides in Kissimmee, FL, is an 11 year veteran of the US Army National Guard, and is running for an open seat in the 9th Congressional District of Florida.  Julius was born on December 30, 1977 on Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.  Julius and his brother were raised around the world by their father Capt. Diego Melendez-Cruz, a former enlisted Airman in the US Air Force who receive a commission in the US Army, and served in Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia as a Company Commander.  The Melendez family was stationed in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell under the leadership of President Ronald Reagan. After the family settled in Central Florida, Julius graduated from Poinciana High School in Poinciana, Florida in June 1955.  Julius then earned a Certified Nursing Assistant Degree and immediately enrolled in Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL on a merit based scholarship: he received an Associate of Arts Degree from Valencia Community College on April 28, 2000, and subsequently matriculated at the University of Central Florida in Orlando where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology with a Minor in Business Administration on May 4, 2002.    

Julius enlisted in the Florida National Guard on December 11, 1998 in Tampa, Florida as a 91B Medical Specialist with the 2/124th Infantry Battalion based in Orlando.  Julius completed basic training at Fort Benning, GA on September 11, 1999.  He then commenced Advanced Individualized Training (IT) at Fort Sam Houston, TX completing IT on November 28, 1999.    The 2/124th Infantry battalion was activated in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in November 2002 and pre-mobilized at Ft Stewart, GA before shipping out in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to Qatar in support in December 2002.   Their mission was to provide security for the Patriot Missile batteries who in turn were countering Saddam Hussein’s scud missiles.  Once combat operations commenced in 2003, Cpl Melendez’s Bravo Company moved into Camp Doha, Kuwait and shortly thereafter into what is now known as Camp Cedar, Iraq.   Once Coalition forces reached Baghdad, Bravo Company regrouped into Kuwait and was reassigned as security forces in Balad (LSA Anaconda) in Central Iraq were Sgt Melendez’s unit came under heavy mortar attacks on a daily basis.   Cpl Melendez’s unit returned to CONUS in April 2004; he was awarded the Combat Medical Badge, and other service and campaign medals for service in combat.

In August 2004, Cpl Melendez’s unit was activated for Operation Gulf Winds in response to the unprecedented hurricane season that resulted in aiding damaged communities in Arcadia, Orlando, Melbourne and Pensacola.  The mission included pulling security at various high value locations, conducting traffic control and handing out food, water, ice and miscellaneous supplies to hurricane victims; the unit completed its active duty assignment in late September 2004.   Sgt Melendez had a break in duty, From December 2004 to October 2007, reenlisting as a 68W medical specialist with 2/116th Field Artillery Regiment based in Polk County, FL.  Corporal Melendez was promoted to Sergeant  on August 12, 2008.  In early 2010, Sgt Melendez’s unit was activated for another tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn and departed CONUS in January 2010.  The 2/116th was assigned to Kuwaiti Naval Base to provide post security and while in country, Sgt Melendez was reassigned to the 1/124th Infantry unit based in Camp Buehring, Kuwait to conduct convoy security missions as the drawdown of coalition forces out of Iraq escalated and combat medics were needed to fully man the Convoy Escort Team (CET) missions throughout Iraq.  Sgt Melendez served as a medic, gun truck driver and truck commander on five separate missions and personally drove over more than 4,700 accident free miles during 48 days in country.  While at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Sgt. Melendez attended the Warrior Leadership Course in July of 2010, graduating in the top ten percent of his class, and made the Commandant’s List.   Sgt Melendez’s unit returned to CONUS in December 2010; he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and other service and campaign medals for his second tour of duty in combat.

Upon graduation from UCF, he accepted a position as a Cost Accountant at Northrop Grumman Laser Systems. Upon returning from active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2004, he became a small business owner, forming J3 Advertising, LLC.  From 2006 to 2008 Julius worked as a State house Campaign worker for the Republican Party of Florida, supporting the central Florida campaigns of State Representatives Sheri McInvale and Chris Dorworth, and worked in the campaigns of candidates Tony Suarez, Michael White, Belinda Ortiz, and JP Quinones. After the voters in Osceola County favored single member districts in the presidential primary of 2008, Julius Melendez entered the race for School Board and was elected in August 2008 with more than 54% of the votes cast against a school principal and former school district architect.  While operating J3 Advertising, Julius accepted a position as the Co-Administrator of Pinewood Gardens Assisted Living Facility to help get that company off the ground in 2005.  Julius operated J3 Advertising until in early 2010, when he was again called to active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, returning stateside in December 2010.  In December 2010 when Sgt Melendez returned from his second tour of combat, he was elected to fill the position of Vice Chairman of the Osceola County School Board by his colleagues; he was re-elected in November 2011.  He formed another small business, Health Care Billing Consultants in early 2011 and currently operates that company with his wife to process doctor bills with insurance companies.  

Sgt Julius Melendez, USNG has been endorsed by former Florida State Senator Carey Baker (R-Eustis), Mascotte Mayor Tony Rosado, Longwood Deputy Mayor Bob Cortes, Kissimmee Vice-Mayor Art Otero, Kissimmee City Commissioner Wanda Rentas, St. Johns County Republican Chairman Mark Minor, LTG Jay Gamer, USA (Ret),  Col Thomas Chalifoux, USAR former Chief of Staff of the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command based in Orlando, former Kissimmee Mayor and Osceola County Chairman Ken Smith, and Chair of the Orange County School Board Communications Committee Christine Moore.  Julius Melendez is a member of the Osceola County Chamber of commerce, the Hispanic Business Council, the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association, the Puerto Rican Chamber of commerce, the Florida School Boards Association, the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, the VFW, and the NRA.  He and his wife Marjorie have been married 2 ½ years and have two sons Anthony age 12 and Lucas age 1, and a daughter Gabriela age 10; they attend Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kissimmee, FL. 

The Combat Veteran’s For Congress PAC is pleased to endorse former Sgt Julius Melendez, USNG; you would be pleased with his views on limited government, reining in the out of control spending, and so much more.  If you review Sgt Melendez’s positions on his Web site, you would be pleased with his stands; they agree with the Combat Veterans for Congress Mission Statement.  We look forward to working with Sgt Melendez, and are pleased that a Combat Veteran of his caliber is running for Congress.  If you have friends, associates, or relatives who know voters in the 9th Congressional District of Florida, kindly pass this E-mail on to them, and ask them to support Sgt Melendez by working in his campaign, providing financial support for his campaign in any amount, and/or by networking with others who would be willing to support his campaign. The military is one of the few remaining institutions producing the caliber of men and women needed to restore this nation to the greatness our Founding Fathers envisioned.  We have endorsed another Combat Veteran For Congress that General George Washington would have approved of.  He is a Veteran who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable “to The United States of America” for an amount “up to and including his life.”