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2022 SPECIAL SESSION I

22208274D
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 672
Offered August 2, 2022
Celebrating the life of Lieutenant Colonel Justin Constantine, USMC, Ret.
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Patron-- Petersen
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WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel Justin Constantine, USMC, Ret., a determined advocate for his fellow veterans who touched countless lives through his generosity, compassion, and inspirational resilience, died on May 5, 2022; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of James Madison University, Justin Constantine was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps after completing law school at the University of Denver; he served on active duty for six years, then transitioned to the United States Marine Corps Reserve; and

WHEREAS, Justin Constantine volunteered as a reservist for deployment to Iraq in 2006 and was wounded in action when he was shot through the side of the head by a sniper while on patrol in Iraq; the catastrophic injury required an emergency battlefield surgery, followed by months of reconstructive surgeries and recovery, and he accepted a medical retirement from the military in 2013; and

WHEREAS, Justin Constantine subsequently joined the U.S. Department of Justice and continued to serve his fellow veterans as counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs; he later joined the national security law branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he became assistant general counsel; and

WHEREAS, Justin Constantine cofounded a nonprofit organization that supports military spouse and veterans employment initiatives and authored the book My Battlefield, Your Office; Leadership Lessons From the Front Lines about applying military leadership skills to the private sector; and

WHEREAS, a sought-after motivational speaker, Justin Constantine’s courage, strength, and unfailing optimism empowered others to overcome challenges both in their everyday lives and in extraordinary situations; he continued to inspire those around him even after his diagnosis with stage 4 cancer in 2020; and

WHEREAS, among many awards and accolades, Justin Constantine was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar and as a Champion of Change for Veterans by former President Barack Obama; he was also featured in former President George W. Bush’s book Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors; and

WHEREAS, Justin Constantine will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Dahlia, and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of Lieutenant Colonel Justin Constantine, USMC, Ret.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Lieutenant Colonel Justin Constantine, USMC, Ret., as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s respect for his memory.