On Friday, 5 November 2010, Major General Christopher Cortez, USMC (Ret.), the former Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, will be the 4th Guest of Honor in the history of the Wine Country Marine Corps Birthday Ball. The following is a short biography of his distinguished career: After 33 years of military service as a Marine Corps infantry officer, Major General Christopher Cortez retired on 1 January 2005. His final assignment was Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, with the overall responsibility for successfully recruiting nearly 40,000 new Marines annually.
A native of Vacaville, California, and the son of Spanish immigrants, upon his retirement he was the highest-ranking Hispanic American serving in the Corps. He was also one of only three Hispanic Americans to become a two-star general in Marine Corps history.
Major General Cortez was commissioned via the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) program in 1971 following graduation from Marietta College in Ohio. His operational tours included: Rifle Platoon Commander, (1972-73); Rifle Company Executive Officer and Infantry Battalion Adjutant, (1973-74); Rifle Company Commander, Weapons Company Commander, and Infantry Battalion Operations Officer, (1978-81); Headquarters Battalion Executive Officer, 1st Marine Division (1988-89); Battalion Commander, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (1989-91); Operations Officer, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (1992-93); and Commanding Officer, Infantry Regiment (1993-95). While Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, his unit deployed with 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade to Saudi Arabia, serving sequentially with both the 7th and 3rd Marine Regiments during Operation Desert Shield and then with Task Force Ripper (7th Marine Regiment) during Operation Desert Storm. At Camp Pendleton, California, he served as Chief of Staff for I Marine Expeditionary Force (1996-97), then Assistant Division Commander, 1st Marine Division (1997-98).
In February, March and April 1998, he deployed to Southwest Asia with the Third U.S. Army Headquarters serving as Chief of Staff, Combined Coalition Joint Task Force, Kuwait. He also served as Director for Operations, U.S. Pacific Command (2000-2002).
Other tours have included Recruiting Officer/Officer Selection Officer duty at USMC Recruiting Station, Los Angeles (1974-77). He was assigned to Landing Force Training Command, Pacific, for duty as Instructor, U.S. Army School of the Americas (USARSA) (1981-84). USARSA was located in the Republic of Panama. At Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, he served as Action Officer for Central/South America in the Western Regional Branch of Plans Division (1985-88) and as the Director, Strategy and Plans Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps (1998-2000). During the first of two assignments to U.S. Pacific Command, he was Executive Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff (1995-96).
He attended The Basic School (1971-72), Amphibious Warfare School (1977-78), Marine Corps Command and Staff College (1984-85) and the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, D.C. (1991-92).
His personal decorations include: the Distinguished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal, with oak cluster in lieu of second award; Legion of Merit with Combat V, two Gold Stars in lieu of second and third awards; Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; and Combat Action Ribbon.
General Cortez earned a B.A. Degree in Spanish from Marietta College (during which he studied abroad for one semester at the University of Madrid in Spain). He also holds a M.A. Degree in Business Management from Azusa Pacific University.
He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Following retirement from active military service, General Cortez joined Microsoft Corporation as a senior executive.He currently lives with his wife Leigh in the Washington, D.C area.
