First Lieutenant Mendez is a Communications Officer at Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38 (MWCS-38), under Marine Air Control Group 38 (MACG-38) and Third Marine Aircraft Wing (3D MAW). At MWCS-38, he served as the Aviation Expeditionary Platoon Commander for Alpha Company, where he enabled aviation command and control for joint and multilateral exercises.
In 2024, he was one of two Marines selected by Headquarters Marine Corps to attend the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Accelerator, where he gained expertise in AI, supported DAF initiatives, and conducted research in collaboration with Lincoln Labs. He currently serves as the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Aviation Network Operations Center and Joint All Domain Command and Control Lab, ensuring 24-hour network support for 3D MAW and conducting experimentation in support of Project Dynamis lines of effort.
First Lieutenant Mendez’s technical leadership has significantly advanced Marine Corps command and control (C2) innovation. While leading a platoon of 55 Marines, he completed the DAF and MIT AI Accelerator Fellowship, gaining expertise in AI and data-driven solutions for Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiatives. As OIC of the Aviation Network Operations Center and JADC2 Lab, he has contributed to groundbreaking programs like a weather analytics tool, predictive modeling for sorties, and integration of high-bandwidth satellite communications. His work on hybrid cloud computing, 5G technology, and containerization has transformed C2 operations, enabling real-time decision-making and setting a new standard for the Marine Corps.