JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- For many service members, leadership is a skill cultivated through training, promotions and eventually having troops fall under their command. For one officer, leadership has been shaped by something deeper: experience at every level of the force.
Born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Manuel Orriola-Diaz, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) medical officer, enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2010 while completing his Bachelor of Accounting.
“I joined for financial stability,” he recalled. “But once I went through training, I fell in love with the Army. I knew this was what I wanted to do.”
Unlike many new recruits beginning their journey in the Army, Orriola’s first hurdle wasn’t physical; it was linguistic. As a native Spanish speaker, he spent nearly six months in an English as a Second Language program at Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland, Texas, before Basic Training andhis Advanced Individual Training. This early challenge would set the tone for the rest of his career: to adapt and continuously grow.
After four years in the Reserve, Orriola expressed a desire to continue improving himself, recognizing the Army offered opportunities to support his growth in every aspect of life.
“I entered into the Active Guard Reserve program as a recruiter and completed my Master of Business Administration,” stated Orriola, “but commissioning as an officer was always my end goal.”
The path, however, wasn’t straightforward.
“There was no easy, quick way to become an officer,” recalled Orriola. “It takes a lot of work and there were limitations in the AGRprogram that made it difficult for me to pursue Officer Candidate School without sacrificing job security.”
Rather than giving up, he adapted and found an alternate route to push himself further in his career. He transitioned to regular active duty through the Warrant Officer Candidate School.
As a warrant officer and marine engineer, he entered a world focused on technical mastery. He completed school followed by nearly a year of specialized training. In this role, he wasn’t just leading, he was a subject matter expert. He was responsible for ensuring complex systems and operations functioned effectively on logistical support vessels.
“Warrant officers are the best Soldiers I have ever seen in my career,” stated Orriola. “The expertise, knowledge and standards they have for their craft is second to none.”
With his experience in the junior enlisted and noncommissioned officertiers,Orriola knew what it took for Soldiers to succeed in the field. As a warrant officer, he gained the precision to ensure they had what was needed for success.
“I loved being a warrant officer,” said Orriola. “Seeing how high the standards were kept inspired me to work even harder and fully embrace the [Army’s] ‘leader’s attributes and competencies’”.
His new responsibilities pushed him toward his goal of commissioning. By 2024, he pinned on lieutenant and completed a rare progression through all three major leadership tracks in the Army: NCO, warrant officer and commissioned officer.
“I’ve been the private who didn’t understand English. I’ve been the NCO executing the mission. I’ve been the warrant officer making sure the equipment works,” he said. “Now, as an officer, I bring all of that together.”
Today, he serves as a medical operations officer at the brigade level, responsible for coordinating medical readiness and support across multiple battalions. His role includes everything from planning large-scale exercises overseas to ensuring Soldiers meet critical medical requirements.
For Orriola, every Soldier in the force is essential for mission success. Being a part of every level has given him a unique insight. He encourages all Soldiers to learn from their experience, and build their own personal tool bag of skills,as well as utilize their counterparts who have their own unique skills.
“I feel like being in all three parts, I actually have a better understanding on where I can help, or when I need somebody to help me” said Orriola. “This is a collective effort, and I cannot do everything. I need my enlisted Soldiers and my warrant officers for mission success. Knowing what other ranks have to offer, I think it's helped me to be a better leader, using experience to accomplish the mission.”
| Date Taken: |
04.16.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
04.16.2026 16:24 |
| Story ID: |
562911 |
| Location: |
NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: |
24 |
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0 |
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This work, Leadership built through experience, by SrA Olivia Bithell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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