GEORGE CEDENO JR

Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps
Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Fordham University Master of Arts in Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice

George Cedeno Jr. had a high operational tempo during his time as a helicopter crew chief in the Marine Corps supporting countless Presidential movements in various areas of the U.S. and overseas, including the VH-60N White Hawk for President George W Bush, as well as deploying to Afghanistan to fly combat missions involving casualty evacuations, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, assault support and transport of Marine Corps Infantrymen. Not one to become complacent, George continued his service by attending Marine Corps Embassy Security Group training and received orders as an appointed detachment commander for the U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica, followed by an assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia. While in Croatia, George sustained a serious back injury during training resulting in severe right leg paralysis and foot drop requiring immediate surgery. Once stable, he was medically evacuated from Croatia to Bethesda, MD until his medical discharge from the Marine Corps.

Determined as ever, George wasted no time reconciling himself to his new future as a civilian. He enrolled at Fordham University to pursue his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and was accepted to Sentinels of Freedom. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, George was accepted to John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York to attain a master’s degree in public administration. With the support provided by SOF, George was able to focus on his studies graduating with a 3.97 GPA.

George works as a Confidential Investigator in New York City and is studying for the Certified Fraud Examiner certificate. He recently won the primary election in his town for council member and is currently campaigning for the general election. In his spare time, George is also creating a multi-partnership start-up called Three Woodsmen; an outdoor recreation, hunting, and lodging business. He resides in New Jersey with his wife, Vivian, and their young son, Owen.

“If the Department of Veterans Affairs were to operate and have leadership like SoF, we would not need duplication of efforts in this country to help veterans. SOF is a proven merit based and direct help nonprofit like no other.”