Local News
Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) Justin M. Hartley is retiring from the US Marine Corps effective August 31, 2025, after 21 years of exemplary service. He is the son of Steve and Marilyn Hartley of Paradise Valley, Livingston. A ceremony was held at Camp Lejeune, NC, with several family members in attendance. Justin attended Arrowhead School, graduated from Park High in 2004 and entered the Marine Corp immediately after graduation.
Following bootcamp in San Diego and combat training at Camp Pendleton, GySgt Hartley was sent to Okinawa, Japan, as a motor transport operator. He was deployed to Iraq. Next he enrolled in the Marine Security Guard (MSG) program and during training, earned the ‘Top Gun’ award for his class. His 3-year term in MSG landed him first at the US Consulate in Frankfort, Germany. While there, he was sent to Sidney, Australia to guard President George W. Bush during an Asian Economic Summit. His 2nd year was spent at the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he met his wife Danelia (Alvarado) Hartley, of 15 years. They have two sons, Diego/James and Stephen. The 3rd duty station took him to the US Mission in Brussels, Belgium, where he completed his time as MSG.
From Belgium, GySgt Hartley was transferred stateside to Yuma, AZ, where he trained and licensed recruits in military vehicles. In 2013, Justin reported to Camp Lejeune where he served as Motor Operations Transport Chief, Ground Safety Officer, Uniform Victim Witness Officer, Environmental Compliance Officer and Platoon Sergeant. His next duty station was for three years in New Orleans, LA. He served as a Safety Officer for the entire Force and was responsible for investigating mishaps Force-wide. This position required him to travel the United States doing safety inspections on military bases with Marine contingency. It was during this time, that Justin’s interest in the area of health and safety was solidified; he enrolled in an online degree in that field.
After serving three years in New Orleans, GySgt Hartley was sent back to Camp Lejeune to again serve as Motor Transport Operations Chief, Ground Safety Manager and Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Advocate. He later transferred to a different battalion with the USMC Raiders to serve as Logistics Chief for his final two years of service. Justin recently completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Health & Safety… graduating magna cum laude from Columbia Southern University.
GySgt Hartley’s personal decorations include: (2) Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medals, (2) Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medals and (6) Good Conduct Medals. In 2019, he was selected as the singular recipient of the annual Geico Military Service Award for the entire Marine Corps.
Congratulations Justin on your 21 years of service! In retirement, Justin hopes to acquire a position in Occupational Health & Safety closer to his Montana family.