LtCol William R. DeLorenzo enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 and served in the reserves while attending Villanova University. He graduated in 1995, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in History and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in May 1995. His military education includes The Basic School, Flight School, Weapons and Tactics Instructor’s Course, Naval Post-graduate School, Defense Language Institute, Indonesian Army Command and Staff College, and USMC Command and Staff (Non-Resident Course). He has a Masters in Business Administration from Boston University and a Masters in National Security Affairs from NPS.
Upon completion of The Basic School, 2ndLt DeLorenzo reported to Pensacola, Florida for flight training. Upon completion of Flight School he reported to the Replacement Air Group HMMT-204 to complete flight training as a CH-46E pilot. He went to HMM-263 in November 1998. In February 2000, he deployed with 24 MEU conducting training exercises and operations in Spain, Sardinia, Kosovo, Ukraine, and Israel.
In September 2001, he attended Weapons and Tactics Instructor’s Course at MAWTS-1, Yuma, AZ. In 2002 he began his second deployment conducting exercises and operations in Kosovo, Djibouti, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, and Iraq in support of JTF HOA/OEF/OIF.
In May of 2003, Capt DeLorenzo began the foreign area officer program, reporting to Naval Post-graduate School, Monterey, CA. His wife and daughter then accompanied him to Bandung, Indonesia for a year and a half in-country training program. During this time he was promoted to Major and gained international experience working through US Embassy staffs and traveling throughout Indonesia, the Republic of the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and China.
In June 2006, Major DeLorenzo returned to MCAS New River working as the MAG-26 V-22 transition officer for a year while waiting to begin transition training to the MV-22 Osprey. He began transition training to the MV-22 Osprey in May of 2007 and worked in future operations at VMMT-204 where he remained as an instructor pilot until March 2009. He then went to VMM-365 to stand up the maintenance department as the Aviation Maintenance Officer. The squadron deployed to Helmund Province, Afghanistan in June 2010. In October 2010 Major DeLorenzo took over as the Executive Officer of VMM-365. The squadron returned from Afghanistan in January 2011. In July 2011, Major DeLorenzo executed orders to work the PACOM desk in the HQMC International Affairs Branch. He took command of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 in May 2014.
LtCol DeLorenzo’s awards include Air Medal with numeral 6, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, GWOT Expeditionary Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.