Major Solana enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in June 2004 from Slidell, Louisiana. Upon completion of Recruit Training and Marine Combat Training, he attended Marine Armor Crewman Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and was designated an M1A1 Main Battle Tank Crewman. In March 2005, he reported to Company C, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to Al Anbar Province, Iraq, in both February 2006 and September 2007.
In October 2008, Major Solana reported to Drill Instructor School aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. From January 2009 to May 2012, he served as a Drill Instructor with Company M, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion.
In 2012, he was selected for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program. He subsequently completed Officer Candidate School and reported to the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps unit in San Diego. He commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in May 2015.
Major Solana attended The Basic School in September 2015, followed by Naval Flight Training at NAS Pensacola beginning in April 2016. He was designated a Naval Aviator in 2018 and reported to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 (VMMT-204), with follow-on orders to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (VMM-266).
While assigned to VMM-266, Major Solana held multiple billets within the support and maintenance departments. He deployed in support of North and West Africa Response Force 21.1 in 2020, and again in 2022 in support of Crisis Response Africa 23.1. In June 2023, he departed VMM-266 and reported to Quantico, Virginia, to attend resident Professional Military Education (PME).
Upon completion of PME, he served as an Augment Instructor at Officer Candidate School for the summer 2024 training cycles. In September 2024, Major Solana reported to VMMT-204, where he currently serves as an Instructor Pilot and the Executive Officer.
Major Solana’s personal decorations include the Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (Second award), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon. He holds a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and is a graduate of Expeditionary Warfare School (resident). His additional qualifications include completion of joint service courses in Link-16, Joint Personnel Recovery, and Amphibious Airspace Coordination.