Colonel Frank Diorio is a native of Morris County, New Jersey, and was commissioned upon graduation from the University of Notre Dame in May 1996, completed The Basic School in June 1997 and the Infantry Officer’s Course in August 1997.
He was then assigned to 2d Bn, 4th Marines from 1997- 2000. During this tour, he served as a Rifle Platoon Commander, Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT) Platoon Commander, Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF) Commander, and Battalion Assistant Operations Officer. In 1998 he deployed to Kuwait with BLT 2/4 in support of Operation Desert Fox (1998).
In June 2000, First Lieutenant Diorio reported to the 1st Marine Corps District as the Officer Selection Officer (OSO) in Manhattan, New York City. After his office was damaged following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Captain Diorio relocated his OSO team to the USS Intrepid where he served until his departure in 2003. He then reported to the Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Va., graduating in 2004.
In June 2004, Captain Diorio reported to 3rd Battalion, 2d Marines, as a Rifle Company Commander for India Company. He deployed to Camp Lemonier, Djibouti in 2004 as the Security Company Commander in support of Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF)-Horn of Africa (HOA). He then again deployed with his company to Husaybah, Al-Qaim, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005.
From 2006-2009, Major Diorio served as a Marine Officer Instructor at the Virginia Military Institute as a History of Warfare instructor and Company Officer within the Corps of Cadets. Upon completion of this tour, he reported to Marine Corps Command and Staff College, graduating with distinction in 2010. Major Diorio once again reported to 2d Bn, 4th Marines as the Battalion Executive Officer in 2010, deploying to the Musa-Qaleh and Now-Zad districts in Helmand Province, Afghanistan from 2011-2012 in support of OEF. Upon departing 2/4 he reported to I MEF and served as the OIC for the MEF’s Advisor Training Cell responsible for training OIF/OEF Advisor Teams until 2013.
In 2013 LtCol Diorio reported to the MAGTF Staff Training Program (MSTP), where he served as the MSTP Red Team OIC. While at MSTP, LtCol Diorio was selected for Battalion Command to serve as the Inspector-Instructor for 1st Bn, 23rd Marines from 2014-2016, which included a unit mobilization to Chile, South America. Following his I&I tour, LtCol Diorio reported to 7th Marine Regiment and served as the XO in 2014 and then as its Deputy Commander from 2015-2016 during the Regiment HQ’s SPMAGTF deployment to the USCENTCOM AOR. He was selected for Top-Level School and following his tour with 7th Marines reported to the Eisenhower School at Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
Upon completion of school, Colonel Diorio reported to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSDP) in the Plans & Posture office within the Assistant Secretary of Defense’s Office for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities (SPC). Here he was responsible for OSD Policy equities within Global Force Management portfolio, the plans portfolio covering the Indo-Pacific AOR, as well as Contingency Planning Guidance (CPG) and the Unified Command Plan (UCP). Following this tour Colonel Diorio reported to the Office of Deputy Commandant, Plans, Policies, and Operations as the Branch Head for Future Operations