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Biography
3rd Marine Division Leadership
Commanding Officer
Lieutenant Colonel Stephen J. Boada
3d Battalion, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment

Lieutenant Colonel Boada enlisted in the Marine Corps in December of 1997 and attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. in June 1998. Upon completion of follow-on training as a 3531, Motor Transport Operator he served as both a Motor Transport Operator and Primary Marksmanship Instructor with 6th Motor Transport Battalion, New Haven, Connecticut from August 1998 until December 2002.

He graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 2002 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in March 2003. Upon commissioning, he reported to The Basic School (TBS) as a member of Delta Company and subsequently attended the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course (FAOBC). Upon completion of FAOBC in June 2004, he reported to Battery A, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines and was assigned the billet of Forward Observer. In August 2004 he received orders to report to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines and deployed to Afghanistan with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines as a forward observer and information operations officer from November 2004 until July 2005. He served as the Fire Direction Officer for Battery A from July 2005 until April 2006 and as the Executive Officer from April 2006 until December 2006. During this time, he deployed to Okinawa, Japan as part of the Unit Deployment Program.

In March 2007, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, he served as the OIC of three Police Transition Teams from March 2007 until November 2007. Upon returning from Iraq, he took command of Headquarters Battery, and served as the Battery Commander from December 2007 until receiving orders to The Basic School in June 2008. While assigned to The Basic School, he served as a Fire Support Primary Instructor, Battery Commander, and Staff Platoon Commander for both Basic Officer Course and Warrant Officer Basic Course platoons. Selected to attend Expeditionary Warfare School he graduated in May 2012 and reported to Battery P, 5th Battalion, 14th Marines in Spokane, Washington where he served as Battery Inspector-Instructor from June of 2012 until May of 2015.

He assumed command of Recruiting Station Portsmouth in June of 2015 where he served as the commanding officer in charge of Marine Corps Enlisted and Officer Recruiting in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Europe until June 2018. In June of 2018 he reported to Marine Corps University where he attended the Resident Command and Staff Course graduating with a Masters in Military Studies in June 2019 and subsequently attended the School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) obtaining a Masters of Operational Studies in 2020. Upon graduation from SAW, Lieutenant Colonel Boada received orders to 3d Marine Division where he served as a G3 Plans Officer until June 2022.

Lieutenant Colonel Boada holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science and Geography from Central Connecticut University, a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Gonzaga University, a Masters of Military Studies (MMS) and a Masters of Operational Studies from Marine Corps University.

His personal decorations include the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star in lieu of second award, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star in lieu of second award and the Combat Action Ribbon.