Major General Joseph Lestorti is an Infantry Officer with over 33 years of commissioned service. He began his military career when he received his Commission as a Regular Army Active Duty Second Lieutenant Infantry Officer in 1992 from the ROTC program at the State University of New York at Brockport.
Major General Lestorti has commanded at every level from Platoon to Division and served in multiple staff assignments. His previous assignments include Airborne Infantry Rifle Platoon Leader, 82nd Airborne Division; Executive Officer, 18th Airborne Corp Long Range Surveillance Company; Company Commander of Company B, 2/87 Infantry, and the Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 10th Mountain Division; AOR Commander, Bosnia; Plans Officer, Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT); Operations Officer, Army Reserve Counter Terrorism Unit; Special Operations Command and Control Element Officer in Charge (Iraq); J5 Operations Officer, JSOC; Battalion Commander, 3/318 MP 98 DIV; J3 Operations Officer, JSOC; Branch Chief for Irregular Warfare, Joint Staff; Brigade Commander, 3rd Brigade, Atlantic Training Division; Commanding General, 78th Training Division; J33 Deputy Director for Global Integration and Current Operations, Joint Staff; J3 Director of Operations NORTHCOM, and currently is the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve (OCAR), Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course (IOBC), Airborne course, Ranger course, Jumpmaster course, Pathfinder course, Long Range Surveillance Leadership course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course (IOAC), Joint Special Operations Command Intro and Advanced Course, US Army Command and General Staff College, SERE course, the Army War College, and the Joint Combined Warfighting School. Major General Lestorti’s awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal with 1 oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster, National Defense Service Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, NATO Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award with 1 oak leaf cluster, Army Service Ribbon, Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, Pathfinder Badge, Senior-Rated Parachutist Badge, the Army Staff Identification Badge and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.
Major General Lestorti is currently assigned as the OCAR Deputy Chief of Staff G-3/5/7 and the Senior Military Advisor to the Afghan Special Review Panel.
Major General Lestorti retired as a Supervisory Special Agent with the US State Department in 2021 with over 20 years of service. Of note he served in multiple high threat Embassies to include Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and multiple Embassies in Africa. During his career at US State Department, he also worked as; a Supervisory Special Agent at Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, and he protected high level diplomats and senior leaders of foreign countries and multiple US Senators, Congressmen and senior leaders for the US. Awards of note received during his work with the US Department of State include US Attorneys Award out of Boston MA. The Award for Heroism from the US State Department for actions taken at the US Embassy in Afghanistan in 2011.