A native of Bogota, Colombia, Captain (CAPT) Garcia-Duenas began his distinguished naval career in August 1996, enlisting as a Dental Technician. After completing initial training and his first duty assignment, he earned selection for a commission in the Navy Nurse Corps through the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) program. He then attended the University of Arizona on a Naval ROTC scholarship, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and received his commission in May 2004.
CAPT Garcia-Duenas’s early officer career features significant operational experience. He deployed to Kuwait in 2007 as a casualty receiving nurse supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and to Afghanistan in 2009 as a trauma team leader for Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2008, he deployed aboard the USS Boxer for Operation Continuing Promise. Between these deployments, he held several leadership positions within the Emergency Department at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
In 2010, he pursued advanced education and earned a Master of Science in Nursing with Honors from the University of Virginia, qualifying as an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. As a Lieutenant Commander, he applied these advanced skills at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, serving as a practitioner in the Emergency Department and as the Clinical Nurse Specialist, Code Blue, and Mentorship program coordinator.
He continued integrating with the Fleet Marine Force, serving as Battalion Training Officer for the 2nd Medical Battalion and as the Navy’s Specialty Leader for Emergency/Trauma Nursing. In 2018, he completed Joint Professional Military Education at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.
Upon promotion to Commander, CAPT Garcia-Duenas served as the Clinical and Doctrine subject matter expert at the Marine Corps Combat Development Integration Command. He later achieved a significant milestone as Executive Officer of an operational Marine Corps medical command with the 3rd Medical Battalion in Japan. He continued his career as the Deputy Executive Assistant to the Navy Surgeon General. Promoted to Captain in September 2025, he now serves as the Deputy Assistant Director for Operations and Plans (J-3/J-5) at the Defense Health Agency.
CAPT Garcia-Duenas holds qualification as a Fleet Marine Force Warfare Officer. His personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, four Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various other unit and service awards.