lt rich santos
Lieutenant Santos is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He holds an Associate Degree in Law Enforcement from Savannah Technical Institute, a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Eastern Oregon University, and an MBA from Trident University. He holds the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certification.
Lieutenant Santos enlisted in the Army in 1990 and was immediately mobilized to serve in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where as a member of the 92nd Engineer Battalion served as part of the main invasion force in the United States led multinational coalition's defense of Saudi Arabia and invasion of Iraq. As part of the 92nd Engineer Battalion Lieutenant Santos was mobilized to support humanitarian and civil peacekeeping operation in Miami in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Lieutenant Santos also served with the United Nations Peace-keeping Force as part of Operation Uphold Democracy. While on active duty Lieutenant Santos served as an Investigator with Army CID. Upon separation from active duty Lieutenant Santos served with the 2nd Battalion of the 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment of the Florida Army National Guard.
After leaving active service, LT Santos began his career with the Orange County (FL) Sheriff's Office, where he specialized in complex criminal investigations and conducted numerous high-profile investigations that garnered extensive media attention. He served in the Homicide, Sex Crimes, Violent Crimes, and Property Units, and also taught at the police academy. LT Santos gained renown as an expert in interviews and interrogations, the detection of deception, and handwriting analysis. He served as a member of the Disciplinary Appeals Board for the Police Benevolent Association and worked in Labor Relations with the department. LT Santos served as a Field Training Officer and Tactical Firearms Instructor and holds several instructor certifications from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Upon commissioning as a Naval Intelligence Officer LT Santos was assigned to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, where he specialized in Human Intelligence collection. During his time with NCIS, LT Santos deployed on numerous occasions for counter-narcotics, counterintelligence and force protection operations throughout the Central and South America AOR on joint missions with the DEA, FBI, and other federal and military agencies, and established himself as a subject matter expert in human intelligence collection operations, interviews and interrogations, and geopolitical matters. LT Santos holds the Information Dominance Warfare Qualification.
LT Santos reported to Navy Orientation Unit and Navy Talent Acquisition Group Jacksonville in August 2015, where he currently serves as an Officer Recruiter and Officer in Charge. His tenure at NRD Jacksonville has been marked by sustained superior performance, where he personally, and his Divisions, have exceeded their recruiting goals annually. He has been awarded 19 gold wreaths for recruiting excellence and has been a major part of the District being awarded the Bronze “R” for recruiting excellence for three years in a row.
LT Santos' personal awards include the Navy Commendation Medal (2), Army Commendation Medal (2), Army Achievement Medal (2) and the Good Conduct Medal. He was awarded Reserve Officer Recruiter of the Year twice, and was a finalist for National Reserve Officer Recruiter of the Year. LT Santos is an exemplary ambassador to the community for the Navy, where he has won 2 State Championships as a local high school football coach. LT Santos also volunteers at his local church. He is also a licensed Realtor and he runs a successful real estate consulting and investing business.
