United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Alexa Hernandez was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Staff Sergeant Hernandez enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in November 2016, and she completed Marine Recruit Training at Parris Island, South Carolina in 2017.
Staff Sergeant Hernandez attended her MOS schooling at the Defense Information School (DINFOS), Fort Meade, Maryland, completing the Basic Still Photographer Course. In 2017, her first duty assignment was serving as a combat camera and media engagement non-commissioned officer with the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California. While with the 1st Marine Division, she supported over sixty exercises and operations along the west coast that included the US Navy Ship (USNS) Mercy in Los Angeles, California for the COVID-19 pandemic response. Staff Sergeant Hernandez’s next assignment was at the 4th Marine Corps Recruiting District in Richmond, Virginia, where she served as the marketing and communications chief supporting over 100 Marine recruiters and providing crisis communications and advertising options to the Command Staff.
After her tour in Virginia, Staff Sergeant Hernandez served two tours at Camp Lejune, North Carolina beginning in 2022. She first served with the 2nd Marine Division’s Communication Strategy and Operations (COMMSTRAT) section as the Production Chief and Platoon Sergeant. Later, she moved to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force COMMSTRAT section, serving as the Media Operations and Assessments Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge. Staff Sergeant Hernandez also supported Task Force Galvanic Thunder at the southwest border in El Paso, Texas. While serving at Camp Lejune, Staff Sergeant Hernandez received the Visual Information of Excellence in Communication award for her photojournalism accomplishments in the Marine Corps.
Staff Sergeant Hernandez’s awards and decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, five Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and the Humanitarian Serve Medal. Her proudest military moment is helping guide and mentor junior Marines to success and being promoted to Staff Sergeant by her parents with her uncle’s Marine Corps Staff Sergeant rank. Her uncle served in Operation Desert Storm.
Today, Staff Sergeant Hernandez is a student in Syracuse University’s prestigious Military Visual Journalism (MVJ) program at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She was one of two combat photographers selected from the entire Marine Corps to attend the program.
