Juan J. Adriatico is a veteran executive leader, former United States Army and Navy Chaplain, entrepreneur, real estate developer, and President & Lead Business Developer of The Colt Firm. His career reflects a life of faith, service, leadership, resilience, and mission-focused execution.

Juan served 15 years in active-duty military service as a Chaplain, supporting Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, military families, commanders, and senior leaders across combat, medical, garrison, chapel, and joint-service environments. His work included pastoral counseling, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, PTSD awareness, family readiness, command advisement, memorial services, worship leadership, and moral leadership under pressure.

Today, Juan leads The Colt Firm, a SDVOSB federal and state government contracting firm providing design, engineering, steel fabrication, data center support, construction services, manufacturing partnerships, and business development support to private-sector clients as well as federal and state government projects.

Juan combines veteran executive leadership, business development, construction and engineering coordination, real estate development, data center consulting, manufacturing partnerships, and AI training to help organizations grow, build, and operate with greater purpose, productivity, and effectiveness.

Lander University | Greenwood, South Carolina
Bachelor of Science — Business, Marketing & Management

Juan earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Lander University, developing a foundation in business, marketing, management, leadership, and organizational strategy. This education later supported his work in entrepreneurship, real estate, business development, government contracting, and executive leadership.

Greenwood, South Carolina / Fort Jackson, South Carolina

Juan began his military leadership journey when he was commissioned as a United States Army Officer. He later served as a Chaplain under Military Occupational Specialty 56A, providing religious support, moral leadership, pastoral counseling, and command advisement across multiple Army formations.

Erskine Theological Seminary | Due West, South Carolina

Master of Divinity — Pastoral Counseling

Juan completed his Master of Divinity with a focus in pastoral counseling. This preparation equipped him to serve in high-pressure ministry environments involving crisis care, trauma support, family counseling, spiritual leadership, and ethical advisement.

2-35 Infantry, 25th Infantry Division
Schofield Barracks, Hawaii / Samarra, Iraq

Juan served as Battalion Chaplain for 2-35 Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, supporting Soldiers in both garrison and combat environments. During his deployment to Iraq, he provided religious support, pastoral care, counseling, worship leadership, and command advisement in intense operational conditions.

He conducted 67 combat patrols without carrying a weapon, provided care to Soldiers facing combat stress, grief, suicide risk, PTSD, relationship hardship, and spiritual crisis, and served as a trusted advisor to command leadership.

During this period, Juan was promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain in combat and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.

• Provided pastoral care and religious support to large combat formations.
• Supported more than 3,000 Soldiers, including infantry, Special Forces, and National Guard personnel.
• Conducted 67 combat patrols without carrying a weapon.
• Led more than 100 chapel services and Bible studies in combat-zone environments.
• Provided more than 500 counseling sessions involving suicide, PTSD, grief, relationships, and combat stress.
• Conducted memorial services for fallen Soldiers.
• Advised commanders on morale, ethics, religion, Soldier welfare, and command climate.
• Founded “Iraqi Freedom Child,” helping mobilize more than $50,000 in aid for Iraqi children.
• Supported Strong Bonds retreats and family-resilience programs.
• Awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.

2010–2011 — Clinical Pastoral Education

Brooke Army Medical Center | San Antonio, Texas
Level I Trauma Center

Juan completed extensive Clinical Pastoral Education at Brooke Army Medical Center, serving in a Level I trauma-center environment. His work included spiritual care in the ICU, emergency room, burn units, and other high-acuity medical settings.

This period strengthened Juan’s ability to provide trauma-informed pastoral care, crisis response, grief support, and emotional and spiritual care to wounded Soldiers, patients, families, and medical teams.

• Completed approximately 1,600 clinical hours.
• Conducted more than 1,500 patient visits.
• Served in ICU, emergency, and burn-unit environments.
• Participated in advanced clinical didactics and group presentations.
• Supported Soldiers, families, patients, and medical personnel through crisis and trauma care.

101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division
Fort Riley, Kansas

Juan served as Battalion and Brigade Chaplain with the 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. In this role, he provided comprehensive religious support in a multi-ethnic and pluralistic military environment while advising commanders on religion, morale, ethics, moral leadership, Soldier welfare, marriage and family relations, and command climate.

He supported Soldiers and families through counseling, deployment preparation, family-readiness programs, suicide-intervention training, chapel ministry, and resilience training. He also served as administrative pastor for the Kapaun Chapel Protestant Service and supported the Fort Riley Division Chaplain’s Office.

• Provided religious support to Soldiers and family members across the battalion.
• Served as personal staff officer and advisor to battalion commanders.
• Advised leadership on morale, ethics, command climate, and family readiness.
• Supervised a Battalion annual Command Master Religious Program valued at more than $50,000.
• Led more than 25 suicide-intervention training courses.
• Conducted memorial services for fallen Soldiers.
• Provided hundreds of individual counseling sessions.
• Supported worship services, preaching, religious education, and sacramental ministry.
• Helped prepare Soldiers and families for deployment, transition, and mission readiness.

Jacksonville, Florida

Juan continued his chaplain service in the Army Reserve, supporting Soldiers through training cycles, pastoral counseling, suicide-intervention education, and command advisement.

• Led multiple training cycles.
• Conducted suicide-intervention courses.
• Provided Soldier counseling and pastoral care.
• Continued advising leaders on morale, readiness, and spiritual support.

Yokosuka, Japan

Juan transitioned into Navy Chaplain leadership, serving as Command Chaplain for DESRON Fifteen in Yokosuka, Japan. In this forward-deployed environment, he provided religious support, counseling, worship leadership, suicide-intervention training, and command advisement across eight Navy ships.

• Served as Chaplain to eight Navy ships.
• Supported more than 3,000 Sailors and Marines.
• Conducted more than 500 counseling sessions.
• Provided suicide-intervention training.
• Led worship services and spiritual-care programs.
• Advised naval leaders on Sailor care, morale, and operational readiness.

Fort Sam Houston | San Antonio, Texas

Juan served as Command Navy Chaplain at Fort Sam Houston, supporting Sailors, military personnel, families, and joint-service leadership. His responsibilities included counseling, invocations, ceremonial support, legal and command advisement, and leadership of chaplain-team initiatives focused on readiness and family support.

• Provided more than 815 counseling sessions to Sailors and military personnel.
• Delivered weekly invocations for command graduations and ceremonies.
• Served as a Navy representative on a joint Army installation.
• Supported legal counsel and command processes.
• Advised senior leadership within the Medical School House environment.
• Led chaplain-team support for Sailor readiness and family programs.

Throughout his military chaplain career, Juan provided extensive support in marriage and family ministry, trauma care, suicide intervention, PTSD awareness, bereavement, multicultural training, and religious inclusivity.

• Led and taught more than 40 marriage and family weekend retreats.
• Served as lead trainer for ASIST and suicide-intervention training at Fort Riley.
• Served as lead trainer and advisor for PTSD awareness and training initiatives.
• Completed five units of Clinical Pastoral Education in Level I trauma-center environments.
• Served as a vocational trainer supporting Soldier transition from military to civilian life.
• Conducted more than 15 memorial services for fallen Soldiers.
• Conducted 67 combat patrols without carrying a weapon.
• Coordinated and led more than 100 Christian worship services.
• Conducted thousands of counseling sessions supporting trauma survivors, sexual-assault survivors, bereaved families, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and family members.
• Provided multicultural training and promoted religious inclusivity across diverse military communities.

Juan’s military service includes recognition for combat leadership, service, and mission accomplishment.

• Bronze Star Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Army Commendation Medal, 2nd Award
• Iraq Campaign Medal with 3 Campaign Stars
• National Defense Service Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Army Service Ribbon
• Overseas Service Ribbon
• Combat Action Badge

• Second Lieutenant
• First Lieutenant
• Captain
• Military Occupational Specialty: 56A Chaplain

• Senior Lieutenant
• Command Chaplain

Walden University

Juan completed graduate-level mental health coursework focused on trauma, crisis response, and therapeutic modalities. This strengthened his foundation in pastoral counseling, mental health awareness, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed care.

Self Regional Hospital | Greenwood, South Carolina

Juan completed an additional unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Self Regional Hospital, adding approximately 500 clinical hours to his pastoral-care, hospital-ministry, and crisis-response background.

Columbia International University

Juan is pursuing doctoral studies in Organizational Leadership at Columbia International University, with anticipated completion in 2028. This academic pursuit reflects his continued commitment to leadership, organizational development, ministry leadership, executive strategy, and service-driven impact.

After his military chaplain career, Juan transitioned into entrepreneurship, construction, real estate development, government contracting, data center consulting, manufacturing partnerships, and business development.

Today, Juan serves as President and Lead Business Developer of The Colt Firm, a SDVOSB federal and state government contracting firm providing:

• Design services
• Engineering coordination
• Steel fabrication support
• Construction services
• Data center support
• Manufacturing partnerships
• Government contracting support
• Private-sector project development
• AI training and operational-improvement consulting

Through The Colt Firm, Juan helps private companies, government agencies, contractors, developers, manufacturers, and project owners execute projects with discipline, strategy, and mission-focused leadership.

Juan’s leadership philosophy is rooted in faith, service, discipline, moral courage, and resilience. His military career shaped him into a leader who understands pressure, responsibility, people, crisis, and mission execution.

His evaluations and career experience reflect strengths in:

• Communication
• Interpersonal leadership
• Ethical advisement
• Counseling
• Teaching and coaching
• Motivation
• Planning and execution
• Team-building
• Moral leadership
• Service before self
• Mission accomplishment

Juan believes leadership is not simply about title or position. Leadership is about serving people, carrying responsibility, making decisions under pressure, and staying faithful to the mission.

Juan Adriatico’s current mission is to lead with faith, build with discipline, serve with purpose, and help organizations grow through trusted partnerships, practical leadership, construction expertise, government contracting, and AI-driven operational improvement.

 The Colt Firm, Juan continues to bring together military leadership, entrepreneurship, ministry experience, business development, construction, engineering, manufacturing, data centers, and artificial intelligence to create meaningful impact in both the private and public sectors.