America's Heroes at Work Success Story

Justin Constantine
Veteran, U.S. Department of Justice

Accomplished attorney. Devoted husband. Loyal Marine. Wounded warrior. All of these words can be used to describe Justin Constantine, who has never let his combat injuries be a barrier to his success.

Constantine has always enjoyed a rewarding career path. While studying to be a lawyer, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and went on to enjoy a winning career as a military trial attorney at posts in Okinawa, Japan and Camp Pendleton, California. Later, he went to work at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division where he served as an associate legal advisor. But it was in December 2005 that Constantine joined a Marine Reserve unit, and in a matter of months, he was trained and deployed to a life-changing post in Iraq's Al Anbar Province.

In spite of his training, Constantine did not deploy as a lawyer. Rather, he captained a civil affairs team designed to help Iraqi leaders rebuild their towns and city infrastructures. The work was rewarding but high risk, and by 2006, accomplishing civil affairs work was becoming more and more dangerous due to security concerns in the region. That fall, Constantine was on a routine combat patrol with a battalion commander when an enemy sniper attacked them and injured several in the unit. Constantine was shot just below his helmet by a bullet that entered behind his ear and exited out his face. A quick-thinking and brave Navy corpsman performed an emergency tracheotomy on Constantine as well as rescue breathing that saved his life.

Amazingly, the bullet that hit Constantine missed his brain and major nerves. However, he had a long recovery ahead of him. His then girlfriend, Dahlia, rushed to his side at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and later accompanied him to Bethesda National Naval Medical Center. Constantine underwent multiple surgeries to reconstruct his face, where bone from his legs and bone marrow from his hip were used to rebuild his upper and lower jaws. While he made a miraculous recovery, Constantine's speech was slurred and he often drooled, much to his embarrassment. He wondered how he could ever go back to his job as an attorney, where speaking and verbal negotiating skills were essential.

However, some colleagues told him about a job opening at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Immigration Litigation - a legal position that would require limited speaking roles but lots of writing. He applied for and secured the position and found the job litigating U.S. immigration laws quite rewarding. But Constantine admits he initially felt self-conscious about his appearance, speech and drooling issues. "What are people going to think when they talk to me?" he remembers thinking. Luckily, his program director was a retired Marine sergeant who understood what he was going through. He and other co-workers were very accommodating and understood the importance of work schedule flexibility for doctor appointments, surgeries and counseling for Constantine's Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

In 2008, Constantine was recruited to go to work as counsel for the U.S. Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. He relished the opportunity to work on legislation that would benefit his fellow wounded warriors. Here again, his colleagues were very supportive of his disabilities. Constantine was self conscious about the mess he made when he ate lunch in his cubicle, but co-workers didn't care. In fact, one bought him a special terry cloth apron that helped him immensely. He still uses those aprons today during mealtimes.

In 2010, Constantine moved on to a new job as president of Command Media Corporation, a film, video and digital production service company serving various public and private sector clients. That year, he was also tested for and diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - something that doctors had missed initially. The diagnosis helped explain some of the mild memory issues Constantine had been noticing.

Job to job, Constantine has not needed any specific accommodations or workplace supports beyond flexibility to attend medical appointments. His injuries were restricted to his face, and his speech has improved dramatically since 2006. He and Dahlia, whom he married in 2008, spend time every Sunday writing out his schedule for the week. This helps Constantine manage his memory deficits and keep his hectic schedule straight.

In January 2010, Constantine was offered another job at DOJ, this time in the Office of the General Counsel. He loves his new position and intends to stay there long term. He also spends time managing his small business, Iraq and Back, which charitably supplies motivating tee shirts to wounded warriors and their families. Constantine is still in the Marine Corps Reserves and en route to becoming Lieutenant Colonel.

Constantine is disheartened by the stigma associated with the invisible wounds of war. "I would encourage employers to welcome wounded warriors and to be as flexible as they can," he says. "Veteran employees are incredibly goal oriented. We tried to do good things for our country and now we want to do good things for our employers."

But he adds that Veterans need to know what they need to do their job effectively. "Be honest with yourself about what's going on in your head, and don't be afraid to be screened for TBI or PTSD," he says. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about and best to address these issues in a healthy manner. It's not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. And if you're going to have a successful transition, you have to know yourself."