Cmdr. Leia Guccione,
Commanding Officer
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 18
Cmdr. Leia Guccione was born in Akron, Ohio but lived also in Pennsylvania and Iowa while growing up. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Political Science from Iowa State University of Science and Technology. She earned her commission through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Iowa State in 2004. Guccione holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Development from the University of London.
Guccione began her service as an active-duty Surface Warfare Officer with initial assignment to USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) in 2005 where she served as the 1st Division Officer and Assistant First Lieutenant and completed an overseas deployment to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf in support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
At the end of 2006, she transferred to Charleston, SC for nuclear power training at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command and Nuclear Power Training Unit. She completed nuclear training and qualification on the MTS-635 in November 2007.
In December 2007, she reported to USS Ronald Regan (CVN 76) where she served as a Machinery Division Officer and the Assistant Reactor Training Officer. She completed two deployments to the Western Pacific in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2008 and 2009) and was part of the carrier crew that received the FY08 and FY09 Battle “E” Awards.
In February 2010, she reported to Commander Naval Air Forces Pacific as the Nuclear Engineer Officer Coordinator and Assistant Fleet Reactor Training Assistant for the Force Nuclear Propulsion (N9) staff.
In September 2012, Guccione resigned her active commission and began her service as an officer in the Naval Reserve with no break in service. Her initial assignment was to NMCB 17 where she served as the Embark Officer. She served with the battalion until NMCB 17 was decommissioned in September 2014, after which she was transferred to NMCB 25.
Guccione served in NMCB 25 as the Alfa Company Commander and Officer SCW program coordinator. She then transferred to 1st Naval Construction Regiment (1NCR) where she served as the Assistant Regimental Operations officer and lead planner for all Naval Construction Forces for the 2018 Rim of the Pacific exercise.
From 1NCR she to returned to serve as the Operations Officer for NMCB 25. During her tour, NMCB 25 was awarded the FY19 and FY20 Battle “E” and Perry Awards. From NMCB 25 she transferred to Naval Facilities Engineering Command Headquarters to serve as the Senior Officer Community and APPLY Manager for the Civil Engineer Corps reserve force.
She is a qualified Surface Warfare Officer, Nuclear Engineering Officer, and Seabee Combat Warfare Officer. Her personal decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal (six awards) and the Navy Achievement Medal (two awards). She is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Colorado.
As a civilian, she works for the Rocky Mountain Institute where she is the Managing Director for RMI’s Carbon-Free Electricity Program. She is married to Mr. Thomas Lechtenberg of Le Mars, Iowa and they have two children, Owen (6), and Ian (1).