Captain Melinda Zalma is from New York City and a native of New Jersey. She graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1996. She was ordained in 2003 and earned a Master of Midrash (2005) from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, New York. In 1999, she was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy Reserve Chaplain Candidate Program and entered the Selective Reserve in 2005.
In 2006, she was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Cherry Point, North Carolina where she served as the Command Chaplain. In 2008, she served with the Navy Chief of Chaplains Office in Washington, DC, where she led the development of the Navy Chaplain Corps Reserve Component Project, establishing clear career progression paths, milestones, and key rotations for chaplains. In 2012, she was the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) for Navy Reserve Marine Expeditionary Force Religious Ministry Support (RELSUP) Unit attached to MCAS New River, North Carolina. In 2015, Chaplain Zalma became Deputy Group Chaplain for Marine Corps Aircraft Group 49, Fort Dix, New Jersey. In 2017, she served as the Reserve Deputy Chaplain of Religious Affairs in the Office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, where she helped evaluate and plan the annual Joint Religious Affairs Symposium, supporting the professional development of more than 30 chaplains and senior enlisted leaders. In 2019, she served as the OIC of Navy Reserve Marine Corps Combat Development Command Support Unit where she co-created a Plan of Action and Milestones for a spiritual fitness online course designed for Navy chaplains serving with the Marine Corps. In 2022, she served as the OIC of Navy Reserve USCG RELSUP and Reserve Deputy Chaplain of the US Coast Guard. CAPT Zalma recently completed her assignment as the Chaplain of Navy Reserve Central Command, Fifth Fleet. She is currently serving as the Force Chaplain for Marine Forces Reserve, Marine Forces South, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Her unit awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars.