Major Mateo Flores attended Ottawa University and commissioned through the Platoon Leaders Course (PLC) out of Arizona in March of 2009.
After commissioning as a Second Lieutenant, Major Flores worked at the Officer Selection Office in Tucson, Arizona until reporting to The Basic School in June of 2009. He graduated the Basic Officer Course and reported to Infantry Officer Course in January of 2010.
Following completion of Infantry Officer Course, Major Flores reported to Marine Corps Ground Combat Center 29 Palms, CA. He was assigned as Rifle Platoon Commander, 2d Platoon, Company L, 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 7th Marine Regiment reinforced in April of 2010. Major Flores deployed to the Upper Gereshk Valley, Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from April to September 2011.
The year following his deployment, Major Flores was assigned to Company I as the Weapons Platoon Commander. In the months following his assignment, Major Flores would be assigned as Company Commander and Company Executive Officer for India Company. He deployed to Southern Musa Qa’leh, Helmand Province, Afghanistan from March to September 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In January of 2014 Major Flores reported to the School of Infantry West, Camp Pendleton, CA for Basic Reconnaissance Course. The months following his graduation from Basic Reconnaissance Course, he attended Basic Airborne Course and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.
In November of 2014 he was assigned as Company Commander, Company A, 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division, III MEF forward. Major Flores served as Company Commander until July of 2016, completing Marine Combatant Diver Course during his tenure. He deployed to the Republic of Korea in support of a Theater Security Cooperation Exercise, Korean Military Exchange Program 16-4, in the winter of 2016 and provided task-organized forces in support of 3d Marine Division throughout the Pacific Command’s Area of Responsibility including but not limited to Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea.
In July of 2016, Major Flores was assigned as Assistant Operations Officer for 3d Reconnaissance Battalion during which he completed Expeditionary Warfare School Distance Education Program and planned, supervised, and led 52 Marines and Sailors in a $500,000 Advanced Canopy Control course in Parker, AZ.
In August of 2017 Major Flores reported to 3d Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division for assignment as Company Commander for Company L. He deployed to Okinawa, Japan in support of Unit Deployment Program 18.2, conducting exercise FUJI VIPER 19-1 and the 3d Marine Division Rifle Squad Competition. A squad from his company represented the battalion and won the Rifle Squad Competition for 3d Marine Division.
In April of 2019 Major Flores reported to 2d Marine Regiment for assignment as the Current Operations Officer. As the Current Operations Officer, he ran the Exercise Control group for a Regimental Command Post Exercise (CPX) and led an Operational Planning Team (OPT) for leadership training across the regiment.
In July 2019, he reported to TWENTY SECOND Naval Construction Regiment to serve as the Training and Readiness Officer and Military Advisor. During his tenure Major Flores trained and led the regiment’s watch floor and Operational Planning Teams, ensuring they passed two iterations of their TYCOM certification events NECC Integrated Exercise (NIEX). He also served as the regiment’s liaison officer to II Marine Expeditionary Force during Naval Large Scale Exercise 21 and Cold Response 22.
In June 2022, Major Flores reported to 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines as the Instructor-Inspector for Company A.
Major Flores’ personal awards include three Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device, and Combat Action Ribbon.