Captain Sebastino graduated from The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina in May 1988 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, and he was commissioned in the United States Navy through the NROTC Scholarship Program.
After graduating from Surface Warfare Officer’s School in Newport, RI, he reported aboard USS Comte de Grasse (DD 974), in Norfolk, VA, where he served for three years as Damage Control Assistant, Assistant Engineer, and First Lieutenant while completing a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea/Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf. His second sea duty assignment was onboard USS Guam (LPH 9), also in Norfolk, VA, where he served for two years as Weapons Officer, and he completed a second deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, a majority of which was spent on “Yugo Station” in support of Operation Provide Promise. His third, and final, sea tour was a year-long deployment as Operations Officer for Commander, Maritime Prepositioning Ships Squadron One operating in the Mediterranean Sea, Puerto Rico and along the East Coast of the United States.
Captain Sebastino also served on shore duty for two years at Weapons Training Group Detachment, Norfolk as an Instructor and as Curriculum Instructional Standards Officer; he was later “fleeted-up” to Assistant Officer-in-Charge. He also served for two years on the staff of Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic Fleet as a Senior Nuclear Weapons Inspector. While on shore-duty, Captain Sebastino attended evening classes at Old Dominion University earning a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in May 1998.
Captain Sebastino transitioned to the reserve component in May 1999 when he was assigned to Naval Reserve Destroyer Squadron Eighteen at NMCRC Amityville, NY, serving for one year as Training Officer and for two years as Executive Officer. He served as Commanding Officer, Naval Reserve Amphibious Construction Battalion 2, Detachment 206 at NMCRC Norfolk, VA from October 2002 to October 2004. He later served as Battalion Administrative Officer (Reserve Component) for Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 for two years, during which time he was recalled to active duty and deployed to Kuwait with Naval Expeditionary Support Group, Port Group (Forward) Delta, where he served as a Marshalling Yard Company Commander at Ash Shuayba from April to October 2006. He joined Navy Reserve Sealift Logistics Command, Atlantic Headquarters Unit in December 2006. He became Executive Officer in December 2007, and he served as Acting Commanding Officer from October 2009 through November 2010. He served as Chief Staff Officer for the Navy Reserve, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Element Unit before taking command of the newly established Navy Reserve, President of the Board of Inspection and Survey Support Unit in February 2012.
Captain Sebastino’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three gold stars), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (one gold star), Army Achievement Medal, and various other unit awards and citations. Captain Sebastino is employed at the Virginia Military Institute where he serves as the Assistant Dean for Academic Administration and Planning.