CPT Joshua Sembrano ’18 is the company commander of the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment. He is responsible for providing the resources to his company of approximately 140 Soldiers and enabling them to carry out their mantra as the “Tip of the Spear,” who provide support in the forefront of the Army’s most modern battalion.
Besides leading Soldiers at the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, Sembrano also leads a non-profit organization as the president and founder of the Ruth Sembrano Foundation, an organization that helps low income communities in the Philippines. The organization is his way of honoring his Filipino heritage and his late mother’s legacy who was an esteemed and cherished member of the community.
Sembrano is a first generation Filipino, born in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2018. When Sembrano was a freshman at the academy, his mother, Ruth Penales Sembrano, passed away.
It was a difficult time for Sembrano as he mourned the loss of his mother, but eventually his grief turned into gratitude and he realized how fortunate he was to have someone who supported him and helped him reach success.
“She gave up everything to making sure my sisters and I had everything we needed to be successful and chase after our goals. She was our number one supporter,” said Sembrano.
