Lieutenant Colonel Oryan J. Lopes was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in May 2009. After completion of The Basic School and Infantry Officers Course, he reported to 2d Battalion, 8th Marines and served as an Afghan infantry/police advisor, rifle platoon commander, and assistant battalion operations officer. During this tour, First Lieutenant Lopes deployed twice to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In July 2014, Captain Lopes reported to Manpower Management, Headquarters Marine Corps for assignment as the Graduate Education Monitor, overseeing the Commandant’s Education Boards (CCLEB and CPIB) and officer payback tour assignments. Following this tour, he served as Weapons Company Commander and Headquarters and Service Company Commander in 3d Battalion, 7th Marines from 2017 to 2019. During his company command time, he deployed to Northeast Syria with Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Crisis Response Central Command 18.2 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
In 2020, Major Lopes was assigned as Assistant to the Marine Forces Pacific Liaison to the Japanese Self-Defense Force at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Japan. While in Tokyo, he attended command and staff college with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force at Camp Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. Following graduation from foreign professional military education, Major Lopes reported to 3d Marines as the Future Operations Officer. In 2022, he assumed the role of Assistant Operations Officer of the newly designated 3d Marine Littoral Regiment. In this role, Major Lopes planned and executed numerous Force Design 2030 and multinational exercises across the Pacific, including Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2022, Marine Littoral Regiment-Training Exercise in Southern California, and Exercise Balikatan 2023 in The Philippines. From May 2023 to July 2024, he was assigned as Battalion Executive Officer, 3d Littoral Combat Team. In August 2024, Major Lopes reported to the G-5, U.S. Marine Forces Europe and Africa in Stuttgart, Germany and served as the branch head for Campaigning and Assessments.
Lieutenant Colonel Lopes is a graduate of The Citadel with a Bachelor of Art degree in Business Administration, Naval Postgraduate School with a Master of Science degree in management, Expeditionary Warfare School-Distance Education Program, Defense Language Institute-Washington D.C.(Japanese), and the 66th Japanese Ground Command and General Staff Course.
His personal decorations include Meritorious Service Medal with gold star and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with two gold stars and combat distinguishing device.
Lieutenant Colonel Lopes is married to the former Danielle DiFiore and they have one daughter, Adelaide Joy.