Commander Melissa (Lehmann) Amescua receives promotion

Lt. Commander Melissa (Lehmann) Amescua, originally from Tuscola, was promoted in rank to Lt. Commander on Sept. 7, 2018. She is one of only five dieticians in the Navy that holds Lt. Com. Rank.

Lt. Cmdr. Amescua attended Tuscola schools from the fifth grade through high school. She was active in many areas of high school, including National Honor Society. She attended Illinois State University-Normal and received her bachelor’s degree in Dietetics with a  minor in Health.

She joined the Air Force Reserves while attending ISU. She did her dietician internship in Florida, and, while in Florida, was deployed with the Air Force Reserves to Kuwait during Iraqi Freedom. In Kuwait, she met her future husband Christopher Amescua (career Navy).

When they married, she transferred from Air Force to Navy. She has been stationed in Panama City, Fla.; Yokuska, Japan; Norfolk, Va.; Siganella, Sicily, and currently Jacksonville, Fla. While active duty she received her Masters Degree from Benedictine College in Chicago. Recently her husband retired after 20 years of service as Chief Christopher Amescua. They have two daughters, Sierra (8) and Leigha (5).