By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
JAMIL Torres, grandson of pioneering Saipan physician Dr. Jose Diaz Torres, has earned his commission as a warrant officer in the United States Marine Corps, marking a milestone for both his family and the Northern Marianas community.
Torres was appointed to the rank of warrant officer on April 1, 2026, during a promotion ceremony in Quantico, Virginia, where he completed the Marine Corps’ 14-week Warrant Officer Basic Course.
A 12-year Marine Corps career
Born on Saipan, Torres moved with his family to Houston, Texas, in 2006. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2014 and advanced through the enlisted ranks to staff sergeant over 12 years of active-duty service.
In October 2025, he was selected for the Marine Corps’ competitive warrant officer program, a pathway reserved for Marines with exceptional technical expertise and leadership ability. His new role places him among the Marine Corps’ technical leaders, responsible for advising commanders, training Marines, and managing specialized operational systems.
A family legacy of service
Torres is the son of Josefa and Francisco Torres and is married to Angel Malasarte, daughter of business entrepreneurs Malou and Bong Malasarte. His promotion adds a new chapter to the family’s longstanding legacy of public service in the CNMI.
His grandfather, Dr. Jose Diaz Torres, is remembered as one of Saipan’s pioneering physicians during the Trust Territory era. The former Dr. Torres Hospital, where he practiced and expanded medical care for island residents, eventually evolved into today’s Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation.
Family members on Saipan, Texas, and beyond celebrated Warrant Officer Torres’ promotion as both a personal achievement and a continuation of the Torres family’s commitment to community service.
Warrant Officer Torres’ accomplishment adds to the growing number of Northern Marianas sons and daughters serving in leadership roles across the U.S. armed forces. His journey — from a childhood in Saipan to becoming a Marine Corps warrant officer — resonates with many island families whose members have built military careers far from home.
Warrant Officer Torres will continue active-duty service, carrying forward over a decade of experience and a legacy deeply rooted in the CNMI.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
