Lt. Cmdr. Petralia, a native of Lunenburg, Massachusetts, was commissioned an ensign through Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Cornell University’s School of Architecture and a Master of Science in Sustainable Design from Carnegie Mellon University.
 
He began his career in Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 with deployments to Okinawa and Afghanistan. Following that, he served at the Presidential Retreat, Camp David, as assistant public works officer and military liaison to the Russian Delegation for the 2012 G8 Summit. He served as architect and construction manager for Naval Facilites Engineering Systems Command Southwest, fulfilling duties assigned to Desert Integrated Product Team, Naval Base San Diego, and Naval Base Point Loma. Following that, he reported to Marine Barracks Washington, 8th & I, as public works officer and later served as facilities engineering and acquisition division director at Naval Support Facility Indian Head, Maryland.
 
Currently, he is the executive officer of Naval Construction Training Center, Gulfport, a tri-service training team committed to preparing students to be competent military engineers, skilled tradesmen, and warriors to increase lethality, leadership ability, and engineering & construction capability for expeditionary forces.
 
Petralia is a Seabee combat warfare officer and a registered architect in the District of Columbia. He has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards) and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Last Updated: 19 August 2021