Major Mario A. Rivera is currently assigned as a Critical Care Army Nurse to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) Burn Center in San Antonio, Texas. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus in 1998. At the same time, he earned an active duty commission as a Second Lieutenant through the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Other military assignments include Clinical Staff Nurse, Medical/Surgical Ward, Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Critical Care Army Nurse, Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU), William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC), Fort Bliss, Texas; Critical Care Army Nurse & Chief Flight Nurse, USAISR Burn Center ICU & USAISR Burn Flight Team, USAISR Burn Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Research Nurse and Burn Wound Coordinator, 28th Combat Support Hospital (CSH), Baghdad, Iraq; and Critical Care Army Nurse, Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) Program Coordinator, and Assistant Head Nurse, Surgical/Trauma ICU, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Major Rivera's awards and decorations include BSN Cum Laude Graduate, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus, U.S. Army ROTC Distinguished Honor Graduate, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Army Aviation Badge, and Army Parachutist Badge.
Major Rivera is an active member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing - Epsilon Lambda Chapter, and the American Nurse Corps Association.