Lieutenant Colonel Melendez hails from Grapevine, Texas. She received her commission as a Second Lieutenant from the United States Naval Academy in May, 2000 and subsequently reported to The Basic School and Logistics Officers Course. Following Logistics Officers Course in April 2001, Second Lieutenant Melendez was assigned to Motor Transport Company, 3d Transportation Support Battalion (3d TSB), 3d Force Service Support Group in Okinawa, Japan as a Platoon Commander. In January 2002, First Lieutenant Melendez deployed with Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) Landing Force Cooperation Afloat Assistance Readiness and Training (LF CARAT) as the S4A, Team Embark Officer, and CSS detachment OIC, supporting theater security cooperation events throughout Southeast Asia. Upon return, First Lieutenant Melendez reported to Maintenance Company, 3d TSB, as the Executive Officer. She then transferred to TSB HQ Company as the Battalion Assistant Operations Officer, where she served from June 2003 through May 2004.
In June 2004, First Lieutenant Melendez received orders to Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3D Marine Aircraft Wing, where she served as a Plans Officer. She was promoted to Captain and transferred to Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 in April of 2005, where she served as the Squadron Assistant Operations Officer. From December 2005 to June 2007, Captain Melendez served as the Support Company Commander, deploying to Al Taqaddum, Iraq in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. In July 2007 she reported to Marine Corps University to attend the Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia.
After graduating Expeditionary Warfare School in June 2008, Captain Melendez reported to Tactical Training Exercise Control Group (TTECG), Marine Corps Air Ground Task Force Training Command (MAGTF-TC), Training and Education Command (TECOM) in Twentynine Palms, California for duty as headquarters S4 and Logistics Instructor Trainer. In June of 2010, she received orders to Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) Special Projects Directorate, Director Marine Corps Staff, in Arlington, Virginia and was subsequently promoted to Major. From 2010 to 2013, Major Melendez served as a Project Officer coordinating administrative and logistics support for special events on behalf of the Commandant and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Immediately following her HQMC tour, Major Melendez reported again to Marine Corps University as a Command and Staff College student in Quantico, Virginia.
Upon graduating from Command and Staff College in June 2014, Major Melendez reported to Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group (1st MLG) in Camp Pendleton, California, for duty as the Operations Officer. In December 2014, Major Melendez transferred to Combat Logistics Battalion 13 (CLB-13) and assumed the billet of Operations Officer. In February of 2016, she deployed with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, supporting operations in the PACOM and CENTCOM AOs. Returning from deployment in September of 2017, Major Melendez was reassigned as the CLB-13 Executive Officer. In June of 2017, Major Melendez reported to 1st MLG as the Inspector General and was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. In June of 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Melendez transferred to I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) G-4 Logistics Section, where she served as Operations Officer until May of 2020.
She assumed command of I Marine Expeditionary Force Support Battalion (I MSB) on 5 June 2020.