Sergeant Major Ybarra was born on 26 December 1975 in Corvallis, Oregon. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in June 1995 and completed recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California. Upon completion in September 1995, Sergeant Major Ybarra attended the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton and obtained the MOS of 0331 (Machine Gunner).
His service in the Operating Forces includes duties as a Machine Gunner in 2d Battalion 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division from December 1995-March 1998; Infantry Unit Leader with 2d Battalion 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division from April 2004-February 2007; team member of Landing Attack and Subsequent Operations team and later Operations Chief at II Marine Expeditionary Force, Special Operations Training Group from February 2007-July 2010; Infantry Unit Leader with 2d Battalion 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division from July 2010-August 2011; Sergeant Major of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165,MAG 16, 3d Marine Air Wing in January 2018-November 2019, March 2022-Present.
SgtMaj Ybarra's service outside the Operating Forces includes duties as a Range Coach, Tower NCO, Block NCO, Line SNCO, Primary Marksmanship Instructor, and Chief Marksmanship Instructor at Weapons Field Training Battalion in Quantico, Virginia from March 1998-April 2001; Drill Instructor and later Senior Drill Instructor Company H, 2d Recruit Training Battalion, and Special Training Company, Support Battalion from April 2001-April 2004; Inspector Instructor First Sergeant, 2d Battalion 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division from August 2011-June 2014; Company First Sergeant , Company H and later Sergeant Major, 3d Recruit Training Battalion and Support Battalion from July 2015-January 2018. Regimental Inspector Instructor Sergeant Major 23d Marines from November 2019-Febuary 2022.
Deployments include: Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Infantry Unit Leader with Company G, 2d Battalion 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division in 2004, 2006, and 2007; Operation Enduring Freedom as an Infantry Unit Leader with 2d Battalion 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division in 2011; SPMAGTF-CR-CC 19.1 with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165 in 2018 and 2019.
Military and Civilian Education: Army Sergeants Major Academy, Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas; July 2014- July 2015; Baccalaureate in General Studies from American Military University.