Lieutenant General Wallace C. Gregson, Jr.

US Marine Corps (Retired)
Assistant Secretary of Defense Asian & Pacific Security Affairs 2009-2011
Chair, Banyan Analytics

Lt Gen Wallace "Chip" Gregson Jr (USMC, Ret) most recently served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Asian and Pacific Security Affairs 2009-2011. Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer for the US Olympic Committee 2005-2006, then an independent consultant before entering Government in 2009.

Retiring from the Marine Corps in 2005, Chip last served as the Commander, US Marine Forces Pacific; Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific; and Commander, US Marine Corps Bases, Pacific, headquartered at Camp H M Smith, Hawaii.

General Gregson is a 1968 graduate of the US Naval Academy.

After The Basic School, he served with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam from February 1969 to August 1970. Operational assignments included infantry battalion executive officer, division staff duty, headquarters battalion executive officer, operations officer (G-3) of I Marine Expeditionary Force, and assistant operations officer (J-3A) of Unified Task Force Somalia during Operation Restore Hope. Chip commanded an infantry company; Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division; 1st Battalion, 5th Marines; 7th Marine Regiment; and 3d Marine Division. From 2001 to 2003 he served as Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Commander, Marine Corps Bases, Japan and Commander, Marine Forces, Japan. He was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, the Gold and Silver Star; the Korean Order of National Security Merit, Gukseon Medal; and the Republic of China Order of the Resplendent Banner with Gold Sash.

Supporting establishment duties included S-4 of a recruit training battalion, aide-de-camp, recruit training company commander, recruiting station executive officer, company commander of a combined platoon leader's class, and operations officer for a recruiting district. Marine Corps Headquarters duties included program development officer, coordinator for roles and missions, and Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans. External duties included military observer with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Egypt, Deputy for Marine Corps Matters in the Secretary of the Navy's Office of Program Appraisal, and Executive/Military Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence. In his last active duty Washington assignment, Chip served as Director, Asia and Pacific Affairs, in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy.

Professional military education assignments after The Basic School included the US Army Infantry Officers Advanced Course, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the Naval War College, and a tour as a Military Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a distinguished graduate of the Infantry Officers Advanced Course and the Naval War College.

Civilian education includes a bachelor's degree from the US Naval Academy, master's degrees in Strategic Planning from the Naval War College, and International Relations from Salve Regina College. Chip received an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service by the University of Maryland.

Following retirement he joined the US Olympic Committee as Chief Operating Officer. In 2006 Chip formed his own consulting company. On 13 May 2009, following Senate confirmation he assumed responsibility as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, a post he held until 1 April 2011. Chip is now in business as President of WC Gregson & Associates. He is a Senior Advisor with Avascent International, a strategic risk advisory firm with significant interests in Asia.

Chip is a member of the Marine Corps Association, the US Naval Institute, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a Trustee of the Marine Corps University Foundation, and a former Director of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Chip is a member of the Advisory Board of the Asia Governance Foundation, and an Advisor to the Global Taiwan Institute. He served as Honorary Adviser to the Okinawa Development International Council. He and his wife Cindy reside in Nokesville, VA.

Chip was a featured speaker at the ICAS Spring Symposium 2014, held at the US House Cannon Caucus Room, which was carried by C-Span Live. Chip delivered "Seoul-Tokyo-Washington Security Partnership".

Links for Wallace C. Gregson, Jr.
Seoul-Tokyo-Washington Security Partnership
2014 Spring Symposium
Bulletin of April 29, 2014


This page last updated May 25, 2014 jdb