William J. Walker promoted to Brigadier General of District of Columbia, Army National Guard

William J. Walker, vice chairman of the Board of Directors of the Young Marines, a national youth organization, was promoted to Brigadier General, Land Component Command of the District of Columbia, Army National Guard. General Walker was nominated by President Obama, confirmed by the Senate and his formal ceremony took place in January, 2016.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Brigadier General Walker attended St. Sabina Catholic Grammar School, and in 1975, he graduated from Leo Catholic High School.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master of science degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections from Chicago State University. In addition, he holds a master of science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University and a master of arts degree in International Service from American University.

He completed the National and International Security Program for senior executives at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the National Security Studies Program at George Washington University and the Seminar XXI Foreign Politics, International Relations and the National Interest Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

General Walker is responsible for the strategic leadership, training, readiness and operational employment of units assigned and attached to the District of Columbia Army National Guard. He ensures the Joint Task Force can respond to district and federal missions in support of homeland defense, homeland security and disasters.

A traditional guardsman, Walker was appointed a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent in 1983 at the Chicago Field Division. He held investigative and staff assignments as well as supervisory, management and senior executive positions in New York, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Haiti and Washington D.C.

He was promoted to the Senior Executive Service of the DEA in January 2003 and appointed to the Senior National Intelligence Service by the Director of National Intelligence in August 2009. He retired in 2014 after 30 years of service and his last position was Deputy Assistant Administrator, DEA Intelligence Division, where he led intelligence managers who leverage national level assets to produce and disseminate strategic assessments on transnational criminal organizations and priority drug threats to the United States. His government service has taken him to more than 30 countries.

Walker was ordered to active duty with the U.S. Army in September 2001 immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America and served as an operations officer in the Pentagon. He was again called to active duty in 2011 and served with the NATO International Security Assistance Force and the American Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan as a senior strategist and planner.

Walker is active in several community and law enforcement organizations and is a life member of the Alpha Phi Alpha public service fraternity.

About the Young Marines

The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501c(3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through the completion of high school. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

Since the Young Marines' humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to 281 units with 9,600 youth and 2,400 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia and Okinawa with affiliates in other countries.

For more information, visit the official website at: http://www.YoungMarines.com.