Leaders
Director, Marine Corps Staff
Lt Gen. Gregg P. Olson

Gregg P. Olson is the Director, Marine Corps Staff.  He grew up in Cumberland, RI, Montreal, Quebec, and Westlake Village, CA, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1985.

An infantry officer, LtGen Olson has an additional Military Occupational Specialty as an embarkation officer.

LtGen Olson commanded a rifle company in 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, and both Headquarters & Service and Weapons Companies in 3d Battalion, 2nd Marines. He commanded 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines during combat in Fallujah in 2004, and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit during its 2010 deployment.

His staff assignments include S-3 Operations Officer for 3d Battalion, 2nd Marines during Operation SEA SIGNAL (1995), S-3 Operations Officer for 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) during combat operations in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003), and service as G-3 Operations Officer for 1st Marine Division.

LtGen Olson’s supporting establishment assignments include staff and ceremonial duties at Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., Faculty Advisor at Amphibious Warfare School, and Director for Senate Liaison, Office of Legislative Affairs, Headquarters, Marine Corps.

His field grade Joint assignment was as the Assistant Deputy Director for Regional Operations (J-33), J-3, Joint Staff. During that tour, he qualified as a Deputy Director for Operations (DDO) in the National Military Command Center.

As a general officer, LtGen Olson was assigned as Deputy Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command/Commanding General, Marine Corps Forces, Central Command (Forward), Manama, Bahrain. During that tour, he was additionally designated as Commander, Task Force 51/59, Fifth Fleet, U.S Naval Forces, Central Command.

His Headquarters, Marine Corps service as a general officer includes duties as Director of the Marine Corps’ 2016 Quadrennial Defense Review Office and a 2019-2020 assignment as Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations.

His Joint service as a general officer includes assignment as the Joint Staff’s J-5 Deputy Director for Political-Military Affairs, Middle East (DDME), and a tour as the Director of Operations and Cyber, United States Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany.

Lieutenant General Olson is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, the College of Naval Command and Staff, and the National War College.

He is married to a former Navy Nurse Corps officer.

Director, Marine Corps Staff