Mr. Douglas (CJ) is currently assigned to the Office of the Secretary of War and performing temporary duty as the Deputy to the Commanding General for the Personal Property Activity at Scott Air Force Base. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Marist College, where he played Division III football. Mr. Douglas is a combat veteran who served for over 37 years within the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army.
In addition to nearly four decades of executive experience in national security, international affairs, and crisis management, he also had a decorated career in civilian law enforcement. Mr. Douglas possesses a proven track record of leading large, complex organizations in high-stakes international environments, developing and executing strategy, and providing senior-level advisory counsel
to foreign partners.
His career began with foundational leadership roles, where he directed multi-disciplinary teams in complex operational environments cross Europe,
Africa, and the Caribbean. These assignments included leading humanitarian and security operations in Somalia, the Adriatic Sea, and Haiti, providing him with early and extensive experience in multinational crisis response.
In 1995, he transitioned his public service to domestic law enforcement with the New York State Police, serving as a Trooper and Investigator in narcotics. Simultaneously, he continued his military service in a reserve capacity, where his leadership acumen was leveraged to train and lead units in joint-service, interagency, and international partnership-building exercises, including collaborations with Ukrainian and Turkish forces.
Following the events of September 11, 2001, he was recalled to active-duty service to lead organizations on five separate deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In these roles, he served as a Commander and Director of Operations for units
comprised of thousands of personnel, responsible for all aspects of counterinsurgency, security, and stability operations. His responsibilities included strategic planning, resource management, and the welfare and operational effectiveness of his
teams in dynamic combat zones.
As his career progressed, he was selected for roles of increasing strategic importance. He served as a senior advisor to Afghan and Iraqi security forces, leading teams responsible for mentoring and developing the operational capacity of
partner nations at the brigade and task force levels. He directed strategic planning, policy development, and security cooperation for all Marine Corps forces in the Middle East (CENTCOM Area of Responsibility).
During the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, he was deployed to Qatar as a senior strategic planner, overseeing the processing of evacuees. Subsequently, he was appointed as the senior Marine representative for the Pentagon’s official
investigation into the bombing at the Kabul airport, a testament to his reputation for sound judgment and analytical rigor. In his last uniformed military assignment, he served as the head of Strategy and Plans for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central
Command before retiring in 2022.
His career continues to place him in senior advisory roles in several critical national security assignments. Mr. Douglas proves to be a trusted senior advisor and military expert, lending his voice and expertise on national security, international
affairs, crisis management, to researchers, policymakers, thinktanks, and media.
His performance has been recognized with numerous honors, including two Legion of Merit awards (one with Combat Distinguishing Device), two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.