Arnold L. Punaro

Arnold L. Punaro
Allegiance	United States of America
Rank	Major General
Awards	Bronze Star

'Arnold L. Punaro Biography Arnold L. Punaro is chief executive of the Washington-based consulting firm The Punaro Group, LLC, offering counseling in business development, strategic planning, federal budget, market analysis, communications, crisis emergency management, government relations, and sensitive operations. In this role, he was listed on the inaugural Defense News list of the “100 Most Influential People in U.S. Defense” published in December, 2012. He is a retired Marine Corps Major General who has also served as the executive vice president of an $11 billion technology and professional services firm, and as the staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee, among other positions. Corporate Leadership Formerly an executive vice president at $11 billion Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), he was the senior corporate official responsible for SAIC’s government affairs, worldwide communications and support operations, to include crisis and risk management, as well as general manager of their Washington operations and supervisor of SAIC’s corporate Small and Disadvantaged Business office. In previous SAIC positions, he served as a sector manager, deputy president of the Federal Business Segment, and ran SAIC’s Corporate Business Development organization. At SAIC, he was recognized for his leadership and accomplishments with the Founder’s Award and two special CEO awards. U.S. Senate Leadership From 1973 to 1997, Mr. Punaro worked for Senator Sam Nunn, D-GA, in National Security matters. He served as his director of National Security Affairs, and then as Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee (eight years), and Staff Director for the Minority (five years). In his work with Senator Nunn and the Senate Armed Services Committee, he was involved in the formulation of all major defense and intelligence legislation and the oversight and review of all major defense and intelligence activities, civilian and military nominations, for over two decades. U.S. Marine Corps Leadership Punaro is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General. He served as the Director of the Marine Corps Reserve during the post-9/11 mobilizations, Deputy Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command (Mobilization), and for three years as the Commanding General of the 4th Marine Division. Other assignments were Commanding General, Marine Corps Mobilization Command, and Deputy Commander, Marine Forces Reserve. He served on active duty as an Infantry Platoon Commander in Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star for valor, and the Purple Heart. In December 1990, General Punaro was mobilized for Operation Desert Shield. In December 1993, he completed a tour of extended active duty as Commander of Joint Task Force Provide Promise (Forward) in the former Yugoslavia. He was mobilized for a third time in May 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Commissions and Task Force Leadership

Punaro meets with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. On September 1, 2011, Punaro was named by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to chair the newly constituted Reserve Forces Policy Board which serves as an independent advisor to the Secretary of Defense on reserve and guard matters. He has been a member on the Defense Business Board (DBB) since 2002. In 2012, he chaired a DBB task force making recommendations to reform the DoD acquisition process entitled “Linking and Streamlining” the DoD requirements, acquisition and budget processes. In 2010, he chaired a DBB task force for Secretary of Defense Gates on reducing DoD overhead. In January 2005, he was named by Secretary Rumsfeld to chair the Statutory Commission on the National Guard and Reserves established by public law 108-375. The Commission completed their work in April 2008 with most of their 113 recommendations largely adopted by DoD and the Congress. In 2008, Punaro was a task force member for retired U.S. Marine Corps General Jim Jones, then the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Regional Security. He also served as a Commissioner on the Statutory Independent Commission on the Iraqi Security Forces which submitted their assessment to Congress on September 6, 2007. Punaro served as Deputy Executive Director of the U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century (1998-2001). In 1997, he chaired The Defense Reform Task Force for Secretary of Defense William Cohen making recommendations on bringing world-class business practices to the Pentagon. Policy Organization and Board Leadership Punaro is a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. He serves on the non-profit boards of the Atlantic Council, as vice chair of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs Board of Visitors, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the Georgia Institute of Technology Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. He is on the for-profit board of Sourcefire, Inc. Personal Awards Punaro is the recipient of numerous recognitions including the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. He received the Marine Corps League’s “Iron Mike” Award in 1993 for “exceptionally outstanding service” and “unwavering commitment” for over 20 years to “insuring a strong national defense.” He has received the Air Force Association’s “Exceptional Service Award,” the National Guard “Minuteman Award,” the Army’s “Outstanding Civilian Service Medal”, and was the recipient of SAIC’s “Founders Award” and two special CEO awards. He has over 20 military awards and decorations to include the Distinguished Service Medal. Education and Early Life Punaro has a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Georgia and a Masters of Arts degree from Georgetown University, the latter in national security studies. He was on the Adjunct Faculty of the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University for ten years where he taught an annual graduate level course entitled “National Security Decision Making.” He is a 2011 Grady College Fellow inductee of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. He received his undergraduate degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. He born and raised in Macon, Georgia where he graduated from Mount de Sales Academy (Georgia). He is the son of the late Angelo J. Punaro, a civil engineer, and Annina Benedetto Punaro, a teacher. His father and mother were 2nd generation Americans whose parents immigrated from Italy. Boards and Commissions

Current Boards Board Dates Chairman, Reserve Forces Policy Board September 1, 2011 – Current Member, Defense Business Board (Appointed by Secretary Rumsfeld, re-appointed by Secretary Gates, re-appointed by Secretary Panetta) February 2002 – Current Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, National Defense Industrial Association October 2011 – Current Board of Visitors, Member, UGA School of Public and International Affairs August 2010 – Current Member, Georgia Institute of Technology Sam Nunn School of International Affairs January 2013 – Current Member, Syracuse University Maxwell Advisory Board April 2012 – Current Member, Board of Directors, The Atlantic Council August 2007 – Current Member, Board of Directors, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts February 2008 – Current Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies February 1997 – Current Visiting Scholar, Bipartisan Policy Center September 2011 – Current Member, Board of Directors, Sourcefire January 2008 – Current

Previous Boards and Commissions Board Dates Chairman of the Board, and Board Member, Tragedy Assistance Programs for Survivors (TAPS) October 2, 2009 - December 31, 2011 Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq May 2007 – September 2007 Report to Congress, September 6, 2007, Commissioner Chairman, Commission on the National Guard and Reserve March 1, 2005 – April 30, 2008 90-Day report, June 5, 2006 Second report to Congress, March 1, 2007 Final report to Congress, January 31, 2008 Appointed Chairman by Secretary Rumsfeld Senior Review Panel for the National Defense University’s Quadrennial Defense Review Project 2000 Deputy Executive Director, The United States Commission on National Security/21st Century July 1998 – March 2001 Phase I: New World Coming, American Security in the 21st Century, September 15, 1999 Phase II: Seeking A National Security Strategy, April 15, 2000 Phase III: Building for Peace Chairman, 1997 Defense Reform Task Force 1997-1998 Appointed by Secretary William Cohen Senior Officers Advisory Panel, Defense Intelligence College 1997-2003 Reserve Forces Policy Board, Member July 1, 1997 - September 30, 2003 Board of Governors, Marine Corps Association 1994-1998 Member, Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps’ Vision Group 1994-1995 Member Marine Corps Reserve Policy Board 1993-1996