William J. Walker

William J. Walker is a United States Army major general, and the Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard. He is responsible for the command and control of the District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard units with an authorized strength of 2,700 Soldiers and Airmen. Walker is retired from civilian federal service as a career special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration where he was promoted to the Senior Executive Service (United States) a General Officer equivalent rank in January 2003.

Education
Walker is a native of Chicago, Illinois, where he was born and raised. Walker attended St. Sabina private Catholic grammar school as a youth and graduated from Leo Catholic High School in 1975. Walker attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he earned a bachelor of arts degree. He then attended Chicago State University, where he earned his master of science degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections. In addition, Walker holds a master of science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University and also a master of arts degree in International Service from American University. Walker has also attended and 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.

Military career


Walker was commissioned as Military Police 2nd Lieutenant assigned to the 50th Military Police Company, Somerset, New Jersey in May 1985. Since then, Walker has served as Commander, Alpha Company, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion; Commander, Land Component Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard; Chief of Staff, District of Columbia National Guard; Deputy Commander – Army, Joint Task Force, and Commander, Partnership for the Americas, Brigade Joint Task Force–Jamaica; Commander, Mobilization Augmentation Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard. Walker was called to serve with the U.S. Army in September 2001 immediately following the September 11 attacks. He was part of Operation Noble Eagle and was an operations officer in the Pentagon. He later served with the NATO International Security Assistance Force and at the Embassy of the United States, Kabul.

In April 2015, he was appointed as the Commander, Land Component Command, District of Columbia National Guard and subsequently promoted to Brigadier General in November 2015.

During the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, Walker commanded the Joint Task Force-District of Columbia (JTF-DC) which deployed nearly 8,000 National Guard personnel, from 43 states and territories, to support security, traffic control, and crowd management during the Inauguration of Donald Trump. JTF-DC supported seven, federal and D.C. agencies during the presidential inauguration. National Guard personnel helped monitor the 248 traffic, access and security points, and blocking positions along the National Mall and parade route. The support provided by National Guard personnel enabled the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia to respond to 217 arrests, and the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department to conduct 229 responses, 94 hospital transports and numerous medical tent treatments. The D.C. National Guard has supported 40 presidential inaugurations since 1861.

On January 20, 2017, Walker assumed the role as acting Commanding General, District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard, nicknamed the “Capitol Guardians”.

Assignments

 * May 1985 – September 1987, Platoon Leader, 50th Military Police Company, Somerset, New Jersey
 * September 1987 – December 1989, Signal Officer, 250th Signal Battalion, Plainfield, New Jersey
 * December 1989 – December 1990, Counterintelligence Officer, HHC, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
 * December 1990 – April 1993, Team Chief, All-source intelligence, Alpha Company, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
 * April 1993 – April 1994, Battalion Security Officer, S-2, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
 * April 1994 – May 1996, Commander, HHC, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
 * May 1996 – November 1996, Plans Officer, HHC, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
 * December 1996 – September 1997, MOS Support Officer, HHC, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
 * September 1997 – December 1999, Commander, Alpha Company, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
 * December 1999 – September 2001, Operations Officer / Branch Chief, Mobilization Augmentation Detachment, Washington, District of Columbia
 * September 2001 – February 2002, Operations Officer, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Army Operations Center, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
 * February 2002 – January 2005, Operations Officer, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Army Crisis Action Team, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia,
 * January 2005 – April 2008, Division Chief, Mobilization Augmentation Command, duty at the National Military Command Center, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
 * August 2005 – June 2006, Student, Inter-American Defense College, Fort McNair, Washington, District of Columbia
 * April 2008 – November 2008, J −2 Vice, Intelligence Directorate, National Guard Bureau, (Mobilization Augmentation Command-Detail) Arlington, Virginia
 * November 2008 – July 2009, Commander, Partnership for the Americas, Brigade Joint Task Force – Jamaica, Washington, DC and Kingston, Jamaica
 * July 2009 – June 2010, J −2 Vice, Intelligence Directorate, National Guard Bureau, (Mobilization Augmentation Command-Detail) Arlington, Virginia
 * June 2010 – October 2011, Chief of Staff, District of Columbia Army National Guard, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia
 * October 2011 – June 2012, Chief, Theater Observation Detachment – Afghanistan, & Senior International Security Assistance Force Liaison Officer, Center for Army Lessons Learned, Kabul, Afghanistan
 * November 2011 – June 2012, Senior Military Strategist, Office of Transition Management, Embassy Kabul (Concurrent assignment), Kabul, Afghanistan
 * June 2012 – March 2013, Chief of Staff, District of Columbia Army National Guard, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia
 * March 2013 – March 2015, Commander, Mobilization Augmentation Command, Washington, District of Columbia
 * April 2015 – January 2017, Commanding General, Land Component Command, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia
 * January 2017 – present, Commanding General, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia

Civilian Service
Walker is the former Vice Chairman, Board of Directors of the Young Marines, a military affiliated non-profit service organization for boys and girls ages eight through high school that provides developmental programs that nurtures and encourages its over 10,000 members into becoming responsible citizens who enjoy a positive and drug-free lifestyle. Walker is a life member of the Alpha Phi Alpha. . He is also a member of Sigma Pi Phi.

Walker concurrently serves as the Director of the District of Columbia National Guard and is a member of the Headquarters Department of the Army Senior Executive Service.