Arnold L. Punaro

Arnold L. Punaro is a retired Major General in the United States Marine Corps and the CEO of The Punaro Group.

Education
Punaro received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. He also received a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia and National Security Studies from Georgetown University

Military Service
Punaro served in the Vietnam War and earned the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. In 1993, he served as commander of Joint Task Force Provide Promise, during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. As a general officer, he commanded 4th Marine Division from 1997-2000.

Congressional staffer
Punaro held several staff positions with the United States Congress from 1973 to 1997. He served as an aide to U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, eventually serving as his director of National Security Affairs. Later, he worked as Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Staff Director for the Minority.

Consulting
From 1997 to 2010, Punaro worked as a senior executive at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), holding the positions of executive vice president, general manager of Washington operations, and supervisor of the company's corporate Small and Disadvantaged Business Office.

Policy Organization and Board Positions
Punaro is currently a Senior Associate at Center for Strategic and International Studies and a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He is also vice chair of the National Defense Industrial Association. He serves on the non-profit boards of the Atlantic Council, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs Board of Visitors, and Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Punaro serves on the for-profit board of Sourcefire

Reserve Forces Policy Board
As of 2013, Punaro chairs the Reserve Forces Policy Board, having been appointed to this post in 2011 by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. He is also a member of the Defense Business Board.