MajGen Jon A. Gallinetti, USMC (ret.)
Major General Gallinetti received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in June 1972 upon graduation from California State University, Fresno, CA.
His assignments have included Fleet Marine Force tours with 1st, 2d, and 3d Marine Aircraft Wings and with I, II, and III Marine Expeditionary Forces. He commanded aviation units at the Squadron, Group and Commander Marine Corps Air Bases levels, and served at different times as Executive Officer, Operations Officer, Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Logistics Officer, and Weapons and Tactics Instructor. He held numerous other billets in several operational units, to include VMA-223, VMA-211, VMA-214, MAG-11 and VMFA-531. Additionally, he served as the Air Liaison Officer for the 5th Marine Regiment and the G-1 and G-3 of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
He attended the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course at MAWTS-1, the Top Gun Adversary Course at the Naval Fighter Weapons School, and Top Level School at the Naval War College where he received a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He also attended Salve Regina University earning a Master of Science degree in Management.
Major General Gallinetti was the Commanding Officer of VMFA(AW)-225, the Vikings, at MCAS El Toro, CA and Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. He served as the Deputy Commander, Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans, LA. He also served as the Assistant Wing Commander of the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Cherry Point, NC.
Major General Gallinetti served several tours outside the Fleet Marine Force as well, to include Air Launched Weapons Project Officer and F/A-18 Project Pilot at Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, CA, where he was involved with the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation of aircraft and weapon systems, and also flew with VX-5 during operational testing of the Hornet aircraft. He also was the Executive Officer of VFA-125, a Navy and Marine Corps Fleet Readiness Squadron, at NAS Lemoore, CA. Major General Gallinetti served as the Chief of the Peacetime Engagement Division, J5 Plans and Policy Directorate at US Atlantic Command, where he was responsible for the NATO Partnership for Peace program and Military to Military contacts with the former Soviet Union. Additionally, while assigned to USACOM, he stood up the J9 Directorate responsible for Joint Experimentation and concept development for the Department of Defense.
He was Commander of Marine Corps Air Bases Western Area and Commanding General MCAS Miramar from June 2002 to June 2004. While temporarily deployed, from August 2003 to April 2004, he was assigned as the Chief of Staff of Combined Joint Task Force Seven, Iraq and subsequently for Multi-National Force-Iraq. He was promoted to his present rank in January 2004.
Major General Gallinetti served as Commander, Joint Warfighting Center, and U.S. Joint Forces Command Joint Force Trainer (J7) in Suffolk, VA from July 2004 to July 2006. He was responsible for numerous joint exercises around the globe, as well as the joint training of Combatant Commanders and Joint Task Force Commanders, along with joint doctrine and joint education. In this capacity, he deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.
Major General Gallinetti’s last active duty assignment was the Deputy Commander of Marine Forces Command in Norfolk, VA. His awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal with one gold star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one silver star and one bronze star, along with several unit awards. He accumulated over 5,000 accident-free flight hours during his career flying several types of tactical jet aircraft to include, the A-4, A-7, F-5, F/A-18, AV-8B, EA-6B and C-35, as well as several rotary-winged aircraft.
