Arnold L. Punaro

Arnold L. Punaro (born August 10, 1946) is a retired United States Marine Corps Major General and CEO of The Punaro Group and IronArch Technology.

He is currently Chairman of the Secretary of Defense’s Reserve Forces Policy Board and a member of the Defense Business Board.

Punaro was born in Augusta, Georgia on August 10, 1946.

He is the son of Maria Annina (nee Benedetto) and Angelo Joseph Punaro, a decorated Army veteran for his service during World War II.

His father and mother were 2nd generation Americans whose parents immigrated from Italy.

Punaro was raised in Macon, Georgia.

He attended St. Joseph’s Grammar School from first grade through eighth grade.

He graduated from Mount De Sales Catholic High School in 1964.

Punaro attended Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama where he obtained his undergraduate degree in English in 1968.

After graduating from Spring Hill College in 1968, Punaro volunteered for military service in the United States Marine Corps.

In January 1969, he was commissioned a second lieutenant.

He served on active duty as an infantry platoon commander in Vietnam from August 1969 to January 1970 where he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart.

Upon returning from Vietnam, he served on the staff at The Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia.

Punaro held several positions with the United States Senate (from 1973–97) including Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

He is recognized by Defense News as one of the 100 Most Influential Individuals in the U.S. Defense.

From 1973 to 1997, Punaro worked for Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) on national security matters.

He earned his Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia in 1976 and Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University in 1979.

He served as his director of National Security Affairs and then as Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee (1987–95) and Staff Director for the Minority (1983–87, 1995–97).

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 including the beginnings of the All- Volunteer Force, the Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization, the Packard Commission Acquisition Reforms, the creation of the Special Operations Command, the draw-down after the Cold War, the first Gulf War, gays in the military, and expanding billets for women.

He was directly involved with the confirmation process for secretaries of defense, chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and service chiefs, hundreds of civilian nominations, and tens of thousands of military nominations.

Punaro was consistently named by Roll Call as One of the Top 50 Staffers in the Congress.

Punaro later served as an adjunct professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University for ten years (from 1990–2000) where he taught an annual graduate-level course entitled "National Security Decision Making.”

In December 1990, he was mobilized for Operation Desert Shield.

In December 1993, he completed a tour of active duty as Commander of Joint Task Force Provide Promise (Forward) in the former Yugoslavia.

He was then promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, and his first assignment was Deputy Commander of the U.S. Marine Reserve Forces, today known as the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR).

His next assignment was Commanding General of the Marine Corps Mobilization Command (MCRSC) from 1995–1997.

In this position, he designed what would later become the Marine for Life Program, a program that connects transitioning Marines and their family members to education resources, employment opportunities, and other veteran services.

He was an executive vice president at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in McLean, Virginia from 1997–2010.

From August 1997 until August 2000, Punaro served as Commanding General of the 4th Marine Division.

Under his command, the 4th Division achieved the highest level of combat readiness – a significant accomplishment for a reserve division.

Punaro served as a Senior Vice President and then Executive Vice President at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) from 1997 to May 2010, at that time a 10 billion dollar defense and aerospace company.

Following the division command, he served as the Deputy Commanding General (Mobilization) of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command (in 2000).

In 2001, Punaro assumed a 2-star active-duty billet at Headquarters Marine Corps as director of Reserve Affairs.

In this capacity, post 9-11, he was involved in the largest mobilization of the Marine Corps Reserve in its history.

Punaro completed his active duty obligation in 1972 and subsequently joined the Marine Corps Reserve where he served until October 1, 2003.

Punaro was mobilized in May 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Punaro retired as a Major General in October 2003 after 35 years of military service.

In 2011 Punaro was inducted as a Grady College Fellow of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

He currently serves on the non-profit board of the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs.

He also serves on Syracuse University's Maxwell School Advisory Board and Georgia Tech's Nunn School Advisory Board.