Walter E . Gaskin Lieutenant General Walter E . Gaskin assumed his duties as the Deputy Chairman , NATO Military Committee , Brussels , Belgium on March 22 , 2010 . Marine Corps career . Lieutenant General Gaskin served as the Commanding General of the 2d Marine Division at Camp Lejeune , NC from June 2006 until July 2008 . In addition to this role , he simultaneously served as the Commanding General of II Marine Expeditionary Force ( Forward ) . During this tour , Lieutenant General Gaskin led II MEF ( FWD ) during its year - long deployment to Al Anbar Province , Iraq as the Commanding General of Multinational Forces - West . Previous assignments as a General Officer include service as the Vice Director of The Joint Staff , Washington , D . C . from July 2008 until May 2009 and as the Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruiting Command in Quantico , VA beginning in September 2002 . Additionally , he served as the Chief of Staff , Naval Striking and Support Forces - Southern Europe and as the Deputy Commanding General , Fleet Marine Forces - Europe in Naples , Italy from 2002 to 2004 . Lieutenant General Gaskin ' s first assignment as a General Officer was the Commanding General , Training and Education Command in Quantico in March 2000 . In addition to his time as Commanding General , Lieutenant General Gaskin has served four times with the 2d Marine Division ( 3rd Battalion , 2nd Marine Regiment ; 1st Battalion , 2nd Marines ; 6th Marine Regiment ; and 2nd Battalion , 2nd Marines ) . During his assignment to 2nd Battalion , 2nd Marines , Lieutenant General Gaskin was the Commanding Officer and also served as the Commanding Officer of Battalion Landing Team 2 / 2 when the battalion was assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit ( Special Operations Capable ) , II MEF for deployment as Landing Force - 6th Fleet ( LF6F ) during Operations Assured Response and Quick Response in defense of American Embassies in Liberia and The Central African Republic . Lieutenant General Gaskin ' s other previous assignments with II MEF include service as the G - 3 Current Operations Action Officer and Operations Officer for II MEF ( FWD ) supporting Exercise Battle Griffin in Norway ; Head of Expeditionary Operations for II MEF G - 3 ; and as Commanding Officer of 22nd MEU ( SOC ) during deployment as LF6F , participating in Exercises Bright Star 99 / 00 in Egypt and Infinite Moonlight in Jordan and acting as the Strategic Reserve for operations in Bosnia and Kosovo . In addition to his service at Camp Lejeune , Lieutenant General Gaskin has also served with 3rd Force Service Support Group ( Echo and Foxtrot Logistics Support Units ) ; 3rd Marine Division ( Division Command Center ) in Okinawa , Japan ; and with Combined Forces Command C / J - 3 , Seoul , South Korea as the Head of Ground Forces Branch . Lieutenant General Gaskin ' s supporting establishment service includes assignment as Series Commander and Company Commanding at Marine Corps Recruit Depot , Parris Island , SC ; Marine Officer Instructor , Savannah State University NROTC Unit ; Assistant Officer Selection Officer , Recruiting Station Macon , GA ; Action Officer in charge of Unit Environmental Training Programs for Marine Corps Combat Development Center ; and Ground Colonels ' Monitor at Headquarters Marine Corps . Education . A 1974 graduate from Savannah State University ' s NROTC Program with a Bachelor of Science , Lieutenant General Gaskin also earned a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1992 . He has also completed the Senior Executive Seminar from the JFK School of Government , Harvard University in 2002 . His professional military education includes The Basic School and Amphibious Warfare School ( 1982 – 83 ) in Quantico ; the United States Army Command and Staff College , Leavenworth , KS ( 1986 – 1987 ) ; the Army War College , Carlisle Barracks , Carlisle , PA ( 1993 – 1994 ) ; and the Combined / Joint Force Land Component Command ( C / JFLCC ) Course , Carlisle Barracks , Carlisle , PA ( 2009 ) . Awards and decorations . Lieutenant General Gaskin ' s personal decorations include :