William J. Walker


William J. Walker is a United States Army major general and by Presidential Appointment serves as the 23rd Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard. He is responsible for the strategic leadership, readiness and employment of the District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard units. Walker retired from civilian federal service as a career special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Promoted to the Senior Executive Service rank in January 2003. His final assignment at DEA was Deputy Assistant Administrator in Charge of the Office of Strategic Warning Intelligence.

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 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 of acting Commanding General, District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard, nicknamed the “Capitol Guardians”. In March 2018, President Donald J. Trump nominated Walker for promotion to Major General and selected him as the Commanding General.

Assignments

Dates of promotions

InsigniaRankDate
Major GeneralJune 28, 2018
Brigadier GeneralNovember 25, 2015
ColonelSeptember 29, 2006
Lieutenant ColonelMarch 10, 2003
MajorJanuary 13, 1998
CaptainNovember 18, 1990
First LieutenantApril 19, 1988
Second LieutenantApril 20, 1985

Civilian Service

Mr. 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 retired as a Special Agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2014 with thirty years of distinguished service in positions of increasing responsibility. Promoted to the Senior Executive Service rank in August 2002, Deputy Assistant Administrator in February 2004 and appointed a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community, Senior National Intelligence Service in September 2009, his final senior executive leadership position was Director of Strategic Warning, DEA Intelligence Division. Walker led intelligence officers who produced strategic assessments on high priority transnational drug threats to the United States in support of DEA's Global Drug Flow Attack Strategy. Prior senior executive assignments included Deputy Director, National Intelligence Coordination Center,, Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
As Deputy Director of the NIC-C, Walker led intelligence officers in the day-to-day operations of an IC mission support activity. Prior to this assignment he completed the IC Senior Leadership Program and served as Deputy Director, DEA Office of Special Intelligence where his duties included senior liaison to the IC. Prior to this assignment he served as the Director and Deputy Assistant Administrator, DEA Office of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Diversion Control.  In this position, Walker strengthened relationships with international partners and led delegations to Austria and Belgium to win support for global pharmaceutical and chemical compliance initiatives. Walker was promoted to the Senior Executive Service as the Associate Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New York Field Division where he led drug enforcement and regulatory control operations throughout New York State.
While assigned to DEA New York, Walker expanded and reinforced relationships with foreign counterparts having shared counter narcotics responsibilities and led multi-agency delegations to China, Hong Kong and Thailand to collaborate on international heroin investigations and subjects of common interests in Asia. Walker served as a criminal investigator in the DEA Chicago, New York and Miami Field Divisions and as a Narcotics Attaché in two foreign diplomatic posts.  He held supervisory and management positions in the Caribbean Field Division, DEA Headquarters in the Global Operations Division and in the Inspections Division. Walker also served in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy as a senior liaison officer and policy advisor.  During his career, Walker, a Spanish speaker, traveled to numerous countries to join forces with intelligence and law enforcement partners having shared interests and mutual concerns.
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. In accordance with Executive Order 11485, the President appoints the Commanding General/Director for the DCNG.
Walker is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities.