Col Gearhart

Col Gearhart

AFCEA Quantico-Potomac was pleased to host Col Robert Gearhart, the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps Network Operations and Security Center.

The brief Col Gearhart presented can be downloaded here.

Colonel Gearhart was born in Alexandria, VA on 27 June 1958.

He attended Broad Run High School in Ashburn, VA and graduated in May 1980 from the Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History (With Distinction).

Previous command assignments:
Marine Wing Communication Squadron – 28, Cherry Point, NC
Alpha Company, 8th CommBn, Camp Lejeune, NC
Echo Company (PLC Senior), Officer Candidates School, Quantico, VA
Headquarters & Service Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 29 Palms, CA
Surveillance & Target Acquisition Platoon, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 29 Palms, CA Communication Detachment, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, Okinawa, Japan
Radio Platoon, Communication Support Company, 9th CommBn, 29 Palms, CA

Previous staff assignments:
Deputy Director, Manpower Plans & Policy Division, M&RA, Quantico, VA
Division Chief, Info Assurance/Interoperability, Joint Staff, Washington DC
G-6, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Okinawa, Japan
Deputy G-6, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan
Director, Command & Control Systems Course, Quantico, VA
Inspector-Instructor, Communication Company, 4th MarDiv, Cincinnati, OH
Executive Officer, 8th Communication Battalion, Camp Lejeune, NC
Joint Interoperability Officer, C4 Division, HQMC, Washington DC
Intelligence Officer, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 29 Palms, CA
Assistant Intelligence Officer, 27th Marine Regiment, 29 Palms, CA
Assistant G-6, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, Okinawa, Japan
OIC, Communication Center, Marine Air Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms, CA

Colonel Gearhart earned an MS (National Security Strategy) from the National War College in Washington DC, and an MS (Systems Technology) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.  He also attended the Marine Corps Command & Staff College, Amphibious Warfare School (non-resident), Amphibious Intelligence Officer’s Course, Basic Communication Officer’s Course and The Basic School.

A Marine Corps spouse for over 27 years, Colonel Gearhart’s wife, Ginger, is the Department Head for World Languages at Courtland High School in Spotsylvania, VA.  They’re proud parents of three young adults; Michael, Jessica and Ryan.