Official Biography

Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations Pacific
Maj. Gen. Brian N. Wolford

Major General Wolford enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in June 1987. After graduating from Parris Island and Combat Engineer School, he was assigned to Anacostia Naval Station, where he was promoted to Sergeant before being commissioned a Second Lieutenant in August 1991.

Following The Basic School, Lieutenant Wolford was designated a Motor Transport Officer and reported to 2nd Marine Division in April 1992, serving as the Motor Transport Officer and Assistant Logistics Officer for 3rd Battalion/10th Marine Regiment; 2nd Battalion/4th Marine Regiment; and Battalion Landing Team 2/6. During this tour he participated in hurricane disaster relief in Florida; a deployment to Okinawa, Japan; Haitian and Cuban refugee operations in Cuba; a Mediterranean Sea deployment; and contingency operations in Bosnia.

In July 1996, Captain Wolford reported to 3rd Force Service Support Group as the Officer-In-Charge of Marine Expeditionary Camp / Pohang, in Pohang, Korea (Camp Mujuk). Next, in July 1997, he checked into 2nd Force Service Support Group, serving as the Commanding Officer of Alpha Company, 8th Motor Transport Battalion; Operations Officer for Combat Service Support Detachment 27; and Operations Officer for MEU Service Support Group 26. During this tour he participated in a Mediterranean Sea deployment; Serbian refugee operations in Albania; peace keeping operations in Kosovo; and earthquake disaster relief in Turkey.

In 1999, Captain Wolford was re-designated a Logistics Officer. In June 2000, he checked into Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, as the Logistics Company Grade Monitor.

Following that tour, Major Wolford reported in July 2002 to the Command Element for 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit as the Logistics Officer. During this tour he participated in two WestPac / CENTCOM deployments including two tours to Iraq in Multi-National Division-Southeast (Basrah Province) and Multi-National Force-West (Al Anbar Province). In June 2006, he reported United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea in Seoul with the UCJ4 (Logistics), Plans & Operations Division.

In July 2008, Lieutenant Colonel Wolford checked into 2nd Marine Division as the Deputy G4, and worked as the Multi-National Force-West (Al Anbar Province), G3, Ground Operations Officer and deployed again to Iraq. After returning from Iraq in June 2009, he reported to 2nd Marine Logistics Group as the Commanding Officer of Combat Logistics Battalion 2 and deployed to Afghanistan (Northern Helmand Province) as part of Regional Command-Southwest.

In August of 2011, Lieutenant Colonel Wolford began studies at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. After graduation in June 2012, he checked into Installations and Logistics, Headquarters Marine Corps, finishing as the Branch Head, Logistics Plans and Operations. He was designated a Joint Qualified Officer in 2012.

In June 2014, Colonel Wolford transferred to 2nd Marine Logistics Group as the Commanding Officer of Combat Logistics Regiment 2. In August 2016, Colonel Wolford reported in as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 Logistics, at II Marine Expeditionary Force. In July 2017, he assumed the duties as the Chief of Staff for II Marine Expeditionary Force. During this time, he supported 3 major exercises in EUCOM and AFRICOM, to include one as the MAGTF Commander (African Lion 2015, Sabre Strike 2016, Trident Juncture 2018).

He was frocked to Brigadier General in June 2019 and assumed the duties as Commander, Bagram Airfield and Deputy Commanding General of the US National Support Element-Afghanistan (Freedom Sentinel / Resolute Support). In July 2020, he transferred to Okinawa, Japan as the Commanding General of 3d Marine Logistics Group. In June 2022, he transferred to Camp Humphreys and assumed the duties as Commander of US Marine Forces Korea. In June 2023, he was frocked to Major General and re-assigned as the UCJ5, Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy for United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea. In June 2024, he reported back to Okinawa, Japan as the Commanding General for Marine Corps Installations Pacific.

Major General Wolford holds a Bachelor of Science from University of Maryland Baltimore County (1991), a Master of Science in Logistics Management from Florida Institute of Technology (2002), a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from National Defense University (2012), and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies for Leadership at North Carolina Agriculture & Technology (2020). He has attended the resident US Army Combined Logistics Captain’s Career Course and resident Industrial College of the Armed Forces; and completed the non-resident Amphibious Warfare School, non-resident USMC Command and Staff, and non-resident US Air Force Air War College.

His personal decorations include two Defense Superior Service Medals, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, two Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and three Combat Action Ribbons. He also has been awarded the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, Korean Order of National Security (Cheonsu), Japan Defense Cooperation Award 2nd Class, and has earned sixteen Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.