Governor Names Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper has named retired Lieutenant General Walter Gaskin to lead the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

    "After a career at the highest levels of the United States Marine Corps, Walter Gaskin understands well the challenges and opportunities faced by active duty military personnel, veterans and their families and he shares my belief that North Carolina should be the most veteran- and military-friendly state in the nation. I appreciate General Gaskin's willingness to serve our state in this new capacity and look forward to his leadership at the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs," said Governor Cooper.

    "It is my honor to serve the members of our military, veterans and their families in the state of North Carolina. Although I retired from active duty in 2013, my commitment to providing the opportunities, resources and care owed to our military members and veterans has never ceased. I look forward to working with Governor Cooper and his team as we continue this critical work," said Gaskin.

    Since September 2020, Lieutenant General Gaskin has served on the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission. From 2010 until his retirement from the United States Marine Corps in 2013, LtGen Gaskin served as the Deputy Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee in Brussels, Belgium, providing strategic military counsel on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya to NATO's Secretary General and North Atlantic Council.

    LtGen Gaskin also 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, LtGen Gaskin led II MEF (FWD) during its year-long deployment to Al Anbar Province, Iraq as the Commanding General of Multinational Forces-West.

    LtGen Gaskin 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.

    Mr. Gaskin most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of La Porte Technology Defense (LAPORTECH). LAPORTECH is an engineering Technical Development Plan supplier with the capability to design, test, retrofit, and roll-out new and existing specialty defense and commercial vehicles. Prior to this, Mr. Gaskin served as the Managing Director in Charge of Operation Management Complex of Global Bank in Irvine, CA.

    A graduate of Savannah State University's NROTC Scholarship Program with a Bachelor of Science, he earned a Summa Cum Laude Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and completed the Senior Executive Seminar from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University. His military education includes the Amphibious Warfare School; Army Command and Staff College; Army War College; and the Combined/Joint Force Land Component Command Course.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov