William H. Seely III
Throughout his 36-year military career, Maj. Gen. Seely served in numerous critical leadership and command assignments ranging from platoon commander to task force commander to college commandant. Among his command assignments, he served as the communications platoon commander for 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion from 1990-1992, company commander for India Company, Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion from 2000-2002, and battalion commander for 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division from 2006-2008. Additionally, he commanded the Marine Corps Intelligence Schools under Training Command from 2011-2013, led Task Force-Iraq as part of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve from 2019-2020, and served as the commandant of the Joint Forces Staff College from 2020-2021 in Norfolk, VA. During his last assignment with the Marine Corps, he served as the commandant of the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
His staff assignments included serving as an intelligence officer for 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion from 1992-1993, Joint Task Force United Shield Mogadishu from 1994-1995, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) from 1996-2000, US Central Command Tampa FL from 2004-06, Marine Forces Central Command Bahrain from 2002-2003, and director of the Intelligence Integration Division at Marine Corps Combat Development Command from 2010-2011. He also served as the intelligence director for the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command - Iraq from 2015-2016. From 2016 - 2017, he served as the Marine Corp's Director of Intelligence. He served as the Marine Corps' communications strategy director from 2017-2019. Later from 2021-2023, he served as the Marine Corps' Director of the Information Intelligence Division.
Maj. Gen. Seely’s operational deployments include UNITED SHIELD in Mogadishu, Somalia, (1994-1995), SOUTHERN WATCH / INTRINSIC ACTION / DESERT THUNDER in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia (1996-1998), SAFE DEPARTURE in Eritrea (Non-combatant Evacuation Operation) (1998), and Operation STABILISE in East Timor (Humanitarian Assistance Operations) (1999). He served during the Global War on Terrorism as part of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM in Bahrain/Kuwait (2002-2003), IRAQI FREEDOM in Al Anbar Iraq (2005, 2006-2007, 2008) and INHERENT RESOLVE in Iraq (2015-2016, 2019-2020). He also has multiple shipboard deployments aboard the USS Belleau Wood, USS Essex, USS Tarawa, and USS Peleliu.
Maj. Gen. Seely's personal military awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit with Gold Star, Bronze Star with two Gold Stars and “Combat V,” Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon. He is authorized to wear the Navy scuba, Navy-Marine Corps parachutist and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification insignia.
Maj. Gen. Seely graduated with a bachelor's degree from American University and holds master's degrees from Oklahoma State University, the National Intelligence University, and the Naval War College (With Distinction). He also holds certificates from the Marine Corps University, Army War College, Air University, Singularity University, Johns Hopkins, UNC-Chapel Hill, MIT, and Harvard.