Chris Molino | Biography
Chris Molino is a retired Army officer whose 20 year career included operational and senior staff assignments focused on counterterrorism and U.S. policymaking. In addition to conventional assignments in the Infantry, Chris was selected for service in both Army and Joint Special Operations commands at every rank from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel. Chris’s combat experience includes command and leadership roles in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
During his time in Washington, D.C., Chris served in multiple Pentagon assignments including the Joint Staff, Army Staff, and Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). While on the Joint Staff, Chris was Deputy Legislative Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff where he managed the Joint Staff’s relationship with the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, including Member offices and Professional Staff. On the Army Staff, Chris managed Congressional engagements and correspondence for the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics. While in OSD, Chris served as Director for Africa Counterterrorism in OSD-Policy’s Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC). It was in this capacity that Chris represented the Department of Defense in negotiations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regarding United States’ assistance programs in the Sahel and participated in bilateral negotiations with the French regarding counterterrorism assistance in Northwest Africa.
Chris has served in a variety of interagency roles including advisor to ambassadors and country teams in the U.S. embassies in Mali, France, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Israel, and Malaysia; liaison for the Joint Special Operations Command to the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council Staff. While at the White House, Chris served as the White House representative on a State Department-led negotiations team to the Russian and Turkish governments regarding U.S. policies in Syria.
Chris is the CEO of a small consulting firm and was appointed by the Congress as one of sixteen Commissioners on the Afghanistan War Commission. Additionally, he volunteers with the Diplomatic Studies Foundation, advancing reforms of the State Department’s education program for Foreign Service Officers. He also works as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, teaching a course in building partner capacity and counterterrorism.
Chris holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Government and History from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University. His military decorations include the Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.