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Colonel Richard H. Pitchford Biography Photo
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Col. Richard H. Pitchford, Commanding Officer

Commanding Officer, Wounded Warrior Regiment

Colonel Pitchford is a native of Norfolk, Virginia. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1989 and served with Company H, 3d Battalion 23d Marines, and Company B, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion. During a six-year enlistment, he participated in Operation DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM and attained the rank of Sergeant. In 1996, he graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and was commissioned and trained as an infantry officer.

Col Pitchford’s operational assignments include:

  • Platoon Commander and Company Executive Officer, 2d Battalion, 8th Marines (1997-2000).
  • Assistant Operations Officer, Company Commander, Company L, and Operations Officer, 3d Battalion, 6th Marines (2004-06).
  • Force Protection Officer, J-3, Combined Joint Task Force 82 (Sep 2006-Mar 2007).
  • Iraqi Special Operations Planner, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, Arabian Peninsula (Jun-Aug 2008).
  • Executive Officer, 2d Battalion, 6th Marines (2010-11).
  • Assistant Operations Officer and Operations Officer, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (2010-13).
  • Commander, Marine Corps Security Force Battalion, Kings Bay, Georgia (2014-16).
  • During these assignments, Col Pitchford deployed to Haiti, Okinawa, Panama, Afghanistan (x3), Iraq (x2), and served at sea with the 26th MEU in the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation.

Colonel Pitchford’s supporting assignments include:

  • Series Commander and Company Commander, 2d Recruit Training Battalion, MCRD San Diego (2000-03).
  • Plans Observer Trainer, Special Operations Command, Joint Forces Command (2007-09).
  • Ground Section Head and Ground LtCol Monitor, Officer Assignments Branch, Manpower Management Division, HQMC (2017-19).
  • Deputy Director of Reserve Affairs Division, HQMC, Manpower and Reserve Affairs (2019)

Col Pitchford is a graduate of the Expeditionary Warfare School (2003-04), the Marine Corps Command and Staff College (2009-10), and the U.S. Army War College (2016-17). In January 2020 Col Pitchford assumed his current position as Commanding Officer, Wounded Warrior Regiment.

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