Enlisting in 1979, and later commissioned in 1986, J. Scott O’Meara served over 35 years in the U.S. Marine Corps retiring at the rank of Brigadier General in 2018. At senior levels within the Department of Defense he has twice serviced within the Pentagon as a General Officer along with multiple joint, combined, and Service component assignments.
As a General Officer, his assignments included Deputy Commander Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa during which time he performed the duties of Commander, Marine Corps Forces Europe. Following his time in Europe, Scott was assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps as Director of Strategy and Plans. During his assignment he also was tapped as an Operations Deputy along with the Service Head of Delegation for multiple Service-to-Service level meetings with allied and partner counterparts. In July 2016 he returned overseas, assigned as the Chief of Staff for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, a twenty-seven nation combined headquarters tasked with the military defeat of ISIS. He returned to the Pentagon in July of 2017 as the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations, U.S. Marine Corps. During this assignment he was also designated as the Marine Corps General Officer in support of the 2018 National Defense Strategy drafting.
Designated a Naval Aviator in 1988, he compiled over 3300 career flight hours, to include combat flight operations during Desert Shield / Storm and multiple Iraqi Freedom tours. Twice commanding in combat, he has commanded at the squadron, aircraft group and Service Component levels.
Since retiring in August 2018, he joined TechOp Solutions, International as the Director of the firm’s Media Monitoring Capability, which provides the Department of Homeland Security with 24/7/365 social and traditional media surveillance aiding the National Operations Center with developing global situational awareness. In March 2019 he joined Booz Allen Hamilton. His initial focus was in support of a Department of State sponsored foreign assistance effort to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, concentrated on transforming their armed forces to a state interoperable with Western allies. Returning home in May 2020, his focus has been advising and providing subject matter expert advice relative to joint operations, all-domain operations, and information warfare.
He possesses a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, a Master of Business Administration in Aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Ramapo College of New Jersey.