Michael G. Ritchie

Director of Pacific Outreach (SES), U.S. Pacific Command

Michael G. Ritchie is a career member of the Senior Executive Service. As Director, Pacific Outreach – J9, he seeks to integrate the efforts of all United States Government Agencies and Public/Private Partnership with the theater campaign plan within the US Pacific Command. Additionally, the Director advises the Commander and staff on objectives, support requirements, authorities, capabilities, and limitations of other United States Government agencies in order to facilitate a “Whole of Government Approach”. These activities include participating in and providing perspectives, authorities, and capabilities of interagency partners, academia, think tanks, and the private sector on operational planning teams, theater security cooperation, exercises, and contingency plans.

Prior to his assignment to U.S. Pacific Command, Michael was the Director, Interagency Partnering, U.S, European Command, J9.  In this capacity he created an interagency capability within the European Theater by expanding the presence of federal partners facilitating the integration of federal authorities and expertise in all plans and operations of U.S. European Command.  In this assignment Michael was able to call upon his vast experience working with federal partners of the interagency broadening the ability of the Combatant Command to integrate authorities in counter terrorism and apply all elements of national power to the planning and operations in theater.

After serving as the Department of Defense Fellow at the Department of State Senior Seminar, Michael was selected to be the senior Defense representative at the Department of Homeland Security as the department was forming.  In this capacity he served in the Office of the Senior Military Advisor to the Secretary and assisted the new department through the management of all Defense Department personnel detailed to Homeland Security as well as the management of information flow and requests for assistance between federal departments.  Earlier in his career, Michael was the Director for Humanitarian Assistance and Demining for the Department of Defense managing all funds and programs associated with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.  He also managed foreign military sales programs for the nations of the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he is a retired Army Officer who has served multiple Infantry and Foreign Area Officer assignments throughout his career.  Fluent in Spanish, he earned a Master of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature and is a graduate of the Inter-American Defense College at Fort McNair, Virginia. 

(Current as of July 2012)