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Mr. Gerald B. O'Keefe - Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army

Mr. Gerald B. O'Keefe

Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army


Mr. Gerald B. O’Keefe assumed the duties of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army on 28 July 2013. The Administrative Assistant, the senior career civilian within the Department of the Army, is the principal civilian advisor to the Secretary for administrative matters and provides direct support to the Secretary. For HQDA, its field operating agencies and staff support agencies, and specified direct reporting units, the Administrative Assistant exercises those duties generally exercised by commanders of Army Commands and Army Service Component Commands, except those authorities the law reserves solely to a military member formally designated as a “commander.” The Administrative Assistant provides customers in the Army, DoD, and other Federal agencies with a broad spectrum of executive services, operations support, and support for business activities, as well as fiscal and human resources, equal employment advisory services, and special programs support for Headquarters organizations and activities. Mr. O’Keefe also carries out DoD-level responsibilities assigned to the Secretary, including administering the DoD passports and visas program, coordinating the execution and delegation of the Secretary’s DoD Executive Agent responsibilities, and providing heraldic services for the Federal Government. He also supervises Army historical matters, including management of museums, museum centers, and historical artifacts, through U.S. Army Center of Military History. Further, he executes the Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army program and is liaison for the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

Selected to the Senior Executive Service in May 2009, Mr. O’Keefe was previously dual-hatted as the Deputy Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and Executive Director, U.S. Army Resources and Programs Agency.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY:

  • Aug 2010 - Jul 2013: Deputy Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Pentagon, Washington, DC
  • May 2009 – Aug 2010: Deputy G-3/5 for Strategy and Concepts (G-5), U.S. Army Materiel Command, Fort Belvoir, VA
  • Aug 2008 – May 2009: Strategic Advisor for Plans and Resources, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Fort Belvoir, VA
  • Jul 2004 – Jun 2008: Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Force Management Support Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
  • Jul 2002 – Jul 2004: Chief, Force Management and Integration Division, Army Staff, Pentagon, Washington, DC
  • Apr 1998 – Jul 2001: Executive Officer to the Director, Force Management; QDR Branch Chief; Engineer Organizational Integrator; Army Staff, Pentagon, Washington, DC
  • Jul 1997 – Mar 1998: Branch Chief, NATO and Army Exercises, Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany
  • Jun 1996 – Jun 1997: Battalion S-2/3, Base Support Battalion, Mannheim, Germany
  • Mar 1995 – May 1996: Plans Officer, Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany
  • Aug 1994 – Feb 1995: Ground Operations Officer, Joint Task Force Provide Promise, Naples, Italy
  • Jul 1993 – Jun 1994: S-4, Engineer Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Bad Kreuznach, Germany
  • Jan 1989 – Jun 1992: Admissions Officer, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY
  • Jul 1984 – Nov 1986: Battalion Assistant S-3; Company Commander; 3d Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA
  • Nov 1981 – Jun 1984: Platoon Leader; Company Executive Officer; Battalion Adjutant, 17th Engineer Battalion, 2d Armored Division, Fort Hood, TX

COLLEGE:

  • MS, National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, 2002
  • Masters of Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Pennsylvania State University, 1989
  • BS, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY, 1981

SIGNIFICANT TRAINING:

  • Program for Executives in Logistics and Technology, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, 2009
  • Army Force Management School, Fort Belvoir, VA, 1998
  • Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 1993
  • Engineer Officer Advanced Course, Fort Belvoir, VA, 1987
  • Atomic Demolitions/Munitions Course, Fort Belvoir, VA, 1981
  • Engineer Officer Basic Course, Fort Belvoir, VA, 1981
  • Airborne School, Fort Benning, GA, 1979

CERTIFICATIONS:

  • Professional Engineer, Commonwealth of Virginia – 1987 - Present
  • Designated Approving Authority Certification, 2012

AWARDS AND HONORS:

  • Meritorious Civilian Service Award
  • Legion of Merit (with oak leaf cluster)
  • General Brehon B. Somervell Medal of Excellence for Multifunctional Logisticians
  • Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal
  • Meritorious Service Medal (with six oak leaf clusters)
  • Defense Meritorious Service Medal
  • Army Commendation Medal
  • Army Achievement Medal (with oak leaf cluster)
  • NATO Medal
  • Humanitarian Service Medal