Eric Greitens

Infobox US Cabinet official
name = Eric Greitens


birth_date = birth date and age|1974|4|10
birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
profession = Navy SEAL Public Speaker Chairman
allegiance = United States of America
branch = United States Navy
serviceyears = 2001 - Present
rank = Lieutenant
unit = NR USSOCOM 108
commands = Joint Special Operations Task Unit Mark V Special Operations Craft Detachment Al Qaeda Targeting Cell
battles =
awards =
Navy Commendation Medal

Eric Greitens, a Lieutenant in the US Navy SEALs, returned from Iraq in April 2007. Upon his return, Greitens visited and held conversations with wounded servicemen at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Through these conversations, Greitens came to believe that there was a tremendous demand by veterans for continued opportunities of service and leadership, as a civilian. Drawing on his experiences as a humanitarian aid worker, Navy SEAL, and White House fellow, Greitens seeks to offer these veterans a challenge in the form of 3-month fellowships offered by the Center for Citizen Leadership, a non-profit organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Education

Eric Greitens was born and raised in Missouri, where he was educated in the public schools. He was an Angier B. Duke Scholar at Duke University where he studied ethics, philosophy, and public policy. Selected as a Rhodes and Truman Scholar, he attended the University of Oxford from 1996 through 2000. There he earned a master’s degree in development studies in 1998, and a Ph.D. in politics in 2000. ["About the Center for Citizen Leadership's Directors." Center for Citizen Leadership. Center for Citizen Leadership. 15 Apr 2008 .]

Humanitarian Aid

Greitens' research was driven by his humanitarian work in war zones, and his thesis, Children First, investigated the ways in which international humanitarian organizations can best serve war-affected children. He has worked as a humanitarian volunteer, documentary photographer, and researcher in Croatia, Rwanda, Zaire, the Gaza Strip, Albania, Cambodia, Mexico, Bolivia, and India. His award-winning documentary photographs were featured in the publication, Community Strategies for Healing, and his strong, compassionate photographs reflect the dignity and strength of human beings engaged in struggle.

Naval career

Greitens attended Naval Officer Candidate School in December 2000. He began Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and graduated with Class 237 in Coronado, California in February 2002. Greitens is currently a Lieutenant in the United States Navy SEALs, and he has deployed four times during the Global War on Terrorism: to Iraq, ["Veterans Find, "We need you, we still believe in you" Newspaper. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 31 Jul 2008 .] Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia. He has served as the Commander of a Joint Special Operations Task Unit, Commander of a Mark V Special Operations Craft Detachment ["White House Fellows: Class of 2005-2006" Online Article. The White House. 16 Jul 2008 .] , and as Commander of an Al Qaeda Targeting Cell. His personal military awards include the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

White House Fellowship

In 2005-2006, he was appointed by the President to serve as a White House Fellow. ["President Bush Appoints the 2005-2006 Class of White House Fellows " Press Release. 20 Jun 2005. The White House. 09 Jul 2008 .] The White House Fellowship is an appointment that each year brings together professionals from around the nation to serve the people of the United States while learning about leadership at the highest levels of government. It is considered America’s most prestigious fellowship for leadership and public service.

As a White House Fellow, Greitens was sent to assist with educational rebuilding efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. [Hinman, Kristen. "Captain America." Riverfront Times 09 APR 2008 10. 15 APR 2008 .] Greitens also developed a new program for HUD, the Universities Rebuilding America Partnership (URAP) ["Volume 3 Number 5: Universities Rebuilding America." PD&R Periodicals: Research Works. 01 MAY 2006. PD&R Periodicals. 27 Apr 2008 .] , a $5.6 million effort to engage students, specifically those seeking degrees in architecture and engineering, in the continued effort to rebuild New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Center for Citizen Leadership

Greitens used his combat pay from Iraq to start the Center for Citizen Leadership. The aim of the center is to provide fellowships to returning veterans—with special attention to wounded and disabled veterans—to engage in public service work in the United States. Greitens currently serves as Chairman of the Center for Citizen Leadership. ["Veterans Find, "We need you, we still believe in you" Newspaper. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 31 Jul 2008 .]

Public speaker

Eric Greitens is a public speaker for the Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau. The following is a list of Greitens' topics: ["Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau - Eric Greitens" Eric Greitens. Leading Authorities. 16 Apr 2008 .]

•"Leadership for Today" •"The Next Generation of American Leadership" •"A Community of Learning" •"Service and the Humanitarian Ethic" •"Leadership and Social Responsibility" •"The Culture of Character: Building Strength Through Study and Service"

Greitens' public speaking career also translates into the consulting field. In early 2008, Greitens lectured and consulted with the Baltimore, Maryland Police Department in their fight against gang violence and drugs. ["From the sidewalk up: Entire city police force gets retraining" Annie Linskey. Baltimore Sun. 18 May 2008 .] Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld has adopted Greitens' Complete Warrior Ethics Curriculum (CWEC) as the department's "Diamond Standard" for officers.

Author

Strength and Compassion is a collection of photographs and essays by Eric Greitens. Published in 2008 ["Amazon.com: Strength and Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens". Amazon.com. 23 Sep 2008. .] , it is Greitens' first book and contains a forward by Paul Rusesabagina, depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda by Don Cheadle, and an introduction by Bobby Muller, co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

Other

On October 3, 2008, Greitens was awarded the President's Volunteer Service Award outside Air Force One at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri. The President recognized Greitens for his work with wounded and disabled veterans at the Center for Citizen Leadership. ["President Bush Honoring Local Veteran with Award" KSDK News Channel 5. 3 Oct 2007..] The President's Volunteer Service Award was created by the USA Freedom Corps to encourage and recognize outstanding volunteer service and inspire others to volunteer. ["USA Freedom Corps - Make a Difference. Volunteer." USA Freedom Corps. 07 October 2008. ]

Greitens is a Senior Fellow at the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri. During the summer of 2008, Greitens will teach a course entitled "Leadership in Public Service." ["Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs - Faculty" University of Missouri. 23 May 2008. .]

Greitens is an avid boxer. He started boxing at Duke University and continued while studying at Oxford. He won two Oxford Boxing Blues and the Gold Medal at the BUSA National Championships. He is also a Sub-3 hour Marathon Runner, and won the Shamrock Marathon at Camp Fallujah, Iraq in 2007.

ee also

References

Further Reading/Listening

* [http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-04-09/news/navy-seal-eric-greitens-has-come-home-to-st-louis-to-help-fellow-iraq-vets/ Riverfront Times Article: Eric Greitens - Captain America]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89388190 NPR: Veterans Advocate Urges Iraq War Awareness by Eric Greitens]
* [http://www.kwmu.org/programs/slota/archivedetail.php?showid=3154 St. Louis On the Air features Eric Greitens (KWMU 90.7 - St. Louis)]

External links

* [http://www.ericgreitens.com | EricGreitens.com]
* [http://www.citizenleadership.org | Center for Citizen Leadership]
* [http://www.leadingauthorities.com/24413/Eric_Greitens.htm | Leading Authorities: Eric Greitens]