Stephen A. Cheney
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Marine Corps
Years of service1971–2001
Rank Brigadier General
Commands heldMarine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal (United States)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3)
Army Commendation Medal

Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney (USMC, Ret) is a former commanding officer of Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Eastern Recruiting Region, Parris Island. He is currently the CEO of American Security Project.

Biography edit

Brigadier General Cheney retired from active duty on August 1, 2001 following his assignment as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Eastern Recruiting Region, Parris Island, South Carolina from June 1999 through June 2001.

The son of a Coast Guard officer, he graduated in 1967 from Alexandria, Virginia's T.C. Williams High School. He was commissioned at the United States Naval Academy (B.S., Marine Engineering '71), and is a graduate of Fort Sill's (U.S. Army) Artillery Basic ('72) and Advanced ('79) Courses; the Marine Corps Command and Staff College ('85); the National War College ('90); and the University of Southern California (M.S., Systems Management, '78).

Early fleet tours were with the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California ('72-'74) and Marine Observation Squadron 6, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Okinawa, Japan ('74-'75). He was a series and company commander, then aide-de-camp, at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD), San Diego from 1975 to 1978.

Subsequent tours were: Company Grade and Majors' Monitor, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. ('79-'83); Force Artillery Officer and G-1A, III Marine Amphibious Force, Okinawa ('84-'85); Executive Officer, 3d Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment ('85-'87); and Commanding Officer, Support Battalion, MCRD, San Diego ('87-'89).

Following graduation from the National War College, he was the Ground Plans Officer for the DoD Coordinator for Drug Enforcement Policy and Support, assisting in coordinating Pentagon support to the international counter-drug effort. In 1991, he became the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Department of Defense. In 1993 he was selected to be a Military Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations (New York City).

In 1994 he returned to Washington to be a planner with the Roles and Missions Coordination Group at Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, supporting the Congressional Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces. He commanded the Recruit Training Regiment, MCRD, San Diego from 1995 to 1997. His first assignment as a general officer was as the Inspector General of the United States Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. from August 1997 to June 1999.

From 2003 until 2006 he was the Chief Operating Officer for Business Executives for National Security (BENS), in Washington, D.C. He was President of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas from 2006 until 2011. He became the Chief Executive of the American Security Project in Washington, DC in August of 2011.


References edit

USMC Biography for Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney - Retired