DOBBINS HEIGHTS — Lt. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin will be the guest speaker at the Dobbins Heights Veterans Day event on Monday, Nov. 11 at the Dobbins Heights Community Center.
The event will begin at 10 a.m. Gaskin was invited to speak after meeting Mayor Antonio Blue at a funeral in Richmond County, according to Blue.
Gaskin is the Chief Executive Officer of La Porte Technology Defense (LAPORTECH), which designs small and medium quantity specialty defense and commercial vehicles. Gaskin previously served as the Managing Director in Charge of Operation Management Complex of Global Bank in Irvine CA.
Additionally, he is an active board member of Savannah State University Foundation, Rise Against Hunger, Consortium For Africa, Marine Corps University Foundation, Western Governors University NC and the American College of National Security Leaders (ACNSL).
Military Career
Gaskin served as the Deputy Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee in Brussels Belgium providing military and operational advice to NATO’s Secretary General and North Atlantic Council from March 2010 to September 2013.
Lieutenant General Gaskin also served as the Commanding General of the 2d Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, NC from June 2006 until July 2008. In addition to this role, he simultaneously served as the Commanding General of II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). During this tour, Lieutenant General Gaskin led II MEF (FWD) during its year-long deployment to Al Anbar Province, Iraq as the Commanding General of Multinational Forces-West.
Previous assignments as a General Officer include service as the Vice Director of The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. from July 2008 until May 2009 and as the Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruiting Command in Quantico, VA beginning in September 2002. Additionally, he served as the Chief of Staff, Naval Striking and Support Forces-Southern Europe and as the Deputy Commanding General, Fleet Marine Forces-Europe in Naples, Italy from 2002 to 2004. Lieutenant General Gaskin’s first assignment as a General Officer was the Commanding General, Training and Education Command in Quantico in March 2000.
In addition to his time as Commanding General, Lieutenant General Gaskin has served four times with the 2d Marine Division (3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment; 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines; 6th Marine Regiment; and 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines).
During his assignment to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Lieutenant General Gaskin was the Commanding Officer and also served as the Commanding Officer of Battalion Landing Team 2/2 when the battalion was assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), II MEF for deployment as Landing Force-6th Fleet (LF6F) during Operations Assured Response and Quick Response in defense of American Embassies in Liberia and The Central African Republic.