Col. Christopher C Starling

Christopher Starling retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Colonel with 26 years of service as an infantry officer, completing ten overseas deployments including three combat tours. His post-retirement work has been focused on the veteran community.   

While on active duty, Chris commanded the 2d Battalion, 2d Marines in Camp Lejeune, NC, and the 23d Marine Regiment in San Bruno, CA.  Staff assignments included instructor duty at the US Military Academy, West Point, NY; Chief of the Partnership Division at US Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany; and the senior US Military Advisor to the Emirati Presidential Guard in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Chris holds a BA from the Virginia Military Institute and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the City University of New York. Additionally, he spent one year as a Hoover Fellow at Stanford University where he published his research on China's expanding influence in Africa.