Executive Fellows
LtGen Michael G. Dana
USMC (Ret)
USMC (Ret)
LtGen Dana retired from the United States Marine Corps in September 2019 after thirty-seven years of service. His last assignment was Director of the Marine Corps Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.
A native of New York, he graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in June of 1982.
Lieutenant General Dana deployed as a tank platoon commander with Battalion Landing Team 1/8 to the Mediterranean in 1984. He was then assigned as the Combat Cargo Officer aboard USS Duluth (LPD-6) and deployed to the Western Pacific with Battalion Landing Team 1/9 in 1987. Lieutenant General Dana then served as the Logistics Officer for Battalion Landing Team 3/1 and as a Company Commander and Operations Officer with 1st Landing Support Battalion (Desert Storm-Kuwait/Operation Restore Hope-Somalia). A tour with the Standing Joint Task Force at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina followed, which included a deployment to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. He completed his tour at Camp Lejeune as the II Marine Expeditionary Force G-4 Logistics Operations Officer. A tour with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron (MAWTS-1) followed, then command of Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 from 2000-2002 in Yuma, Arizona. MWSS-371 was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation and was named the Marine Corps Logistics Unit of the Year during this period.
LtGen Dana was then assigned to III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) in Okinawa, Japan serving as the G-7 Inspector General (IG), 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade Chief of Staff, III MEF Deputy G-3 Operations Officer, and Officer-in-Charge of the Marine Central Command Coordination Element at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. He then took command of Marine Wing Support Group 37 and deployed to Iraq for a year in 2006-2007.
As a General Officer he served as the Commanding General, 2d Marine Logistics Group, which included a one-year deployment to Afghanistan in 2011-2012. In addition, he served as the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Logistics (LP), Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics, and Director of the Marine Corps Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.
Joint assignments include serving as a Strategic Planner with European Command-Stuttgart, Germany; Director of Logistics for Northern Command-Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Director of Strategy and Policy for Pacific Command-Honolulu, Hawaii. Lieutenant General Dana is an honor graduate of Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and Naval War College. He is also a graduate of the School of Advanced Warfighting.