William J. Walker is a retired
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
and former
Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the 38th House Sergeant at Arms and the first African-American to hold the office. He last served as the 23rd Commanding General of the
District of Columbia National Guard
The District of Columbia National Guard is the branch of the United States National Guard based in the District of Columbia. It comprises both the D.C. Army National Guard and the D.C. Air National Guard components.
The president of the Unit ...
. This responsibility includes command of the
District of Columbia Army and
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
units. Walker previously served in the
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within th ...
as a Special Agent and was promoted to the
Senior Executive Service
The Senior Executive Service (SES) is a position classification in the civil service of the United States federal government equivalent to general officer or flag officer rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service ...
in January 2003, with his final assignment being Deputy Assistant Administrator in Charge of the
Office of Strategic Warning Intelligence. Walker is a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...
and a
National Academy of Public Administration Fellow.
In March 2021, House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
announced her intention to appoint Walker as
Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives
The Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the House with law enforcement, protocol, and administrative responsibilities. The Sergeant at Arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membership ...
. He was sworn in on April 26, 2021.
In January 2023 when Kevin McCarthy became Speaker, Walker was asked to resign in order for McCarthy to make his own choice for SAA following a nationwide search. The office is currently run by an acting Sergeant at Arms.
Education
Walker is a native of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, where he was born and raised. Walker attended St. Sabina private Catholic grammar school as a youth and graduated from
Leo Catholic High School
Leo Catholic High School is a private all-male, Catholic high school in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located in the Archdiocese of Chicago and home to a predominantly African–American student bod ...
in 1975.
Walker attended the
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a Public university, public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its campus is in the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus esta ...
where he earned a bachelor of arts degree. He then attended
Chicago State University
Chicago State University (CSU) is a predominantly black public university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1867 as the Cook County Normal School, it was an innovative teachers college. Eventually the Chicago Public Schools assumed control of t ...
, where he earned his master of science degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections.
[ ] In addition, Walker holds a master of science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the
National Intelligence University
The National Intelligence University (NIU), formerly known as the Defense Intelligence School, the Defense Intelligence College, the Joint Military Intelligence College, and the National Defense Intelligence College is a federally chartered resea ...
and also a master of arts degree in International Service from
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
. Walker has also attended and completed the National and International Security Program for senior executives at the Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, the National Security Studies Program at
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
and the Seminar XXI Foreign Politics, International Relations and the National Interest Fellowship at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
.
Military career
![BG Walker with Brig Gen Bozard presenting award to Capt Morgan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/BG_Walker_with_Brig_Gen_Bozard_presenting_award_to_Capt_Morgan.jpg)
Walker was commissioned as
Military Police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...
2nd Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
assigned to the 50th Military Police Company, Somerset,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
in May 1985. Since then, Walker has served as Commander, Alpha Company, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion; Commander, Land Component Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard; Chief of Staff, District of Columbia National Guard; Deputy Commander – Army, Joint Task Force, and Commander, Partnership for the Americas, Brigade Joint Task Force–Jamaica; Commander, Mobilization Augmentation Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard.
Walker was called to serve with the U.S. Army in September 2001 immediately following the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
. He was part of
Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) is the United States and Canadian military operation related to homeland security and support to federal, state, and local agencies. The operation began 11 September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks..
...
in a non-combat role and was an operations officer in the Pentagon. He later served with the
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
International Security Assistance Force
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, comman ...
and at the
Embassy of the United States, Kabul
The Embassy of the United States of America in Kabul was the official diplomatic mission of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The embassy was housed in a chancery located on Great Massoud Road in the Wazir Akba ...
.
In April 2015, he was appointed as the Commander, Land Component Command, District of Columbia National Guard and subsequently promoted to Brigadier General in November 2015.
During the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, Walker commanded the Joint Task Force-District of Columbia (JTF-DC) which deployed nearly 8,000 National Guard personnel, from 43 states and territories, to support security, traffic control, and crowd management during the
Inauguration of Donald Trump
The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States marked the commencement of Donald Trump's term as president and Mike Pence as vice president. An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people attended the public ceremony hel ...
. JTF-DC supported seven, federal and D.C. agencies during the presidential inauguration. National Guard personnel helped monitor the 248 traffic, access and security points, and blocking positions along the National Mall and parade route. The support provided by National Guard personnel enabled the
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC), more commonly known as the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the DC Police, and, colloquially, the DCPD, is the primary law enforcement agency for the District of Columb ...
to respond to 217 arrests, and the
to conduct 229 responses, 94 hospital transports and numerous medical tent treatments. The D.C. National Guard has supported 40 presidential inaugurations since 1861.
On January 20, 2017, Walker assumed the role of acting Commanding General, District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard, nicknamed the “Capitol Guardians”. In March 2018,
President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
nominated Walker for promotion to Major General and selected him as the Commanding General.
On June 1, 2020, during an interview with
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
, Walker defended the DC National Guard by stating that DCNG troops were not involved in using force against protesters to clear Lafayette Park during
George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internati ...
. Walker stated that DCNG troops held their positions and never advanced on the crowd. He emphasized that the use of force concerning protesters is always a last resort.
According to the final report by the
United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack
The United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (the January 6th Committee) is a bipartisan Select or special committee (United States Congress), select committee of the U.S. House of ...
, detailing
the events on January 6, 2021, Walker considered sending guardsmen to the U.S. Capitol without authorization from his higher-ups and then possibly resigning afterwards for circumventing the chain of command. After receiving advice from his lawyer, he ultimately waited for approval as required by the written commands from his superiors.
On March 5, 2021, Walker was selected by the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
as the new
Sergeant-At-Arms
A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...
. Walker replaced
Paul D. Irving, who resigned after the
2021 United States Capitol attack
On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The mob was seeking to keep Trump in pow ...
. This appointment made Walker the first African-American in U.S. history to serve as the Sergeant-At-Arms in the House of Representatives. House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
made the announcement of Walker's appointment that day. Pelosi administered the
Oath of Office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such ...
to Walker during a House
pro forma
The term ''pro forma'' (Latin for "as a matter of form" or "for the sake of form") is most often used to describe a practice or document that is provided as a courtesy or satisfies minimum requirements, conforms to a Convention (norm), norm or ...
session on April 26,
hours prior to President Biden's address to Congress.
Assignments
* May 1985 – September 1987, Platoon Leader, 50th Military Police Company, Somerset,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
* September 1987 – December 1989, Signal Officer, 250th Signal Battalion, Plainfield, New Jersey
* December 1989 – December 1990, Counterintelligence Officer, HHC, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion,
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
* December 1990 – April 1993, Team Chief, All-source intelligence, Alpha Company, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
* April 1993 – April 1994, Battalion Security Officer, S-2, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
* April 1994 – May 1996, Commander, HHC, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
* May 1996 – November 1996, Plans Officer, HHC, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
* December 1996 – September 1997, MOS Support Officer, HHC, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
* September 1997 – December 1999, Commander, Alpha Company, 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, Miami, Florida
* December 1999 – September 2001, Operations Officer / Branch Chief, Mobilization Augmentation Detachment,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
,
District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
* September 2001 – February 2002, Operations Officer, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Army Operations Center,
Pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°.
A pentagon may be simpl ...
,
Arlington,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
* February 2002 – January 2005, Operations Officer, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Army Crisis Action Team, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia,
* January 2005 – April 2008, Division Chief, Mobilization Augmentation Command, duty at the National Military Command Center, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
* August 2005 – June 2006, Student,
Inter-American Defense College
The Inter-American Defense College (IADC) is the educational entity of the Inter-American Defense Board, an independent entity of the Organization of American States. The College states that faculty, staff and student body are international, and ...
,
Fort McNair
Fort Lesley J. McNair is a United States Army post located on the tip of Greenleaf Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To the peninsula's west is the Washington Chan ...
, Washington, District of Columbia
* April 2008 – November 2008, J −2 Vice, Intelligence Directorate,
National Guard Bureau
The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was cre ...
, (Mobilization Augmentation Command-Detail) Arlington, Virginia
* November 2008 – July 2009, Commander, Partnership for the Americas, Brigade Joint Task Force –
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
, Washington, DC and
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...
* July 2009 – June 2010, J −2 Vice, Intelligence Directorate, National Guard Bureau, (Mobilization Augmentation Command-Detail) Arlington, Virginia
* June 2010 – October 2011, Chief of Staff, District of Columbia Army National Guard, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia
* October 2011 – June 2012, Chief, Theater Observation Detachment – Afghanistan, & Senior
International Security Assistance Force
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, comman ...
Liaison Officer, Center for Army Lessons Learned,
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
* November 2011 – June 2012, Senior Military Strategist, Office of Transition Management, Embassy Kabul (Concurrent assignment), Kabul, Afghanistan
* June 2012 – March 2013, Chief of Staff, District of Columbia Army National Guard, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia
* March 2013 – March 2015, Commander, Mobilization Augmentation Command, Washington, District of Columbia
* April 2015 – January 2017, Commanding General, Land Component Command, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia
* January 2017 – February 2018, Acting Commanding General, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia
* March 2018 – April 2021, Commanding General, District of Columbia National Guard
Awards and decorations
Dates of promotions
Civilian service
![General William J](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/General_William_J._Walker.jpg)
Walker is the former vice chairman, board of directors of the
Young Marines
The Young Marines is a youth program in the United States and Japan open to all youth between the ages of 8 to 18 or
high school graduation (whichever is later, not to exceed 20 years of
age). The Young Marines program is the lea ...
, a military affiliated nonprofit service organization for boys and girls ages eight through high school that provides developmental programs that nurtures and encourages its over 10,000 members into becoming responsible citizens who enjoy a positive and drug-free lifestyle.
Walker retired as a Special Agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2014 with thirty years of distinguished service in positions of increasing responsibility. Promoted to the Senior Executive Service rank in August 2002, Deputy Assistant Administrator in February 2004 and appointed a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), Senior National Intelligence Service in September 2009, his final senior executive leadership position was Director of Strategic Warning, DEA Intelligence Division. Walker led intelligence officers who produced strategic assessments on high priority transnational drug threats to the United States in support of DEA's Global Drug Flow Attack Strategy. Prior senior executive assignments included Deputy Director,
National Intelligence Coordination Center
The National Intelligence Coordination Center was established on 1 October 2007 by the United States Director of National Intelligence
The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a senior, cabinet-level United States government official, req ...
, (NIC-C), Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
![WJW](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/WJW.jpg)
As Deputy Director of the NIC-C, Walker led intelligence officers in the day-to-day operations of an IC mission support activity. Prior to this assignment he completed the IC Senior Leadership Program and served as Deputy Director, DEA Office of Special Intelligence where his duties included senior liaison to the IC. Prior to this assignment he served as the Director and Deputy Assistant Administrator, DEA Office of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Diversion Control. In this position, Walker strengthened relationships with international partners and led delegations to Austria and Belgium to win support for global pharmaceutical and chemical compliance initiatives. Walker was promoted to the Senior Executive Service as the Associate Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New York Field Division where he led drug enforcement and regulatory control operations throughout New York State.
While assigned to DEA New York, Walker expanded and reinforced relationships with foreign counterparts having shared counter narcotics responsibilities and led multi-agency delegations to China, Hong Kong and Thailand to collaborate on international heroin investigations and subjects of common interests in Asia. Walker served as a criminal investigator in the DEA Chicago, New York and Miami Field Divisions and as a Narcotics Attaché in two foreign diplomatic posts. He held supervisory and management positions in the Caribbean Field Division (San Juan, Puerto Rico), DEA Headquarters in the Global Operations Division and in the Inspections Division. Walker also served in the
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy as a senior liaison officer and policy advisor. During his career, Walker, a Spanish speaker, traveled to numerous countries to join forces with intelligence and law enforcement partners having shared interests and mutual concerns.
Walker concurrently served as the Director of the District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG) and was a member of the Headquarters Department of the Army Senior Executive Service. In accordance with Executive Order 11485, the President appoints the Commanding General/Director for the DCNG. On March 26, 2021, Politico reported that Walker was going to be appointed as House’s permanent sergeant-at-arms, being highly praised by Nancy Pelosi as, "His historic appointment as the first Black American to serve as Sergeant-at-Arms is an important step forward for this institution and our nation" and she noted his long career as a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Personal life
Walker was raised Catholic.
He is also a member of the
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...
and
Sigma Pi Phi
Sigma Pi Phi (), also known as The Boulé, founded in 1904, is the oldest fraternity for African Americans among those named with Greek letters. The fraternity does not have collegiate chapters and is designed for professionals at mid-career or o ...
fraternities.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, William J.
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Military personnel from Chicago
Chicago State University alumni
University of Illinois Chicago alumni
American University alumni
United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
National Intelligence University alumni
National Guard (United States) generals
Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Sergeants at Arms of the United States House of Representatives
Drug Enforcement Administration personnel
Office of National Drug Control Policy officials
African-American Catholics
21st-century African-American people