Our second recipient, Major General William J. Bowers, completed the AMP at Harvard Business School in May 2012.  Bill is a Combat Engineer Officer, who is currently serving as the Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruiting Command in Quantico, VA.  Prior to this, Bill served at Marine Corps Installations Pacific in Okinawa, Japan, and was President of Marine Corps University in Quantico, VA.  He was commissioned in 1990 after graduating with distinction from Virginia Military Institute.  After completing The Basic School and Marine Corps Engineer School, he served in a variety of assignments in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade on Kaneohe Bay, HI, from 1991-1994.  He subsequently served as a recruit training Series Commander and Company Commander; combat engineer Company Commander, Operations Officer, Executive Officer; and Recruiting Station Commander.  He commanded Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 in Beaufort, SC, from 2007 – 2009, and then 6th Marine Corps District from 2012-2015.  From 2015-2017, he served as the Military Assistant to the 33rd and 34th Assistant Commandants of the Marine Corps.  Brigadier General Bowers’ decorations include the Legion of Merit (with gold star), the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with two gold stars), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.  He was named “Combat Engineer Officer of the Year” in 1998 and has received several writing awards.

Bill and his wife, Heather, have three children.