Eric Greitens was born and raised in Missouri, where he was educated in the public schools. He was an Angier B. Duke Scholar at Duke University where he studied ethics, philosophy, and public policy. Selected as a Rhodes and Truman Scholar, he attended the University of Oxford from 1996 through 2000. There he earned a master’s degree in development studies in 1998, and a Ph.D. in politics in 2000.
His research was driven by his humanitarian work in war zones, and his thesis, Children First, investigated the ways in which international humanitarian organizations can best serve war-affected children. He has worked as a humanitarian volunteer, documentary photographer, and researcher in Croatia, Rwanda, Zaire, the Gaza Strip, Albania, Cambodia, Mexico, Bolivia, and India. His award-winning documentary photographs were featured in the publication, Community Strategies for Healing, and his strong, compassionate photographs reflect the dignity and strength of human beings engaged in struggle.
Eric is also a United States Navy SEAL officer, and he has deployed four times during the Global War on Terrorism: to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia. He has served as the Commander of a Joint Special Operations Task Unit, Commander of a Mark V Special Operations Craft Detachment, and as Commander of an Al Qaeda Targeting Cell. His personal military awards include the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
In 2005-2006, he was appointed by the President to serve as a White House Fellow. The White House Fellowship is a non-partisan, non-political appointment that each year brings together professionals from around the nation to serve the people of the United States while learning about leadership at the highest levels of government. It is considered America’s most prestigious fellowship for leadership and public service.
Eric is a sub-3 hour Marathon runner and the winner of the Shamrock Marathon at Camp Fallujah, Iraq. As a boxer, he won two Oxford Boxing Blues and the Gold Medal at the BUSA National Boxing Championships.
Eric used his combat pay from Iraq to start the Center for Citizen Leadership. The aim of the center is to provide fellowships to returning veterans—with special attention to wounded and disabled veterans—to engage in public service work in the United States. Eric currently serves as Chairman of the Center for Citizen Leadership.
