Biography

Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines
LtCol Benjamin Gallo

LtCol Benjamin Gallo was born in Jacksonville, Florida and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He commissioned in 2009 from the United States Naval Academy.

Upon completion of the Infantry Officers Course, 2ndLt Gallo received orders to 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion. He deployed in 2011 with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) as the LAR platoon commander in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn/Unified Protector, and again in 2012 with the 24th MEU and Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/2 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While at 2d LAR, he served as Executive Officer, Company D and as the Battalion Assistant Operations Officer.

Following 2d LAR, Captain Gallo served as an instructor at the Officer Candidates School and as the LAR Functional Test Manager for the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force (GCE-ITF) in Quantico, Virginia. Captain Gallo graduated from resident PME at Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS) in 2016. He then executed orders to the Pentagon as a member of the Secretary of the Navy’s Innovation Advisory Council.

Captain Gallo reported to Third Battalion, First Marines (3/1) in 2017. While assigned to 3/1, he served as the Commanding Officer for Headquarters and Service Company and deployed with BLT 3/1 in support of the 13th MEU in 2018. Following the deployment, Major Gallo was selected to serve as 3/1’s Operations Officer. In 2019, 3/1 executed Southwest Border Operation 19.2. In 2020, Major Gallo deployed as the GCE Operations Officer for SPMAGTF-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC) 21.1. 3/1 executed operations in support Operation Inherent Resolve in Kuwait, Iraq, and Syria.  He was subsequently selected to attend the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) as a student.

In 2022, Major Gallo graduated from SAMS and earned his Master of Military Operations degree. From 2022-2025, LtCol Gallo served as a Future Operations Planner, Korea Plans Officer, and China Plans Officer at I Marine Expeditionary Force.

LtCol Gallo is a Distinguished Graduate from Resident EWS, the Marine Corps Command and Staff Distance Education Program, the Operations and Tactics Instructor Course (OTI), and the School of Advanced Military Studies.

LtCol Gallo assumed command of the battalion on 9 January 2025.

 
1st Marine Division