Craig McDonald
Craig McDonald joined R3 as the Training and Readiness Analyst in October 2021. In his initial role, he supported a variety of activities that improved command inspection programs, organizational management, and long-range training plans across the Navy EOD and Mobile Diving and Salvage Units. He was promoted to his current role as Program Manager in January 2023 where he simultaneously manages the EOD Requirements Team and provides leadership across five other R3 contract programs at EOD Group One.
He retired from the US Marine Corps after 20 years of service. Among his many operational and staff assignments Craig commanded deployed Logistics Task Forces, served as operations officer for engineering and logistics task groups, managed the US-Norway bilateral equipment storage program, instructed tactics and field engineering at the Marine Officer Basic and Infantry Officer Courses, and deployed with 1st Battalion Ninth Marines as part of 13th MAU. Craig’s specific EOD experience includes commanding the 1st EOD Platoon at Camp Pendleton, UXO, and mine clearing deployment to Cambodia as part of the United Nations, and numerous US Secret Service, range clearance, striping/inerting/disposal procedures, and law enforcement support operations.
Craig entered federal service following his active-duty tour first leading the Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Studies and Analysis Team at NSWC-Corona. He was then selected to become the Deputy Officer in Charge of the JIEDDO Marine Detachment at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms. During this tour, he deployed to Afghanistan as part of Task Force Paladin and helped transition the capabilities provided by JIEDDO and then DTRA to the Marine Corps. He retired from federal service as a GS14 in September 2021.
His military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with 2 stars, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and Norwegian Forsvarsmedaljen. His civilian awards included the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, Defense Honorable Civilian Service Medal, and Civilian Global War on Terror Medal.
Craig earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the US Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Catholic University of America. He is also a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and a certified Level III Systems Test and Evaluation Engineer.