- Home>
- Mission>
- Board of Directors>
- Charles Battaglia
Charles Battaglia |
Charles Battaglia
Member, Board of Directors
Charles Battaglia was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for valor for his service in Vietnam in 1968. As the Navy’s director of psychological operations for all of Vietnam, Mr. Battaglia directed the Navy effort that persuaded over 100 Viet Cong troops in the Mekong Delta to defect.
Mr. Battaglia entered the US Navy in 1959, following graduation from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science degree. He served in six sea assignments, as well as on the staffs of the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, President of the Naval War College, Commander of US Naval Forces Vietnam, and the Central Intelligence Agency.
“From my experience as a Vietnam veteran, I was very dissatisfied by the way our military men and women were vilified by that conflict. When I was presented the opportunity to ensure this generation of military men and women – especially our Wounded Warriors – were provided with the services and support to recover their lives, there was no question or hesitation,” says Mr. Battaglia. He joined the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) board of directors in 2006 and has played an active role ever since.
Currently, Mr. Battaglia is a principal in the Principi Group, LLC, providing consulting services to state and local defense communities on how to navigate prospects or plans to close or realign military installations. In 2005 and 2006, he served as executive director of the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC).
From 2000 to 2005, he served as president of the business-to-government consulting firm, CB Grace and Company. Concurrently, in 2000 and 2001, he was a senior member of the Bush Transition Team with responsibility for the Senate confirmation of ten presidential appointments, including one cabinet secretary. In addition, he has been a senior advisor on national security issues to several senators and one cabinet secretary.
Between 1985 and 2000, Mr. Battaglia worked as a senior staff member of the US Senate, serving in several positions. These included staff director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and staff director of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Prior to working as a senior line manager at the CIA from 1981 to 1985, he served as special assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence from 1978 to 1981.
A graduate of the Kennedy School of Government’s National and International Security Program, Mr. Battaglia is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, where he has served on several national security study task forces. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Bryant University.
