LtCol Greg Collins was born on January 29, 1984, in Wilmington, Delaware. He graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor of science in ocean engineering in May 2006.
As an infantry officer, LtCol Collins served with Third Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, Camp Pendleton from July 2007 to August 2009. He deployed as a rifle platoon commander to Fallujah, Iraq in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and as a Combined Anti-Armor Team platoon commander and Weapons Company Commander on the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan. From September 2009 to July 2012, he was a warfighting instructor at The Basic School, where he served as a patrolling instructor, staff platoon commander, company executive officer, and assistant operations officer.
From July 2012 to July 2015, LtCol Collins received his juris doctor, magna cum laude, at the University of Richmond School of Law through the Excess Leave Program (LAW) and completed summer internships at Fort Gregg-Adams with the U.S. Army’s Staff Judge Advocate Office and Trial Defense Service.
As a judge advocate, LtCol Collins served in Okinawa, Japan from November 2015 to July 2019 as a legal assistance attorney, Victims’ Legal Counsel, defense counsel, and deputy staff judge advocate (DSJA) of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. From August 2019 to June 2020, he earned his Master of Laws in national security law from the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate Graduate Course. From June 2020 to June 2023, he served as the DSJA for Special Operations Command Central in Tampa, Florida, where he was a co-recipient of SOCOM’s Major General William F. Garrison Award. From July 2023 to June 2025, he served at Judge Advocate Division, Headquarters Marine Corps as the Deputy, Civil and Administrative Law Branch and Head, Plans & Innovation Branch.
LtCol Collins is a graduate of the Basic Officer Course (Commanding General’s Honor Roll), Infantry Officer Course, U.S. Army Scout Leader’s Course (honor graduate), Expeditionary Warfare School distance education program (DEP), Basic Lawyer Course, Command and Staff College DEP (with distinction), U.S. Army Judge Advocate Graduate Course (superior graduate), and Air War College DEP. He is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star in lieu of second award, and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with one gold star in lieu of second award.
LtCol Collins assumed command of Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, Region 3