Colonel George M. Dallas Commanding Officer 12th Marine Regiment

Colonel Dallas graduated from Marple Newtown High School in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.  He then attended Shippensburg State College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration in 1978.

     Upon commissioning, Colonel Dallas attended The Basic School, completing the course in March 1979.   Following TBS, 2ndLt Dallas attended the Field Artillery Officers Basic Course at the U.S. Army’s Field Artillery School in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma until August 1979.  

     Upon completion of the basic artillery course, Lieutenant Dallas transferred to “L” Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division.  Lieutenant Dallas served with the battery from August 1979 to October 1981 and held billets as a forward observer, fire direction officer and battery executive officer.

     In October 1981, Lt Dallas became executive officer of the Marine Detachment, USS Enterprise and served in this billet until December 1983. 

     Upon the completion of sea duty, Capt Dallas reported to the Advanced Artillery Officer’s Course in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.  Upon graduation in August 1984, Capt Dallas joined 3d Battalion, 10th Marines, 2d Marine Division, serving until July 1986.  During this time, Capt Dallas served as Commanding Officer of “I” Battery, completing the first Marine Amphibious Unit (Special Operations Capable) Landing Force 6th Fleet deployment.

     In July 1986, Capt Dallas transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps and served as a company grade officers’ monitor and assistant lieutenant colonel’s monitor until July of 1989.  He was then transferred to 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, where he served as operations officer during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.  Shortly after his return from Southwest Asia, he was assigned as the Assistant Division Fire Support Coordinator until June 1992.

     Major Dallas then attended the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island, earning a master’s degree in national security affairs.  Upon graduation in June 1993, he was transferred to the Pentagon where he served as the Director of Operations and then Deputy Director for the U.S. Military Observers Group until May 1996.

     In May 1996, LtCol Dallas transferred to the 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.  Following service with Headquarters Battery, he became Commanding Officer of 3d Battalion, 10th Marines in November of 1996.  LtCol Dallas served as battalion commander until July 1998. 

     Upon completion of battalion command, LtCol Dallas attended the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  Following graduation in June 1999, he was transferred to the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, where he served as second-in-command of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (Experimental) and then was assigned as Chief-of-Staff of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. In July of 2001, Colonel Dallas reported to 3d Marine Division for further assignment. 

     His decorations include the Bronze Star with a Combat “V”, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three gold stars, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon.