Joseph E. Galvin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and graduated from Central Michigan University (CMU), Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business and Spanish. Col. Galvin was commissioned through the Officers Candidate Class in 1997. After graduating from OCS and The Basic School, Quantico, Virginia, in 1997, and Ground Officer Supply School, Camp Johnson, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in 1998, he was designated a Ground Supply Officer.
Following Ground Supply School, Col. Galvin accepted his first duty assignment with Headquarters Company and Combat Support Company (HQ\CSC), Third Marine Regiment in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. While with the HQ\CSC, Col. Galvin deployed numerous times to the Pohakalua Training Area on the Big Island of Hawaii in support of the Third Marine Regimental battalions. Additionally, he participated in Operation Crocodile in Australia in 1999 and 2001 as an MPF Logistics and Supply OIC. During this time in Hawaii, Col. Galvin earned a Master in Administration degree from CMU.
In May 2001, Col. Galvin was accepted into the Excess Leave Program of the Law Education Program. For the next three years, Col. Galvin attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. While in law school, he formed a law group for prospering judge advocates and was accepted on Law Review as Co-editor. During the summer months of those three years, Col. Galvin worked in the legal offices of Legal Services Support Section – Echo at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, and the Joint Legal Center at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. Col. Galvin graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2004 from Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University.
Col. Galvin attended and graduated with honors from the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island in October 2004. In November 2004, he commenced working at the Joint Law Center at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, as a military justice prosecutor. Col. Galvin deployed to Baghdad, Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom and worked with the Multinational Force of Task Force 134 and the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. He also was the Officer-in-Charge for the task force section at Abu Ghraib. Col. Galvin returned to MCAS Miramar and became a defense attorney. During this tour, he defended a military client facing the death penalty where he and his team successfully pleaded the case to a lesser punishment.
Upon completion of his tour at MCAS Miramar, Col. Galvin was assigned to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan, as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate. During this tour, he participated in many regional exercises in the Japanese islands and the Philippines. In March 2010, Col. Galvin served 13 months as the Operational Law and Fiscal Law Officer with I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)/Regional Command (SW), International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
In 2011, Col. Galvin reported to Headquarters Battalion, Henderson Hall to attend George Washington University’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) program. Upon graduation in 2012, he received a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree in International and Operational Law. From 2012 until 2014, he was assigned as the Branch Head, International & Operational Law, Judge Advocate Division, Headquarters Marine Corps at the Pentagon.
Col. Galvin became the Staff Judge Advocate of Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) in June 2014 until 2017. While with MARSOC, he deployed with a Combined Joint Operation Task Force in support of Operation Gallant Phoenix.
From 2017 to 2019, Col. Galvin commanded Region 9, Marine Corps Embassy Security Group where he led Marine Security Guards located in 20 embassies and consulates throughout Central America, Canada, and the Caribbean. During command, Col. Galvin was selected for a Department of Justice (DOJ) Fellowship through the Top Level School program. He completed his DOJ Fellowship as a Federal Prosecutor in the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division from July 2019 to June 2020. He next served as the Staff Judge Advocate for II Marine Expeditionary Force from June 2020 to June 2023.
Col. Galvin is currently serving as the Commanding Officer of Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
Col. Galvin has completed Expeditionary Warfare School, Command and Staff, and Air War College. In 2014, he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Seminar XXI program. In June 2021, he graduated from The American College of Financial Services with the Charted Financial Consultant (ChFC®) certificate and attained the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) certificate. His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with four Gold Stars, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, Joint Service Commendation Medal with Gold Star, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal with Gold Star, and the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and numerous campaign and service awards.