Colonel Bart L Pester is currently the Chief of Staff and the Senior Marine Policy Advisor to the Chairman of the Reserve Forces Policy Board in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Washington, D.C. The Reserve Forces Policy Board serves as an independent adviser to the Secretary of Defense, providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary on strategies, policies, and practices designed to improve and enhance the capabilities, efficiency and effectiveness of the seven Reserve components.

Prior to this assignment, Col Pester was the AC/S for Facilities at Marine Forces Reserve and served in that capacity from July 2011 to June 2015. Col Pester oversaw the SRM, MILCON, and Environmental Programs, Inter Service Support Agreements, and all other installations support for 161 Marine Reserve sites located throughout CONUS and Puerto Rico. Before that LtCol Pester served as the G-4 and G-5 at Mobilization Command where his primary duty was coordinating the Command’s BRAC closure and realignment from Kansas City to New Orleans. Maj Pester served as the Executive Officer at the Reserve Support Unit Cherry Point, where he deployed as an individual augment and served as the Battle Major for CJTF-76 in Afghanistan. Prior to that, he served as the Logistics Officer for 24th Marine Regiment, providing all logistics related support to the Headquarters and three Battalions as each unit mobilized in support of OIF. Captain Pester served as the G-4 Planner at 4th MAW and also as the NBCD Officer at 3rd Bn 25th Marines. As a Lieutenant he served as the Motor Transport Officer at 1st Bn, 3d Marines and as Platoon Commander with A Company, 9th Motor Transport Bn. During a break in military service he worked in the logistics field at a major break bulk freight terminal and also developed and implemented a just-in-time delivery program at an automotive assembly plant. Col Pester lives in Springfield, VA with his wife Kathy and daughters Sarah and Anna.

(Current as of March 17, 2017)