Walter E. Piatt (He/Him)

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Walter E. Piatt is a strategic leader, author, and educator with an extensive military and civilian background.

He currently serves as the chief executive officer of Wounded Warrior Project®, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering, employing, and engaging America's injured veterans. Piatt's strong commitment to the organization's mission stems from his deep belief that military members deserve unwavering support in getting back on a path of hope and purpose.

Piatt grew up in western Pennsylvania, where his father worked in the steel industry. With his father’s encouragement, Piatt joined the U.S. Army at 17 when he was still a high school senior. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a sergeant within four years of service.

After his initial military stint, Piatt pursued higher education, attending Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and earning a degree in biology. He remained active in the ROTC program, graduating as a lieutenant. Piatt's military career then took him around the world, with assignments in Korea, Panama, Alaska, Hawaii, and Germany.

Over the course of his 40-year military career, Piatt has held multiple high-profile leadership positions. He served as the Commanding General at Fort Drum, New York, overseeing a division of more than 20,000 personnel and a community of over 40,000 military and civilian members. In this role, Piatt strengthened the connections between the Army base and the surrounding region and championed initiatives to promote resilience and strengthen energy security.

Piatt later transitioned to the role of Director of the Army Staff at Army Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he managed a team of over 6,000 personnel and oversaw an annual budget exceeding $180 billion. During his tenure, Piatt was pivotal in the Army's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resettlement of over 80,000 displaced Afghan nationals. He also led the development of the Army's first climate strategy and promoted the practice of mindfulness across the service.

Throughout his distinguished career, Piatt has earned numerous accolades, including an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, in recognition of his devotion to public service. Additionally, Piatt developed and taught a graduate-level course on "Peacebuilding" at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Piatt is the author of two published books, She Came to the Door to Wave Good-Bye and Paktika, which are collections of short stories and poems reflecting on his experiences during deployments to Afghanistan.