Quantico Chapter Nominees 

Captain Damali Brimm, USMC

Captain Damali Brimm is from Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Fordham University and is a Ground Supply Officer currently serving as a Staff Platoon Commander at The Basic School. He has a bachelors and masters degree in Communications. His military schools include Officer Candidate School, Basic Officer Course, Ground Supply Officer Course, and the Instructor Education Program, The Basic School.

MILITARY HISTORY:  

Captain Brimm is a former National Naval Officer Association Chapter President of the Camp Pendleton-Miramar Chapter and the winner of the NNOA Golden Pen award in 2018 and 2019.

Captain Brimm graduated Cum Laude from Fordham University in 2012 and subsequently from The Basic School in 2014. In 2015, Captain Brimm reported to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division and took command of Supply Platoon, Headquarters Company as a Platoon Commander.  During his time as a Platoon Commander, he participated in numerous training exercises to include the first ever Engineer specific Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation, operation Pioneer Express.

In 2016 Captain Brimm reported to Headquarters Company, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division to serve as the Regimental Supply Officer.  The Regimental Headquarters stood up the Special Purpose MAGTF 16.2 command element and deployed to the Middle East.  During Deployment, Captain Brimm served as the SPMAGTF Command Element Supply Officer, providing support to SPMAGTF Marines spread across eleven fixed sites in seven countries, and support to the Marine Expeditionary Units in the area of operations.

In 2017, Captain Brimm reported to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division and took command of Supply Platoon, Headquarters Company as a Platoon Commander.  While there he supported aggregation and deployment of three line companies to the Marine Expeditionary Units, and Operation Deep Strike. 

Captain Brimm reported to The Basic School and became a Warfighting Instructor serving in the Warfighting Instructor Group from August 2018 to August 2019. During his time as a Warfighting Instructor, he served as the package primary for combat life-saving, ethics and Officership foundations to seven Basic Officer Courses and one Warrant Officer Basic Course.  He is currently serving as the Staff Platoon Commander for 3rd Platoon, Company G, 7-19.

Captain Valonne Ehrhardt, USMC

Captain Valonne Ehrhardt grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Captain Ehrhardt attended Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, FL, where she played basketball and ran cross-country. In 2007, Captain Ehrhardt graduated magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. She began law school in 2011 at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She graduated cum laude in 2014, and is licensed to practice law in North Carolina.

Captain Ehrhardt attended Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in 2012 under the Platoon Leader’s Course-Law program.

Captain Ehrhardt attended The Basic School (TBS) in May of 2015. As a first lieutenant, Captain Ehrhardt served as an assistant civil law attorney aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

She attended the Basic Lawyer Course (BLC) at Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island. Captain Ehrhardt graduated with honors and won two class awards: the New York City Bar Association Trial Advocacy Award as the winner of the BLC 16020 Trial Advocacy Competition, and the American Bar Association Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) Committee Legal Assistance Award for achieving the highest standing in the BLC 16020 LAMP Client Counseling Competition.

In April of 2016, Captain Ehrhardt began serving as a defense attorney for the National Capital Region. While a defense attorney, Captain Ehrhardt successfully litigated 3 General Courts- Martial and 1 Special Courts-Martial to full acquittals, and an additional 3 Courts-Martial to partial acquittals. She was selected 2017 Defense Counsel of the Year for the National Capital Region.

Captain Ehrhardt reported to Headquarters Resolute Support (RS) in Kabul, Afghanistan in May of 2018. She served as the Chief of Operational Law for RS and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR- A), in support of Operation RS, NATO, and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Captain Ehrhardt provided legal advice to multiple General and Flag Officers on CONOPs and targeting, the Law of War, and the Rules of Engagement. Further, she reviewed and advised on the planning and legality of over 400 kinetic strikes, and served as the primary legal advisor on a 2-month investigation for the 4-star Commander of HQRS and USFOR-A.

Captain Ehrhardt reported to the Washington Navy Yard in January of 2019. There she served as an appellate defense attorney at the Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Defense Division, Code 45 at the Office of the Judge Advocate General. During her tenure, she also served as the Reserve Branch Head, supervising 18 senior reserve officers in their appellate defense duties.

Captain Ehrhardt’s personal awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal with “C” device and the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Captain Ehrhardt currently serves as the Marine Liaison, National Security Litigation, Code 30 at the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Washington Navy Yard.

Captain Ehrhardt is married to Captain M. B. Ehrhardt, U.S. Marine Corps. Captain M. B. Ehrhardt currently attends American University Washington College of Law as a selectee of the Marine Corps Funded Legal Education Program.

Captain John Everette Jr, USMC

Captain John Everette was born in Okinawa, Japan and raised in Stafford, VA.  Upon graduation from Mountain View High School in 2008, he received acceptance to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as part of the class of 2008. Upon graduation from VCU in May of 2012 with a BS in Information Systems, he accepted his commission in March 2014 as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

After completing The Basic School and Basic Communication Officer Course, Second Lieutenant Everette reported to 1st Marine Division, Headquarters Battalion, Communications Company, serving as the Radio Platoon Commander. In October of 2016, First Lieutenant Everette received orders to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion to serve as the Battalion Communications Officer.

In June of 2018, First Lieutenant Everette reported to Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration where he previously served as the Capabilities Integration Officer for Secure Operational Network Infrastructure and Communications (SONIC); he currently serves as the Combat Data Network Capabilities Integration Officer within the Capabilities Development Directorate

Captain Everette personal awards are the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and his personal hobbies include running, dancing, and finance.

Captain Everette is currently the Treasurer of the Quantico, NNOA Chapter.

Captain Wilbur “Trey” Gregory, USMC

Captain Gregory was born on 01 Jan 1991 in Dallas, Texas. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the United States Naval Academy. In 2013, he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.  Upon completion of The Basic School, he attended the Aviation Supply Officer Course in Newport, Rhode Island. After completion, he was subsequently assigned to MALS-13 in Yuma, Arizona. After a year with MALS-13, Captain Gregory was selected to become the MALS Detachment OIC assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Upon returning from deployment, Captain Gregory was assigned back to MALS-13 where he served as the Operations and Assistant Operations Officer.  

After reporting to Marine Barracks Washington 8^th &I, Captain Gregory was assigned as Platoon Commander, Guard Company for 12 months, and then as the Executive Officer.  After, serving a six month stint as the Company Commander, Captain Gregory was chosen to serve as the Marine Security Force Detachment Commander at the White House Communications Agency. He is currently serving in this capacity to supervise the employment of Security Force Marines in the protection of the White House Communication Agency, its personnel, and its property both CONUS and OCONUS in support of the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, and the National Security Council. Also, Captain Gregory serves a White House Social Aide.  In August of 2020, Captain Gregory will report to Resident Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Va. Post EWS, Captain Gregory will attend Tactical Intelligence Officers’ Course.

Captain Gregory’s personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (Gold Star in lieu of second award), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. He was promoted to his current rank 1 February 2018.

Major Russell Clark, USMC

Major Russell H. Clarke was born in Staten Island, New York on 18 October 1985. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (magna cum laude) from the University of Arizona in 2008. While at the University of Arizona, Major Clarke was a member of the pre-law society and applied as a candidate in the U.S. Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) program. He attended the PLC combined course at Officer Candidates School in the summer of 2007, earning his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps the following summer. Prior to attending the University of Arizona, Major Clarke attended Clemson University from 2004 to 2006 where he participated in the Army ROTC program and played on the club rugby team.

Major Clarke attended the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona, where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 2011. During law school, he co-founded the Rogers College of Law Veterans’ Advocacy Law Clinic. The clinic remains active today and continues to expand its area of practice in support of the Arizonan and national veterans’ population.

In August 2011, Major Clarke was activated on ADOS orders to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), Legal Services Support Team (LSST) 29 Palms, Twentynine Palms, California. In July 2012 Major Clarke reported to The Basic School, graduating in January 2013. He subsequently graduated from the Basic Lawyers Course at Naval Justice School, Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island in March of 2013.

Major Clarke arrived back aboard MCAGCC with the LSST 29 Palms in April 2013 where he was assigned to the Military Justice section as a Trial Counsel. In February 2015, Major Clarke executed TAD orders to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Joint Task Force GTMO in support of its detainee operations mission. Upon completion of this assignment in August 2015, he was assigned as the Officer in Charge of the Legal Assistance section, LSST 29 Palms.

In June 2016, Major Clarke was assigned as a Defense Counsel with the Defense Services Organization West, 29 Palms Office. He then served as the Senior Defense Counsel during his last two months assigned aboard the Combat Center. Major Clarke then executed orders to the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia and completed the 66th Graduate Course earning his Master of Laws degree in Administrative and Civil Law.

Major Clarke is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, the Bar of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. Major Clarke is married to Anna M. Clarke of Tucson, Arizona. They are the proud parents of their son, Henry, age 3 and daughter, Lucille, age 1 months.