Manpower & Reserve Affairs

Mr. Michael R. Melillo was appointed as Deputy Director, Manpower Plans and Policy Division in January 2022. In this position, he assists the Director by providing executive-level leadership to the Division and oversight of the development of Marine Corps plans and policies regarding military and civilian manpower issues.

Prior to his appointment to the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Melillo served as Principal Director in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Military Manpower and Personnel where he provided senior-level oversight of the Department of Navy’s military manpower and personnel policies spanning the military human capital lifecycle; military family and quality of life programs; and health affairs policy for over 620,000 active and reserve Sailors, Marines, and their families. He also served in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness as Deputy Director for Force Management and was responsible for developing, reviewing, and analyzing legislation and military personnel policies on officer appointments, officer promotions, retention, joint officer management, and other emerging force management issues. Prior entering federal civil service in 2013, Mr. Melillo worked in the private sector after serving over 28 years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps and retiring as a colonel in 2011.

Mr. Melillo graduated from the U.S Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Operations Analysis and was commissioned in the U.S Marine Corps in 1983. Designated a field artillery officer, he served in operational command and staff positions from the battery to the Marine Expeditionary Force level. During his career he made several deployments to the Western Pacific and Middle East and participated in Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. His non-fleet assignments include Head, Plans, Programs, and Budget Branch, Manpower Plans and Policy Division, M&RA (HQMC); Operations Officer, Security Cooperation Education and Training Center (TECOM); Force Structure Analyst, Total Force Structure Division (MCCDC); and Regional Admissions Director at the Naval Academy. He also served as Commanding Officer, Region 7 (North & West Africa), Marine Corps Embassy Security Group.

Mr. Melillo is a graduate the Amphibious Warfare School, Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, Marine Corps Command & Staff College, and the School of Advanced Warfighting. He served as the Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, has a Master of Military Studies from Marine Corps University, and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA.

His personal military decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two Gold Stars, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Gold Star, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two Gold Stars, and the Combat Action Ribbon. He is also a recipient of two Secretary of Defense Medals for Exceptional Civilian Service and the Department of the Navy Medal for Superior Civilian Service.