Biography

Colonel Donald Santillo, from Buffalo, New York, enlisted in the Army in 1987, and served in several positions as an artilleryman. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in May 1998, upon graduation from Niagara University in Lewiston, New York.

He was assigned to the 61st Maintenance Company at Camp Kyle, Korea, and served as a Platoon Leader and Shop Officer supporting the 2nd Infantry Division. From 2001-2005, he served in the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, as the 556th Personnel Services Battalion S4 and HHC commander. After command, Colonel Santillo served as the Battalion Rear Detachment Commander for the 325th Forward Support Battalion before deploying as the Division OIC (Qatar) for the redeployment from Afghanistan. Colonel Santillo returned to Korea in 2006-2007 as the Deputy S3 of the 20th Area Support Group and Deputy Support Operations Officer for 6th Ordnance Battalion. Colonel Santillo arrived at Fort Lee, Virginia in 2007, and served as a Combat Development Staff Officer at the Combined Arms Support Command Sustainment Center of Excellence where he completed tours to Iraq and Afghanistan.

From 2010-2013, Colonel Santillo was assigned to the 10th Sustainment Brigade (SB) at Fort Drum, New York, as the Brigade S4 before serving as Executive Officer (XO) for the 10th Special Troops Battalion and 10th SB Chief of Plans while deployed to Afghanistan. Colonel Santillo was next assigned to the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as the XO to the Chief of Staff CGSC, Operations Officer at the School of Advanced Military Studies, and as a CGSOC instructor. In 2017, Colonel Santillo took command of the 842nd Transportation Battalion (SDDC), in Beaumont, Texas, responsible for four strategic ports along the Gulf Coast that provide deployment support to III Corps and several Army Depots. He served at the Pentagon from 2020-2023 at the Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, where he served as the Chief of the Transportation and Sealift Distribution Branches, the Distribution Division, and as the Chief of the Strategic Policy, Assessments, and Analysis Division. Most recently, he served as the Army Material Command's Pentagon Liaison officer.

Colonel Santillo holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Niagara University, a Master's Degree in Military Arts and Science from the Command and General Staff College, and a Master’s of Strategic Studies from the Army War College.

Awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (4 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (2 OLC), Air Assault Badge, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Award, and the Joint Staff Badge.

Colonel Santillo is married and has four children.