Lieutenant Colonel Erin Kilroy Berard grew up in Newport, Rhode Island and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2002 after graduating from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. In January 2003, she completed The Basic School and was assigned to Camp Johnson for a condensed version of the Logistics Officer Course due to OIF-I. Upon completion of formal training, she was designated as a Logistics Officer (MOS 0402). In April 2003, (then) Second Lieutenant Kilroy was assigned to 1st Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group aboard Camp Pendleton, Ca where she deployed with the Special Purpose Marine AirGround Task Force to Kuwait in support of OIF I. During this deployment, Second Lieutenant Kilroy served as the S-4 Logistics Officer with 2d Military Police Battalion and assisted in the reconstitution and backload of the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) ships from Camp Fox to the port at Al Shuaiba, Kuwait. In March 2004, she reported to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit as the S-4A and Embarkation Officer, was promoted to First Lieutenant and subsequently deployed to assist in the 2004 Tsunami Relief effort in Sri Lanka/Indonesia as part of OPERATION RESTORE HOPE, with follow-on combat operations in North Babil, Iraq. First Lieutenant Kilroy then served as the Combat Logistics Regiment 17 S-4 Officer from December - June 2006.
From 2006-2009, First Lieutenant Kilroy served as a Combat Service Support Instructor with Expeditionary Warfare Training Group-Pacific where she served on a joint planning team for the MPF planner’s course. She was promoted to Captain, married (name change to Berard) and earned a Master’s degree in Business Management from San Diego State University (SDSU). From 2009-2015 Captain Berard served as the S-4 Officer for MALS-31, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing in Beaufort, South Carolina then proceeded to Quantico, Virginia for a three year tour with the Marine Corps Operational Testing and Evaluation Activity. She served as the Lead Operational Test Project Officer in support of the Marine Corps’ Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force that conducted research on the integration of female Marines into ground combat occupational fields and units.
From 2015-2018, Major Berard served as the Operations Officer for the Aviation Ground Support Department at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. During this tour, Major Berard deployed as a United Nations Military Expert on Missions (USMEM) where she served as the G-5 Chief Southwest Sector Headquarters in Timbuktu, Mali. In 2018, Major Berard was selected on the Commandant’s Education Board to attend the College of Naval Command and Staff at the Naval War College in Newport, RI. On 1 June 2019, she was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and assigned to Marine Corps University in Quantico, Va. as the Operations Officer and Acting Deputy Vice President for Academic Affairs. Currently, Lieutenant Colonel Berard is serving as the Commanding Officer, Marine Detachment in Newport, RI.
Lieutenant Colonel Erin Berard personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars, and the Humanitarian Service Medal. Lieutenant Colonel Berard has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Science from Tulane University, a Master of Business Management from San Diego State University, and Master of Strategic Studies from the Naval War College