Colonel Harold R. Van Opdorp, Jr was born in Oswego, New York. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on 20 May 1989. He received his commission through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Notre Dame after attending Officer Candidate School’s Bulldog program in the summer of 1988.
Colonel Van Opdorp served as a Rifle Platoon Commander and Heavy Machine Gun Platoon Commander with First Battalion, Second Marines. During this time, he participated in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Eastern Exit. He also served as the Scout Platoon Commander for Second Marine Regiment where he deployed to Norway in 1992. Finally, he served as Aide de Camp for Second Marine Division during his first tour with the operating forces. As a Captain, he served two years as the Commanding Officer of Golf Company, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, during which he deployed to Okinawa on a 6 month UDP. For his efforts, he was selected as a finalist for the Leftwich Trophy.
In June 2005, Colonel Van Opdorp assumed the duties as the Inspector Instructor, Second Battalion, Twenty-Fifth Marines. In September, 2006, Colonel Van Opdorp took over command of First Battalion, Twenty-Forth Marines. Two weeks later, he deployed with the battalion to al Fallujah, Iraq for participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion conducted counter-insurgency operations in Fallujah for seven months, returning to the United States in April, 2007.
Colonel Van Opdorp’s staff assignment include a tour at The Basic School as an instructor and Staff Platoon Commander, a tour as a Current Operations Officer and CMC Briefer at Plans, Policies, and Operations Department, Headquarters Marine Corps, and as Deputy Director, Wargaming Division, Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. In July of 2007, he began a two year tour as the Senior Aide to the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps. He last served as the Director of the Marine Corps Senate Liaison Office, Office of Legislative Affairs. He assumed his current duties as the Commanding Officer, Officer Candidate School in April 2013.
Colonel Van Opdorp is a graduate of The Basic School, the Infantry Officer Course, the School of Advanced Warfighting, and is a distinguished graduate of the Command and Control Systems Course, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the Marine Corps War College. He holds a Masters Degree in Military Studies, a Masters Degree in Operational Studies, and a Masters Degree in National Security Studies from the Marine Corps University. He has also completed the Fellowship Program with MIT’s Seminar XXI.
His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Combat “V”, the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V”, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon.