Camp Pendleton, Security and Emergency Services Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps in 2018
Jun 22, 2018
Col. Stephen Keane
Camp Pendleton, Security and Emergency Services Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps in 2018

Colonel Stephen F. Keane, USMC 

Colonel Keane was raised in the Bronx, New York and Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey.  He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in June 1989.  In January 1990, following Boot Camp and MOS school, he was assigned to 6th Engineer Support Battalion in Tucson, Arizona.  He graduated from the University of Arizona and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in May 1994. 

     Following The Basic School and Infantry Officer Course, Colonel Keane was assigned as an Infantry Officer with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.  During this tour, he served as a Rifle Platoon Commander for his first Unit Deployment to the Western Pacific and as Echo Company Commander for a second Western Pacific Deployment. 

     In May 1998, Colonel Keane was assigned as a Nuclear Weapons Surety Inspector for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and conducted global nuclear surety inspections.  In 1999, Colonel Keane was selected for the Funded Legal Education Program and began study at the College of William & Mary Law School in Virginia.  He served as a prosecutor at Marine Corps Base Quantico during summer 2000 and at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina during summer 2001. Upon graduation from law school and Naval Justice School in October 2002, he was assigned to Legal Services Support Section, 2nd Force Service Support Group, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, again as a prosecutor.

     Colonel Keane deployed to Iraq in October 2003 with the Department of Defense Criminal Investigation Task Force, an interagency counter-terrorism task force.  Upon returning from deployment in 2004, Colonel Keane assumed the duties of Senior Prosecutor and Military Justice Officer at the Legal Services Support Section, 2nd Force Service Support Group, Camp Lejeune, NC.

     Colonel Keane reported to the Graduate Course at The Judge Advocate General's School in Charlottesville, Virginia in July 2005 where he was awarded a Master of Law (L.L.M.) degree with a specialty in Administrative (Labor and Employment) Law.  The following year, 2006, he was assigned to Seoul, Korea as the Deputy Chief of Operational Law for U.S. Forces Korea, Combined Forces Command, and the United Nations Command. During this tour, he served concurrently as the Staff Judge Advocate of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea and legal advisor to the United Nations Military Armistice Commission.

     In May 2009, Colonel Keane assumed duties as a Military Judge for the Western Judicial Circuit, Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary.  From 2012-2013, he completed Top Level School as the Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow to the U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Counter-Terrorism Section.  From 2013-2015, Colonel Keane was the Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Bangor, Washington.  Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Keane was the Regional Trial Counsel (Senior Supervisory Prosecutor) for Marine Corps Installations West.

     Colonel Keane’s personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal and other unit and service awards.