Biography
Colonel Cornelius D. Hickey
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa

Colonel Hickey began his Marine Corps Career as a reservist and attended basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC, during the Summer of 1993. He completed 0311 Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training the following summer at the School of Infantry, Camp Lejeune, NC. Colonel Hickey actively drilled with Company C, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, for six years and deployed to 29 Palms for multiple Combined Arms Exercises (CAX), as well as Fort Drum, Estonia, and Norway.

Following his commissioning in April 1999, Colonel Hickey attended the Basic School where he was assigned the 1802, Tank Officer MOS. He completed his Basic Armor Officer and Advanced Armor Officer training at the U.S. Army Armor Center, Fort Knox, KY, in 2000 and 2006, respectively. As a Tank Officer, he has completed tours with 2D Tank Battalion as a Platoon Commander, Company Executive Officer, Company Commander, and Battalion Operations Officer.

Colonel Hickey conducted combat deployments with the 26th MEU (SOC) / Task Force 58, in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (September 2001 to April 2002); 2d Tank Battalion / Regimental Combat Team 5, in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (January 2003 to June 2003); and II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd), as the Operations Officer for the Provincial Joint Coordination Center - Transition Team (PJCC-TT) in Ramadi, Iraq (January 2007 to February 2008).

Colonel Hickey completed staff and supporting establishment tours with the U.S. Army Armor Center, Fort Knox, KY, as the senior Marine Tank Instructor (August 2003 to August 2006); Combat Development and Integration, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, VA, as the Armor and Anti-Armor Capabilities Officer and division Program Objective Memorandum (POM) Officer (June 2010 to June 2013); 3D Marine Logistics Group, Okinawa, Japan, as the Deputy G3 and Plans Officer (July 2014 to July 2017); and III MEF Information Group, Okinawa, Japan, as the Executive Officer (July 2017 to June 2018).

Colonel Hickey activated and assumed command of Combat Instructor Battalion, at The Basic School, in August of 2018 and relinquished command, June 2020. Following command, he completed his Top-Level School equivalency as the Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow to the U.S. Department of State, Washington D.C.

Colonel Hickey recently relinquished responsibilities as the AC/S G5, Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa (MARFOREUR/AF) and is currently serving as the Chief of Staff MARFOREUR/AF.

Colonel Hickey earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Salve Regina University and Masters Degrees in Military Studies (June 2010) and Operational Studies, earning the 0505 MOS, (June 2014) from Marine Corps University.

Marine Corps Forces Europe & Africa