Robert Billard

About Robert Billard

Robert Billard is a contributing author for Military.com who mainly writes about the Marine Corps with a specific focus on current events affecting Marines and their families. Robert also occasionally writes about military benefits, family issues (specifically the Exceptional Family Member Program), and military history.

Robert is a Marine Corps veteran who joined the Marine Corps in 2005 and has deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom twice. Once as a Rifleman with the 6th Provisional Security Company in 2007, and again as a Logistics Advisor to the Afghan National Security Forces in 2014-2015. He is also a veteran of Resolute Support Mission and numerous named overseas exercises in support of various combatant commanders. Robert commanded as a Lieutenant, Captain, and Major; having commanded a Motor Transport Platoon, multiple Headquarters & Service Companies, and a Logistics Company. He has also served as a Battalion Operations Officer, Battalion Logistics Officer, and an Operations Officer at the National Military Command Center in support of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Robert’s writings have been featured in professional academic journals such as the Journal of Advanced Military Studies and Marine Corps History (both publications being listed on the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Professional Reading List). He is also a contributing author at We Are The Mighty and the Brownstone Institute.

Robert is an avid student of military history and strategy. He is a vocal acolyte of Carl Von Clausewitz. His hobbies include stand-up paddleboarding, genealogy, the Austrian school of economics, and the New Orleans Saints. He has run the Marine Corps Marathon and the Okinawa Marathon – albeit very slowly. He also has a black belt in Shorin-Ryu Karate. As a military brat, Robert grew up in New Orleans, Quantico, and Colorado Springs (among other exotic locations).

Expertise

• 2023-2025: Contributing author, Journal of Advanced Military Studies/Marine Corps History
• 2025: Contributing author, Military.com

Education

• Holds a history degree from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
• Holds a Master's of Professional Studies in Emergency Management from Tulane University (with graduate certificates in Advanced Emergency Management and Sports Security)

Achievements

• Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, 2026 — Colonel Robert D. Heinl, Jr. Award for best article pertinent to Marine Corps history: “The Atomic Crucible: Forging Tactics in the Shadow of the Bomb.”
• Honorable mention for Logistics Fiction Award in 2024 from the Association of Marine Corps Logisticians

Connect with Robert

• Email: Robert.b@military.com
• X: @RobertBillardJr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-billard-a7ba9993/
• ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2952-7505

Disclaimer: The views and opinions herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of War or its components.