Colonel Riley has been the Commanding Officer of CBIRF since March 2019.
Col Riley previously served as the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), Marine Corps Combat Development Command (2011-2014); as a trial counsel and legal assistance officer at Marine Corps Air Station, New River (1993-1995); and as the military justice officer, review officer, and assistant officer-in-charge, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, Camp Lejeune (2003-2006).
Joint tours include service as an associate general counsel in the Department of Defense Office of General Counsel (2018-2019), as the Legal Counsel to the Commander, United States Africa Command (2014-2018), as the Deputy SJA and Chief, Operational Law at United States Central Command (2006-2009), and as a program manager with the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (1999-2001).
Operational tours include concurrent service as the Legal Advisor to the Commander, International Security Assistance Force and the SJA to Commander, US Forces Afghanistan in Kabul, Afghanistan (2012-2013). Additionally, Col Riley completed deployments to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf as the SJA, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (1995-1998), and served as the Regimental Judge Advocate, Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division (Rein), I Marine Expeditionary Force, during combat operations in Al Anbar, Iraq (2004-2005).
Col Riley served as the Commanding Officer, Region 7 (North and West Africa), Marine Corps Embassy Security Group (2009-2011), and as an advisor to the Sierra Leone Armed Forces with the British International Military Advisory and Training Team (2002).
Col Riley is a graduate of the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College (correspondence), and the Air War College (distance). He has a M.A. (with distinction) in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School and holds an additional designation as a regional affairs officer for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Billets:
1993: Student, the Basic School and Naval Justice School
1993-1995: Trial counsel and legal assistance officer at Marine Corps Air Station, New River
1995-1998: Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Landing Force 6th Fleet x 2)
1998-1999: Student, Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School
1999-2001: Program manager, Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, Newport, Rhode Island
2002-2003: Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
2002: Advisor to the Sierra Leone Armed Forces with the British International Military Advisory and Training Team (Individual Augment: June- September)
2003-2006: Military justice officer, review officer, and assistant officer-in-charge, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, Camp Lejeune
2004-2005: Regimental Judge Advocate, Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division (Rein), I Marine Expeditionary Force, during combat operations in Al Anbar, Iraq (Individual Augment: August-March)
2006-2009: Deputy SJA and Chief, Operational Law at United States Central Command
2009-2011: Commanding Officer, Region 7 (North and West Africa), Marine Corps Embassy Security Group
2011-2014: SJA, Marine Corps Combat Development Command
2012-2013: Concurrent service as the Legal Advisor to the Commander, International Security Assistance Force and the SJA to Commander, US Forces Afghanistan in Kabul, Afghanistan (Individual Augment: January 2012-February 2013)
2014-2018: Legal Counsel to the Commander, United States Africa Command
2018-2019: Associate general counsel in the Department of Defense Office of General Counsel