William J. Walker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William J. Walker
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 37th Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office April 26, 2021 – January 7, 2023 |
|
| Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
| Preceded by | Timothy Blodgett (acting) |
| Succeeded by | William McFarland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1981–2021 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands |
|
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
William J. Walker is a retired U.S. Army officer who reached the rank of Major General. He also served as the Sergeant at Arms for the U.S. House of Representatives. This important job involves keeping order and security in the House of Representatives.
He was the 38th person to hold this position and the first African-American to do so. Before this, he was the leader of the District of Columbia National Guard, which includes both Army and Air National Guard units in Washington, D.C. Mr. Walker also worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), an agency that fights drug crime. He was a special agent and later a high-ranking leader in their intelligence office.
In March 2021, Nancy Pelosi, who was the Speaker of the House at the time, chose Mr. Walker for the Sergeant at Arms role. He officially started on April 26, 2021. When Kevin McCarthy became Speaker in January 2023, Mr. Walker was asked to resign. The current Sergeant at Arms is William McFarland.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William J. Walker was born and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He went to St. Sabina, a private Catholic school, and then graduated from Leo Catholic High School in 1975.
He continued his education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he earned a bachelor's degree. Later, he received a master's degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections from Chicago State University. Mr. Walker also earned another master's degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University and a master's degree in International Service from American University. He also attended special programs for senior leaders at Harvard University, George Washington University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Military Service and Leadership
William Walker started his military career in May 1985 as a Military Police officer in New Jersey. Military Police are like the police force within the army. Over the years, he held many important leadership roles. He commanded different units, including the Alpha Company of the 260th Military Intelligence Battalion and the Land Component Command for the D.C. Army National Guard.
After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Mr. Walker was called to serve with the U.S. Army. He worked as an operations officer at the Pentagon as part of Operation Noble Eagle, which was a mission to protect the United States after the attacks. He later served with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces in Afghanistan and at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
In April 2015, he became the Commander of the Land Component Command for the D.C. National Guard and was promoted to Brigadier General.
During the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, Mr. Walker led the Joint Task Force-District of Columbia. This group included nearly 8,000 National Guard members from many states. They helped with security, traffic, and crowd control during the inauguration of Donald Trump. The National Guard helped local police and emergency services keep everyone safe. The D.C. National Guard has helped with 40 presidential inaugurations since 1861.
In 2018, President Trump nominated Mr. Walker to be promoted to Major General and selected him to lead the District of Columbia National Guard.
In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, Mr. Walker spoke about the D.C. National Guard's role. He explained that his troops did not use force against protesters in Lafayette Park and held their positions. He stressed that using force is always a last choice.
During the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021, Mr. Walker considered sending National Guard members to the Capitol without immediate approval from his superiors. However, after getting advice, he waited for the necessary permission.
On March 5, 2021, the United States House of Representatives chose Mr. Walker as the new Sergeant-at-Arms. He took over from Paul D. Irving, who resigned after the Capitol attack. This made Mr. Walker the first African-American to hold this important position in the House of Representatives. Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised his appointment. He officially took the Oath of Office on April 26, 2021.
Mr. Walker received many awards and decorations for his long and dedicated service in the military.
Civilian Work and Community Service
Beyond his military career, Mr. Walker has also served the community. He was the vice chairman of the board for the Young Marines. This is a non-profit group for young people aged eight through high school. It helps them learn important life skills and become responsible citizens.
Mr. Walker retired as a Special Agent from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2014, after 30 years of service. The DEA works to stop illegal drug use and trafficking. He held many important roles at the DEA, including leading intelligence officers who studied drug threats to the United States. He also worked at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees all U.S. intelligence agencies.
He was also a Deputy Assistant Administrator, working to strengthen relationships with other countries to fight drug crime. He led drug enforcement operations in New York State and served as a criminal investigator in Chicago, New York, and Miami. He also worked as a Narcotics Attaché in other countries, helping with international drug investigations.
Mr. Walker also served as a senior advisor in the Office of National Drug Control Policy at the White House. He speaks Spanish and traveled to many countries to work with intelligence and law enforcement partners.
Personal Life
William J. Walker was raised in the Catholic faith.
He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities.
