Speakers

Lieutenant General Maria R. Gervais assumed duties as the TRADOC Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff on 28 May 2021. Prior to her assignment as the TRADOC Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff, she served in Army Futures Command as the first Cross-Functional Team Director for the Synthetic Training Environment located in Orlando, Florida.

She received her Regular Army commission in 1987 as a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Lander College Reserve Officer Training Corps program in Greenwood, South Carolina, and assigned to the Chemical Branch. Her professional military education includes: Chemical Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and U.S. Army War College where she received a Master of Military Strategic Studies. She earned a Master of Arts in Human Resources from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Lander College.

She  served in a variety of command and staff assignments at every level including: Brigade Chemical Officer and Headquarters Executive Officer, 17th Field Artillery Brigade; Platoon Leader and Executive Officer, 11th Chemical Company; Battalion Chemical Officer, 1st Battalion, 227 Aviation Regiment (ATTACK), 1st Cavalry Division; Division NBC Element Director, Division Headquarters and Headquarters’ Company Commander, and Brigade Chemical Officer, 101st Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Joint Chiefs of Staff J5 intern, Policy and Strategy Directorate, Weapons Technology Control Division and Systems Integrator for Smoke and Decon Systems, Headquarters Department of the Army in the Pentagon; G3, DAMO-FDB; Executive Officer to the III Corps G3 and Operations Officer, 2nd Chemical Battalion, 13th Corps Support Command at Fort Hood; Logistical Planner and Chief of Operations, 21st Theater Support Command (TSC); Battalion Commander, 82nd Chemical Battalion and Chief of Staff, United States Army Chemical School and Maneuver Support Center; Commander, United States Army Environmental Command; Chief of Staff, Iraq Train and Advise Mission (ITAM) Director, Baghdad, Iraq; Division Chief for Full Dimension Protection, HQDA G-8, Pentagon; Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox; the 28th Chief of Chemical and the Commandant of the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School; and as the Deputy Commanding General Combined Arms Center-Training.

Her awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal; five  Legions of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, seven Meritorious Service Medals, two Joint Service Commendation medals, six Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, Southwest Asia Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Ribbons, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Joint Staff Identification Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.

She is married to LTC (R) Chris Gervais, a Signal Officer, who retired after 28 years of service. Maria and Chris have one daughter, Brandi, who is an Army Major serving in the Dental Corp and stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. MAJ Gervais is married to CPT Roland Garcia who is also an Army dentist stationed at Fort Bragg.