Lt. Col. Walter Pratt is a foreign area officer who recently served as chief of the Defense Threat Reduction Office – Philippines at Embassy Manila. In this role, he led DTRA programs across the Philippines, providing early insight and on-the-ground presence to manage risks before they escalated. He oversaw construction projects, training, equipment deliveries, and partner engagements while coordinating closely with embassy teams and U.S. agencies. His work supported maritime domain awareness, nonproliferation, and biochemical security efforts.
Before Manila, Pratt was the U.S. Army Japan liaison officer to the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force Northeastern Army at Camp Sendai. As the sole U.S. government presence in the region, he advised U.S. and Japanese commanders and supported the JGSDF’s first deployment to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk. He facilitated logistics, joint exercises, and high-level coordination, including with JRTC’s Operations Group and leadership programs in the United States.
From 2017 to 2019, Pratt was based in Bangkok with the Joint United States Military Advisory Group, Thailand. He directed land capabilities and led U.S.-Thai Army cooperation, planning major exercises like Hanuman Guardian and Cobra Gold. Earlier in his career, Pratt held operational roles with U.S. Army Japan and I Corps Forward, contributing to bilateral exercises and leading humanitarian efforts during Operation Tomodachi after the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. He also served in Korea and Iraq as a tank and scout platoon leader.
Pratt holds a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Stanford and an MBA in international management from Thunderbird. A certified Army linguist in Mandarin, Thai, and Laotian, he has also studied multiple Chinese dialects. His military education includes Ranger, Airborne, and Air Assault schools, as well as the Command and General Staff College. He joined the Army at 32, leaving a corporate career in search of service and leadership in combat. He has spent more than 22 years living in Asia as a student, businessman, and soldier. Pratt’s interests include reading nonfiction, travel, trail running, and studying languages and cultures. He has received numerous honors, including the Defense Cooperation Award from Japan and the Royal Thai Army CGSC Badge presented by the king of Thailand.
