Colonel Rich Barclay was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana.  He was the first in his family to finish college, graduating in 2000 from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.  He attended Officer Candidates Course 174 in the Summer of 2000, graduating and commissioning as a 2ndLt in August 2000.
 
Colonel Barclay's command assignments: As a Lieutenant he was a rifle platoon commander and weapons platoon commander as a member of 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division.  Deployments with V17 included a UDP to Okinawa and combat deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom 1.  As a Captain he was a company commander for India Company as a member of 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division.  Deployment as Company Commander with V35 was to the 31st MEU out of Camp Hansen, Okinawa.  As a Major he was a Company Commander for TBS Basic Officer Companies Fox and Charlie.  As a Lieutenant Colonel he was the Battalion Commander of 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division.  Deployment as a Battalion Commander was to the 31st MEU out of Camp Hansen, Okinawa as Battalion Landing Team 34.
 
Colonel Barclay's staff assignments: As a Lieutenant he was a Weapons Company executive officer with 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division and an Officer Selection Officer for Recruiting Station Indianapolis.  As a Captain he was a Battalion Operations Officer for 3d Battalion, 5th Marines with a combat deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom 10.2 in Sangin, Afghanistan.  As a Major at TBS he was a Section Head and Deputy Warfighting 6.  As a Major in the operating forces he was a Battalion XO for 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division and served on a combat deployment to SPMAGTF Crisis Response-Central Command.  As a Major after V37, he was a Faculty Advisor at EWS.  As a Lieutenant Colonel he was a Deputy Director and Chief Instructor at EWS.  After completing command and school, he served as a Lieutenant Colonel action officer on the Joint Staff, J3, J35, Joint Operations Division INDOPACOM, executive briefer for the Russia/Ukraine Crisis Management Team, and special assignment to cover the PRC High Altitude Balloon over North America.  As a Colonel he's served on the Joint Staff, J3, as a Joint Staff special assignment Team Leader leading JS affairs concerning the Unauthorized Disclosure ("leak") as well as a Team Chief for the Israel/HAMAS/CENTCOM Crisis Management Team.  Colonel Barclay is currently serving as 4th Marine Regiment Commanding Officer and the Camp Schwab Commanding Officer.
 
Colonel Barclay is a graduate of TBS (2000), Infantry Officer Course (2001), Expeditionary Warfare School (2008), Small Boat Navigation Course (2008), USMC Command and Staff College Distance Education Program (2013), and the College of International Security Affairs at National Defense University (2022).  He holds a BA from Indiana University and an MA in Strategic Security Studies with a Specialization in Irregular Warfare from the College of International Security Affairs at National Defense University.  His personal awards include the Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medals, Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, US Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon.