Patrick Grieco
Patrick Grieco is a historian, educator, and communication specialist who bridges historical scholarship, strategic communication, and visual information management to equip military and graduate students for success in complex information environments. A firm advocate for experience driven learning, he connects academic coursework to real-world applications, fostering practical skills for operational and professional challenges.
He currently serves as an Instructor at the Defense Information School (DINFOS) within the Public Affairs & Communication Strategy Directorate, a position he accepted in June 2026. Prior to his current instructional role, he served as a Cyber Public Affairs Officer for the DoW Cyber Defense Command beginning in January 2026.
His civilian career follows 20 years of distinguished military service in the U.S. Navy as a Chief Mass Communication Specialist, from which he retired in January 2026. During his final active-duty assignment from June 2021 to January 2026, he was a Lead Instructor at DINFOS, where he developed and delivered intermediate-level training for the Visual Information Management (VIM) course and instructed public affairs officers in the Public Affairs & Communication Strategy Qualification (PACS-Q) course. In these roles, he specialized in teaching Information Warfare, visual information planning, media engagement, and internal shop audits.
As an instructional subject matter expert at DINFOS, he specializes in resource management, operational visual information planning, joint staff integration, information warfare, and journalism. His previous coursework development included visual information planning, archive management, internal shop audits, equipment lifecycle oversight, and the integration of communication strategies aligned with joint operations and commander's intent.
A native of Irwin, Pennsylvania, Grieco enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2005. Operationally, he deployed with the USS Harry S. Truman Strike Group, USS Doyle, and others in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Southern Seas, and Joint Operations. He later served with U.S. European Command on Operation Odyssey Dawn, UN Humanitarian Mine Action in Armenia, and the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo. He directed media engagement as Public Affairs Leading Petty Officer on PCU Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), managed communications during the Tri-Hull Swap aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73), led as Departmental Leading Petty Officer on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during Operation Inherent Resolve, and supported the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, providing multimedia solutions to senior DoD leadership.
Promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 2022, Grieco was a qualified Enlisted Surface Warfare and Enlisted Air Warfare Specialist. His military decorations include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Joint Service Achievement Medals, and five Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
Grieco holds a Master of Arts in History, summa cum laude, from the University of
Nebraska at Kearney and a Bachelor of Arts in History, summa cum laude, from the
University of Maryland Global Campus. He is a graduate of the Basic Public Affairs Specialist–Writer Course and the Digital Multimedia Course at DINFOS. His academic research interests focus on U.S. history, Western civilization, naval heritage, and the integration of historical insight into contemporary strategic communication and information operations. He has co-authored chapters in a Western Civilization textbook, collaborated with preservation organizations on primary source projects, and designed shipboard history curricula connecting heritage to leadership values.
He is an active member of the American Historical Association, the Medieval Academy of America, Phi Alpha Theta, and Navy Public Affairs Communicators. He holds an active Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
He resides in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with his wife of over 19 years, Danielle, and their daughter, Adelaide. In his personal time, he enjoys hunting, cycling, fishing, and family activities.
His professional profile is available at linkedin.com/in/patrick-grieco.
Some of his military imagery can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service:
https://www.dvidshub.net/portfolio/1070020/patrick-grieco