Commander William “Scotch” Perdue,
JAGC, US NavyCommander Perdue is from central Pennsylvania and attended the Pennsylvania State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor degree in Philosophy. After completing his undergraduate degrees, he sought a commission in the United States Marine Corps and served on active duty at the platoon and company levels as both a Tank Officer and Riverine Assault Officer.  He served primarily in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, but also in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Panama, and Argentina.  After leaving active duty to attend law school, he remained in the Selected Marine Corps Reserves.
     
Commander Perdue earned his Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law, and is admitted to both the Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts State Bars.  After accepting a commission into the United States Navy, then-Lieutenant Perdue attended Naval Justice School and reported to his first assignment as a JAG Officer with Naval Legal Service Office North Central, Washington, DC, where he served as Defense Counsel, Legal Assistance Attorney and Staff Attorney at the Physical Evaluation Board, Naval Hospital, Bethesda, MD.

Subsequently, Commander Perdue reported to the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Code 13 (Administrative Law), where he served as a Personnel Law, Ethics and Military Rights/Benefits Attorney.  He then moved to Illinois for consecutive assignments as the Assistant Staff Judge Advocate for Commander, Naval Service Training Command and Commander, Navy Region Midwest in Great Lakes, Illinois, and later as Officer in Charge, Naval Legal Service Office, North Central Detachment, Great Lakes.  During that tour he augmented Marine Judge Advocate resources to represent defense clients charged in relation to incidents in both Hamdaniya and Haditha, Iraq.  He also served as an Individual Augment with 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) in both the Operational Law and Detainee Operations Sections of the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Multi-National Force West in Camp Fallujah, Iraq where he earned his Fleet Marine Force Officer Warfare Qualification.
     
Upon his return to the United States, Commander Perdue attended the Georgetown University Law Center where he graduated with distinction and earned his Master of Legal Letters degree in International Law as well as a Certificate in National Security Law.  He reported to Code 10 (International Law) and served initially in the Law of War Department and later as Head, International Programs Department.  Between those OJAG assignments he served as the Deputy Legal & Ocean Policy Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy (N3N5L).  He is also a 2012 graduate of the Naval War College Fleet Seminar and Graduate Degree Program earning his Master of Arts with distinction in National Security and Strategic Studies.