Eric Greitens

Eric Robert Greitens (born April 10, 1974) is an American former United States Navy SEAL officer, philanthropist, author, and Republican politician who served as the 56th governor of Missouri from January 2017 to June 2018. A summa cum laude graduate of Duke University and Rhodes Scholar who earned a Ph.D. from Oxford University, Greitens volunteered as a humanitarian in refugee camps and war zones before enlisting in the Navy, where he completed SEAL training and led four deployments during the Global War on Terrorism, earning the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Ribbon among other commendations.

After returning from Iraq wounded by a suicide bombing, Greitens founded The Mission Continues in 2007, a nonprofit organization that empowers post-9/11 veterans to continue serving their communities through service projects, for which he was named to TIME's 100 most influential people list. He authored bestselling books including The Heart and the Fist and Resilience, drawing on his experiences in military service, humanitarian work, and leadership to advocate for personal fortitude and civic purpose. Entering politics as an outsider in 2016, Greitens campaigned on reducing government waste, combating corruption, and economic reform, winning the governorship with pledges to cut taxes and eliminate lobbyist influence.

Eric Robert Greitens was born on April 10, 1974, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Rob and Becky Greitens. His father worked as an accountant for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, while his mother was an early childhood special education teacher. Greitens grew up in a family of five in the St. Louis area, including two younger siblings, within a Jewish household that attended the Reform B'nai El synagogue in the Maryland Heights suburb.