Daniel grew up in Africa, the son of missionaries. He was enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1981, and was trained in electronic warfare. He served with the VMAQ-2 “Playboy” Squadron for 3 years, analyzing the jamming effectiveness of the EA-6B aircraft, and the electronic data they collected in flight. He was meritoriously promoted to Sergeant, just 16 months from my Boot Camp graduation. Daniel was selected to be an instructor at the school house, where the “black magic” is taught. While an instructor, he applied for an enlisted to officer program and was accepted. After attending the University of Arizona for 2 1/2 years, he was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on 22 December 1988.

Daniel attended the Infantry Officer Course, after The Basic School, where he was awarded the prestigious “Wheeler Award.” He have led platoons, companies, and battalions, both in peace-time training, and in combat. He have been deployed 11 times throughout his career with 5 combat deployments and served on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon, as the Afghanistan Division Chief. He served as the Chief of Staff for 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa, Japan.

Daniel Wilson retired on 1 March 2020 as the most senior Colonel in the Marine Corps, just shy of 39 years of active duty service. He says "It has been my privilege to have led, and to have served with, legions of Marine warriors. I will forever cherish our shared camaraderie, and the unbreakable bonds we developed through our experiences around the globe."