RALEIGH — Walter Gaskin, a retired three-star Marine Corps general, stepped down as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, and Gov. Roy Cooper has named former state Rep. Grier Martin as his successor.
Cooper’s office announced Gaskin’s retirement Thursday, and Martin took over the Cabinet post on Monday.
Gaskin, a Georgia native, was also commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune from June 2006 until July 2008.
Martin, 55, had been the assistant secretary of defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. A retired Army Reserve soldier, Martin, served two stints, totaling 17 years, in the state House as a Wake County Democrat going back to 2005 before resigning in 2022 to work in the Pentagon. Martin is a Charlotte native who earned a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College and law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
“As a soldier, state representative and leader at the Pentagon, Grier Martin has been a fierce advocate for our veterans and military communities,” Cooper said in a statement, “and I am confident he will continue our efforts to make North Carolina the most military and veteran friendly state in the nation.”
The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs manages state veterans’ nursing homes and cemeteries, and it promotes activities to support military installations in North Carolina and the quality of life for current and retired service members.
The secretary’s post, like other Cabinet positions, is subject to state Senate confirmation.
