Colonel Gittipong “Eddie” Paruchabutr, USA (ret.), is a nonresident senior fellow in the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. 

Paruchabutr recently retired after twenty-five years as a Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Colonel from the US Army.  He culminated his career as a senior military advisor and director of the Information Operations Division, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC).  

In his previous capacity at the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy SO/LIC, Paruchabutr enabled civilian executives to exercise oversight and control of the military with respect to the development, integration, and interdepartmental coordination of policies regarding Information Operations (IO), Military Information Support Operations (MISO–also known as PSYOP by NATO and all other allies), Military Deception (MILDEC), and IO-related sensitive activities. He supported National Security Council planning committees, interagency coordination, and international collaboration on MISO and IO policy, strategy, and operational matters. Paruchabutr represented the US Department of Defense (DOD) in various industry, academic, and international forums, and was the primary instructor of MISO policy at the Senior Joint Officers Information Operations Applications Course. Lastly, Paruchabutr was the principal author of numerous DOD reports and conducted multiple briefings to Congressional House and Senate Armed Services, Intelligence, and Appropriations oversight committees. 

Paruchabutr’s twenty-five years of service included combat, operational, and strategic planning tours in various command and staff positions primarily within the Info-Pacific theatre of operations. His deployments included tours in the Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Cambodia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. His combat tours were in the Middle East theatre of operations. 

Paruchabutr holds master’s degrees from the US Army War College and the US Army School of Advanced Military Studies, as well as a BA from Boston University.