Christopher “Chris” Gillis (FE-OC) is currently the acting Deputy Chief of Mission for Mission India and last assigned as the SRSO for Mission Australia where he served as A/DCM for most of his tour. Prior to Australia, Chris was the SRSO in Kabul, Afghanistan, overseeing the drawdown/NEO evacuation and suspension of Embassy operations. Chris has been with Diplomatic Security Service for 26 years, previously serving as the Senior Regional Security Officer for Nairobi, Kenya- 2019/2021; as Senior Deputy and Senior Regional Security Officer for Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan- 2017/2019; New Delhi, India- 2014/2017 as Deputy and Senior RSO. His other previous assignments include RSO Mumbai, India – 2011/2013; RSO Monrovia, Liberia – 2008/2011; RSO Antananarivo, Madagascar – 2004/2008; ARSO Baku, Azerbaijan – 2002/2004; and as a Special Agent in the Miami, Florida field office- 1999/2002.
He is an individual recipient of numerous State Department Meritorious, Superior Honor and Heroism Awards and decorated as an Officer de l’Order National Malagasy, Madagascar’s second highest honor normally reserved for dignitaries or Malagasy citizens.
Prior to Chris’ employment with DS, he worked for 13 years as a Detective/Special Agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia conducting a wide variety of complex investigations. Chris is also a U.S. Army veteran.