Lt. Col. McNamara was born in St. Louis, MO and raised in Huntington Beach, CA. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1999 upon graduating from Arkansas State University.
He most recently served as the Engineer Branch Lieutenant Colonel Assignment Officer, Officer Personnel Management Directorate, Human Resources Command in Fort Knox, KY.
His other assignments include service as the Battalion Operations and Executive Officer, 4th Engineer Battalion (Combat), Fort Carson, CO. As the Executive Officer, he deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. McNamara served as Assistant Operations Officer for Mission Command Training Program, Training Division Headquarters for Deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Prior to this, he served as the Brigade Plans Officer 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat Airborne) Fort Bragg, NC. He also commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 20th Engineer Brigade at Fort Bragg, NC. As the commander, he deployed the company to Balad Air Base, Iraq for 15 months during the surge. Prior to command, he served as the Corps Engineer Battle Captain and Planner XVIII Airborne Corps deploying to Iraq, Brigade Maintenance Officer, and the Brigade Operations Officer, 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat Airborne). McNamara served as the Brigade Logistics Officer, 3rd Training Brigade, and as the Executive Officer, B Company, 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry Regiment at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Previously, he was the Deputy Protocol Officer for 2nd Infantry Division, Sapper Platoon Leader in A Company, Executive Officer in B Company, 44th Engineer Battalion (Mechanized) at Camp Howze, South Korea.
McNamara is a graduate of Airborne School, Ranger School, the Sapper Leader Course, Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and Command and Staff College. He holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science degree, in education, from Arkansas State University.
His military awards and decorations include Bronze Star Medal (one oak leaf clusters), Army Meritorious Service Medal (three oak leaf clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (three oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal (five oak leaf clusters), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation (one oak leaf cluster), Army Superior Unit Award (one oak leaf cluster) and Bronze de Fluery Medal.