Major General Gill Beck graduated from Appalachian State University in 1978. He graduated 2nd in his class with a GPA of 3.98, received the Eggers English Award as the top English student, was captain and MVP of the football team, ASU Athlete of the Year, All-Southern Conference for three years, and Academic Football All-American in his sophomore and senior years, and was later selected to the 75th Anniversary Football Team, and to the ASU and College Academic Football Hall of Fame, he was also a Distinguished Military Graduate from the ROTC program. He commissioned in the Adjutant General's Corps and later attended Duke Law School as part of the Department of Defense's Funded Legal Education Program.
His duty assignments include:
- 3rd Armor Division
- Chief of the Claims Division, 1st Infantry Division
- Senior Trial Counsel, 1st Infantry Division
- Litigation Attorney, Army Litigation Division, The Pentagon
- Team Leader, 12th Legal Support Organization, Brigade Judge Advocate, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, Staff Judge Advocate, 108th Division (IT)
- Staff Judge Advocate of Task Force 134, Multi-National Forces Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq
- Commander, 12th Legal Support Organization, Fort Jackson, South Carolina
- Chief Judge, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Arlington, Virginia to Commander, United States Army Reserve Legal Command, Gaithersburg, Maryland
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Iraqi Campaign Medal, and Overseas Service Ribbon, the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award, and in 2001 MG Walter Huffman, The Judge Advocate General, presented Beck with the Judge Advocate Association's Award as the top US Army Reserve and National Guard Judge Advocate in the United States.
He is married to Mary Jo Beck, and they have three children, Joshua, Gill, and Jonathon.