Biography

On 15 June 1982 Mark Rosenstein followed in the footsteps of his parents and began his career in the U.S. Army when he enlisted in the Delayed Entry Program from Country Club Hills, Illinois. On 8 June 1983, he shipped-out to Fort Dix, New Jersey, where he completed Basic Training and was recognized as the only Soldier who maxed both the Army Physical Fitness Test and the end of cycle test, “Soldier Stakes”. His fondest memory of basic training was the “Paragon Trail” capstone exercise.

His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was Computer Machine Operator, 74D (Adjutant General Corps). He attended training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana. At this time, the U.S. Army employed mainframe computers for management information systems, the emergence “Information Technology” had not yet began. His first assignment was with the 2nd Infantry Division, Korea; he arrived at the “turtle farm” on 31 October 1983. While in Korea, he met his future wife, Chong Nan Kim. Later, on 2 June 1985, he and Chong married in Mason City, Illinois.

Mark’s career continued after Korea when he was assigned to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. While stationed at Fort Irwin, he attended the Primary Leadership Development Course at Fort Ord, California, he was promoted to Sergeant, and he received an Associate of Science and an Associate of Arts where he was recognized as Summa Cum Laude for both and Salutatorian for his Associate of Science. These achievements led to the approval of his request for acceptance into a “Boot Strap” type program to help Soldiers complete undergraduate studies. It was around this time that his MOS was realigned under the Army Signal Corps Regiment. In June 1987 he began studies at Governor’s State University, University Park, Illinois where he majored in Business Administration and minored in Management Information Systems. Mark graduated as Valedictorian two years later with a 4.0 grade point average. During this assignment, Mark and Chong’s first daughter, Sarah, was born at Great Lakes Naval Base. Shortly after graduation, he returned to Korea where he served with the Eighth U.S. Army in direct support of the Korean Intelligence Support System located at Command Post Tango. It was during this tour that the Army selected him to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) and in late November 1990 he arrived at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Mark was commissioned a Field Artillery (FA) Officer in the Army detailed officer program upon graduation from OCS Class 1-91, 18 January 1991. He subsequently attended the FA Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he was recognized on the Commandant’s List. His first duty assignment as an officer was with the 528th U.S. Army Artillery Group, Cakmakli, Turkey. Prior to returning home in 1992, Mark and Chong’s second daughter, Tia, was born at Fort Sill. It was at this point that Mark returned to the Signal Corps (SC) and attended the SC Branch Qualification course at Fort Gordon, Georgia, where graduated as Honor Graduate.

His first assignment as a SC officer was with the 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York in 1992. He deployed in support of Operation Uphold Democracy, Haiti in late 1994. While at Fort Drum, Mark served with the 10th Signal Battalion, 110th Military Intelligence Battalion, and the Division Signal Office (G6). During his tour, he also graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with a Master of Science in Management Science and later in his career a Master’s in Business Administration. In 1995 he returned to Fort Gordon to attend the SC Officer Advanced Course. In the summer of 1996 he returned to Korea where he served with the 36th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade at Camp Walker. Among other positions while with 36th Signal Battalion, he served as Company Commander, 169th Signal Company.

In summer 1998 he was assigned to the 10th Area Support Group (ASG), Okinawa, Japan. While in Okinawa, Mark worked outside his traditional signals field as a logistician where he periodically led logistical operations in the Republic of the Philippines to strengthen strategic outreach and alliances with the DOD and the larger Asia-Pacific. While with the 10th ASG, he served as Group Operations Officer (S2/S3) and Group S6. After Okinawa, he was sent to Athens, Greece to serve with the Office of Defense Cooperation. In Greece he acquired a deep appreciation for the political, military, and economic nuances at the core of strategic alliances. During this tour he also graduated from the Command and General Staff Officer Course.

In 2003, after the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States, he volunteered to join the 22nd Signal Brigade, Darmstadt, Germany, which was already in the process of deploying to Iraq. During his service in Germany, he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) I in 2003 and OIF IV in 2006. While with the 22nd Signal Brigade, Mark served as Brigade Operations Officer (S3), Executive Officer (440th Signal Battalion), and Signal Plans Officer, V Corps (G6). After the inactivation of the brigade in 2007, he joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at the Solbiate Olona military base outside of Milan, Italy where he served as Chief, Plans and Exercises, NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy. In Italy, he developed a keen alertness to the subtle geo-political relationships between governments, regions, and cultures. During this assignment, he returned to Iraq to serve with the NATO Training Mission – Iraq where he had a rare opportunity to work as a Ministerial Strategic Plans and Policy Advisor Mentor. In this role he joined with appointed Iraqi executives to shape policy and governance for the newly forming government.

After departing Italy in the summer of 2009, Mark once again returned to Korea where he took command of the 36th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade. While serving as Commander, the battalion was recognized with numerous awards that included four Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Facility of the Year awards. He also received a personal Letter of Commendation from the Republic of Korea. From Korea, he was sent to the Army Human Resources Command (HRC) in 2011 to serve as the Chief, Enlisted Signal Branch where he managed over 42,000 Signal Soldiers (both Active and Reserve). During this tour he was selected for promotion to Colonel and attendance at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C. (formerly the Industrial College of the Armed Forces).

After graduating from the Eisenhower School as a distinguished graduate and receiving a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy in 2014, he was assigned to DISA. While with DISA he served as the agency’s Chief of Staff and as Vice Director, Joint Information Environment Synchronization Office. As Chief of Staff, he directed a staff supporting a 14,000-member workforce with an annual budget of $11B across a global Combat Support Agency specializing in Network Management, Cyber Security, Information Assurance, Management Information Systems, Data Management and Processing, Enterprise Resource Planning, and Client Relations.

Colonel Rosenstein’s military education also includes the Army Comptrollership Course, the NATO Staff Officer Course, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, and the Nuclear Warhead Detachment Course. His military service is recognized with the Bronze Star Medal (2), Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (3), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (8), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (2), the Army Good Conduct Medal (2), the National Defense Service Medal (2), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal w/Bronze Star, the Iraq Campaign Service Medal (3 Stars), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Ribbon (10), the NATO Medal, the Army Parachutist Badge, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (2), and the Meritorious Unit Citation (2). His Foreign Decorations include the Italian Parachutist Badge, the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency in Gold, the German Sports Badge, and the Danish Contingent March Medal.

Colonel Rosenstein retired from active duty on 1 October 1 2017 with over 34 years of service to our nation. At his retirement ceremony he said, “I have lived more life in my 34 years in the Army than most people will live in a lifetime.” ~ Pro Patria Vigilans

In addition to his military career, he is proudest of his 32-year marriage to Chong, his daughter Sarah’s graduate degree from George Washington University in Forensic Science, and his daughter Tia’s graduate degree from DePaul University in Nursing.

Mark Rosenstein grew-up in Illinois, the son of Stephen and Karlene Rosenstein. His parents also served in the U.S. Army,;his father a Pharmacist and his mother a Nurse. He has two brothers, Barry and Michael, and a sister, Carla. Back

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