Mark A. Olinger

Colonel Mark A. Olinger, U.S. Army (Retired), culminated his career as the director

of operations, Defense Energy Support Center, located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

He served in several command and staff positions in the United States, Panama, the

Republic of Korea, the Middle East, and Germany.

He commanded at multiple levels, and as a lieutenant he served as a rifle platoon

leader in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Later,

as a captain at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he commanded a detachment in the 5th

Special Forces Group (Airborne) and then a headquarters and supply company in

the 528th Support Battalion (Airborne). As a lieutenant colonel, he commanded

the 142d Corps Support Battalion, Fort Polk, Louisiana. Most recently, as a colonel

he commanded the Defense Energy Support Center–Middle East, Naval Support

Activity–Bahrain.

His combat service includes company commander in the 528th Support Battalion

(Airborne) during Operation Earnest Well/Prime Chance in the Arabian Gulf; deputy

director of logistics (J4), U.S. Special Operations Command–South/Joint Special

Operations Task Force during Operation Just Cause in Panama; support operations

officer in the 528th Support Battalion (Airborne) during Operations Desert Shield

and Desert Storm; and commander, 142d Corps Support Battalion, and later assistant

chief of staff for logistics (G-4) for the 1st Armored Division during the liberation

and subsequent stability operations in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. As commander,

Defense Energy Support Center–Middle East, he was responsible for providing

comprehensive integrated joint bulk fuel support to U.S. Central Command within

a twenty-seven-country area of responsibility; that included Operation Enduring

Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Combined/Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa.

A native of Portland, Oregon, he graduated from California Polytechnic State

University, Pomona, with a bachelor of science in business administration in 1983

and received a master of science in national security strategy from the National

Defense University in 2006. He is a graduate of the National War College.