Col. Marcus Hunter is a joint-qualified Special Forces officer with regional expertise in Latin America, and operational experience in Afghanistan, Europe, Africa and the Indo-Pacific Region.
As a lieutenant, he served in the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, in Fort Lewis, Washington. From 2000 to 2003, he helped activate and validate the first Stryker Brigade Combat Team and served as an infantry rifle platoon leader, company executive officer, and reconnaissance platoon leader. Upon graduating from the Infantry Captain’s Career Course, he completed the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
As a captain and field-grade officer, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, throughout Latin America in support of disaster relief operations, and other special operations exercises and activities with allies and partners in the region. He also served as a special operations liaison officer, or SOLO, to the Republic of Panama, with duty at the U.S. Embassy in Panama City.
Col. Hunter next commanded Headquarters Battalion, U.S. Army Africa/Southern European Task Force, and then most recently commanded the 1st Battalion in the Army’s 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. There, he supported U.S. Army Pacific security assistance activities with partnered militaries across the Indo-Pacific region.
Col. Hunter is a graduate of the Brigham Young University ROTC program and the U.S. Naval War College Command and Staff Program. He holds a master’s degree in irregular warfare from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Col. Hunter is married to the former Caren Case from McLean, Virginia. They have four daughters and one son.