Lieutenant Colonel Youngmin Park
LTC Youngmin Park (Paul) graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering and commissioned into the Army as an Infantry Officer. His first assignment was at Fort Bragg, NC where he served as an Airborne Infantry Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer in 1st Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn from 2009 to 2010. LTC Park attended Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) in October of 2013.
Upon graduating SFQC, LTC Park reported to 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) (1-1 SFG(A)) in Okinawa, Japan where he served in Alpha Company as the Detachment Commander for Operational Detachment Alpha 1115. LTC Park and his team conducted Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) operations in the Republic of the Philippines, Bangladesh, the Republic of Korea, Cambodia, and the Maldives. Following his team time, LTC Park served as the Battalion Assistant S3 until April of 2017.
After serving as the Aide de Camp to the Commanding General of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, NC and attending the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA, LTC Park returned to 1-1 SFG (A) to serve as the Battalion Executive Officer and Commander of Alpha Company. He then reported to Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC) at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawai’i where he served as the Chief of Future Operations, the INDOPACOM Augmentation Team (PAT) Team Leader in U.S. Embassy Bangkok, and the Executive Officer to the Commanding General.
LTC Park’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (x3), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal (x2), Korea Defense Service Medal, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Diver and Dive Supervisor Badge, Senior Parachute Wings, and Air Assault Badge.