Lieutenant Colonel Mark Hughes, a native of Muskogee, Okla., retired from the Marine Corps in 1996. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism in education with a history minor and a master's in communication. As a public affairs officer, he was responsible for writing, editing, taking photographs, and publishing military newspapers. Additionally, Mark worked with the media and the community, answering questions and resolving issues. His assignments included New River Air Station, N.C.; Camp Lejuene, N.C.; U.S. Central Command, Tampa, Fla.; Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan; and New York, New York. His deployments included Panama, Operation Restore Hope (Somalia), and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (Saudi Arabia). His schooling includes The Basic School, Amphibious Warfare College, the Defense Information School, and Command and Staff College. His awards include the Bronze Star (meritorious), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, and the Navy Achievement Medal, among others. He has been married to his wife, Teresa, for 41 years and they have two four-legged kids, Chase and Ruby.