Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, the son of a career naval officer, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985 with bachelors and master’s degrees in history and political science, and was commissioned through the Naval ROTC program. He subsequently attended Oxford University where he earned a master’s degree in history. He has also completed the Navy’s nuclear power training program.

Montgomery’s shipboard assignments include tours as an engineering division officer on USS Bainbridge (CGN 25), operations officer on USS Leftwich (DD 984), reactor electrical assistant on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and executive officer of USS Elliot (DD 967). From 2001 to 2003, he was the first commanding officer of USS McCampbell (DDG 85), during which time the ship was delivered to the Navy and completed two counter-narcotics deployments. From 2004 to 2006, he served as reactor officer on USS Nimitz (CVN 68). He commanded Destroyer Squadron 15 and Task Group 75.4 from 2007 to 2009, leading the destroyers and frigates assigned to U.S. 7th Fleet, completing multiple deployments with the Kitty Hawk and George Washington Carrier Strike Groups.

Montgomery was selected as a White House fellow in 1998 and assigned to the National Security Council from 1998 to 2000, serving as a director for Transnational Threats. From 2009 to 2010 he served as the head of the Strategy Branch in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

As a flag officer, Montgomery served as deputy director, plans, policy and strategy, United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, from 2010 to 2012. From January 2013 to October 2014 he commanded Battle Force 7th Fleet/Task Force 70/Carrier Strike Group 5 permanently embarked on board the USS George Washington (CVN 73) forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

Montgomery is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a graduate of Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology Seminar XXI course.

Last Updated: 24 January 2022